My Father's Daughter

Why, oh why, did they change the title? The real title of the book, Father's Arcane Daughter, was perfect because the author leaves you guessing (in more ways than one) just who the title character is. To say more than that would be to reveal too much. Suffice to say that this book is like an onion, with layers and layers of protective skin that can be peeled off -Only to reveal more layers. It's a family drama and a mystery story, where no one is quite what he or she appears to be. The film adaptation (yet another title change -this time to "Caroline?") took more than a few liberties, yet managed to capture the heart of this very thoughtful and thought-provoking novel. Whatever the title, I'm so pleased to see this book back in print again after so many years. It's like a member of the family has returned home after a long absence...

I couldn't even get past the first four pages because of all the typos. The book was obviously scanned using OCR software and never proofread for the telltale errors that occur frequently, especially when scanning text in italics. I can't believe I paid good money for such an amateurish attempt at publishing. Shame on you, Simon & Shuster. Certainly you could have sprung for at least an intern from NYU's literature department to check it for mistakes.

In the second paragraph on page one, a character speaks on knowing "some farts a little, and some farts not at all." I had to read it four or five times before I figured out what the problem was. As I read further, I found Hs that should have been Bs, periods placed in the middle of sentences. Having worked in the publishing business myself I couldn't ignore the signs of unreviewed OCR scanning.

Bush league, S&S. You're better than that. I'm going to have to go out and buy a hard copy because this digital version is unreadable. It's part of our homeschool curriculum, so I have to have it, but this version is a total waste of money.

I discovered this book as an adult, after seeing the Hallmark movie “Caroline?” and it’s one I would have liked a lot as a child. It’s a relatively quiet story, of a 12 year old boy dealing with a disabled younger sister and an older half sister who may or may not be who she claims to be. It’s an unusual mystery in that you can read it again, and still enjoy the trip.
The movie version is almost impossible to find, but if you have a chance, I would recommend that too.