Ronit Wagman

Did you know that universities once had home economics programs complete with practice houses and real live practice babies? Neither did I! Lisa Grunwald's fascinating novel follows the life of one of these creatures from infancy to early adulthood. The twist is that Henry House, one in a long line of practice house babies, is adopted by his professor, an austere older woman who favors dictums to hugs and gives herself the intentionally ambiguous nickname of “Emem.”

Contrary to many reviewers here, I found the first third of the book more tedious than the rest. While it established the post-WWII time period nicely, there was a stale, premeditated quality to the writing that didn't excite me. A plot twist early on kept me involved, though, and things picked up considerably once the point of view shifted from Emem to Henry. By the time Henry became cognizant of his hatred toward Emem and curious about the cultural revolution that threatened Emem's close-minded severity, I was entirely hooked. The author hands over a few too many tidy conclusions about Henry's mental state, but he's nevertheless a fascinating character who held me captive, empathetic, and involved until the final page.

Imaginative premise and I think it would have succeeded as a YA novel but, for my taste, the characterization felt too thin. It's similar in mood to Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, another novel that left me feeling emotionally manipulated and intellectually unsatisfied. But despite its flaws, the story raised enough narrative questions to sustain my interest.