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Somebody Else's Daughter | 
 enlarge | Author: Elizabeth Brundage
Publisher: Viking Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $12.38
You Save: $12.57 (50%)
New (40) Used (15) from $9.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 32741
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0670019003
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780670019007
ASIN: 0670019003
Publication Date: July 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! NEW Book! May have remainder mark. Most orders ship within 1 BUSINESS DAY with ORDER CONFIRMATION.
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Product Description
A psychological thriller of secrets, dark motives, and an adoption buried in the past
At the center of Elizabeth Brundages new novel lies an adoption under stressed and tragic circumstances. Willa, brought up in elegant prosperity, is now a student at the prestigious Pioneer School. But her biological father, a failing writer and former drug addict, cant live with himself without seeing her again.
In this idyllic Berkshires landscape, Willas adoptive parents have fled a mysterious past; a feminist sculptor initiates a reckless affair; teenagers live in a world to which adults turn a blind eye; and the headmasters wife is busy keeping her husbands disastrous history and current indiscretions well hidden. The culmination of these forces is the collision of two very different fathersbiological and adoptiveand a villain whose ends and means slowly unfold with the help, witting and unwitting, of all around him. Somebody Elses Daughter delivers an electric, suspenseful tale of richly conflicted characters and the disturbed landscape of the American psyche.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Thought Provoking Thriller September 7, 2008
I was drawn into Somebody Else's daughter from the first page. Ms. Brundage created characters who were complex, believable, and ultimately like all of us- flawed or scarred in some way. I appreciated her female characters, all different, yet representative of issues women face and how they handle them. Her descriptions were poignant and the voices were real. Elizabeth, through character development, showed us the vulnerablity and disappointment of her male characters. She beautifully gave the point of view of the father having to give up his daughter for adoption, the porn-king struggling with his identity as a provider, husband and father, and the head of school fighting his personal demons. This is a thriller that packs an emotional punch. Whether you read for a great story, or you prefer character development and thought-provoking issues- this is the read for you!
Compelling! September 7, 2008
As she did in The Doctor's Wife, Elizabeth Brundage has once again given us a compulsively readable, compelling story of the complicated secrets that lurk beneath the idyllic surface of small town life. Somebody Else's Daughter examines the interconnected lives of students and parents at an exclusive private school in the Berkshires, in the process exploring important subjects like adoptive parenting, drug use, and our fractured expectations for and treatment of women. Her writing is lovely and her characters ring true, and, like with the best of literature, the story here grabs the reader and never lets go. Somebody Else's Mother is one of the most satisfying books I have read this year.
LITERARY THRILLER DEEPLY OBSERVED August 31, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Dealing with themes of adoption, feminism, coming of age, and secrecy, Elizabeth Brundage weaves a thrilling plot that inspires the reader with her control of language and character development. Her interest in detail, such as her attention to various characters' hand movements, gives unity to the writing. Her focus on the male's reaction to adoption gives a fresh perspective. I could not put this book aside and recommend it for in-depth book club discussions.
 Chock Full of Cliches August 26, 2008
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
It is amazing that a book which touches on such diverse topics as adoption, pornography, AIDS, drug abuse, gambling, dog fighting, rape, child molestation, alcoholism, learning disabilities, feminism, murder, and cheating at school could be boring. Yet it is. Maybe that's the problem. This story touches on everything, reducing what should be significant topics to nothing more than cliches. I found myself laughing inappropriately -- not the right reaction for a novel billed as "richly drawn" and "transformative." I didn't believe in any character and, what's more, I didn't care.
fascinating and surprising August 18, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This was a fascinating experience; I use the word experience because that's what it was. My ordinary life was suspended in time as I read this novel, so eager to find out what would happen to the characters. The characters were an unusual mix - a socially diverse group of people whose lives connect for different reasons. I have been an educator for many years and thought this perspective on a private school was compelling and unique. Getting into the heads of the kids, as well as their troubled parents, had me intrigued from the very first page. I read this author's first book, and I have to say that she's moving in a very interesting direction. I can't wait for her next book.
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