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adoption book discussion kevin wilson

Read With Me: The Novel “Perfect Little World”

Infinite Family Project

Kevin Wilson’s Perfect Little World came to my attention when Melissa Ford wrote about it. I’ve long enjoyed discussing books with Melissa and others the ALI community (Adoption, infant Loss, Infertility), so of course I immediately reserved this novel at the library and jumped it to the front of my queue. I’ve just begun reading and already there have been a half-dozen times I’ve stopped to ask myself what you  all would make of this book.

perfect little world adoption book discussion

From the book jacket:

When Isabelle Poole meets Dr. Preston Grind, she’s fresh out of high school, pregnant with her art teacher’s baby, and totally on her own. Izzy knows she can be a good mother but without any money or relatives to help, she’s left searching.

Dr. Grind, an awkwardly charming child psychologist, has spent his life studying family, even after tragedy struck his own. Now, with the help of an eccentric billionaire, he has the chance to create a “perfect little world”—to study what would happen when ten children are raised collectively, without knowing who their biological parents are. He calls it The Infinite Family Project and he wants Izzy and her son to join.

From my friend, author Melissa Ford:

The book opens at the turning point: A psychologist puts together a center where 10 children are raised collectively by 19 parents (1 is a single parent and all the rest are heterosexual couples) from birth without experiencing the concept of a nuclear family. And now — at age 5 — the children are on the cusp of discovering which parent(s) in the group is/are their biological parent(s). How will their world change once they know their origin?

From the author, Kevin Wilson.

Invitation to Read With Me

Why don’t you pick up Perfect Little World? Then join the brand new Facebook group Novel Approach ( join now and you’ll be a charter member). Then we’ll all meet there mid February to share our thoughts about nature and nurture, about what makes a person, what makes a family,  what makes a parent, and anything else that comes up as we read through the pages.

The aim is to share light (perspective and compassion) rather than heat (arguments). To that end, you’ll be asked two questions upon joining the group, both having to do with how you handle conflict in online groups. There is an expectation that you have less of a need to defend your truth than you have curiosity to hear another’s.

I have a message in to author Kevin Wilson to see if he will participate with us and answer our questions. I’ll report in Novel Approach when he responds.

UPDATE: Kevin Wilson is happy to answer our questions, but he’s not on Facebook so we’ll have a workaround.

To Read & Discuss Perfect Little World

  1. Join the Facebook group Novel Approach. Let me know if you’d like to participate but not through Facebook.
  2. Read the book.
  3. Jot down your thoughts as you read. Be ready to discuss Perfect Little World with others in mid February.

Please feel free to invite others you think would be interested.

I have in mind a few more novels we can read together in 2018. I envision that these books can build bridges among us (even within us!) in 2018.

~~~~~

Lori Holden's book coverLori Holden, mom of a teen son and a teen daughter, blogs from Denver. Her book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole, is available through your favorite online bookseller and makes a thoughtful anytime gift for the adoptive families in your life.

7 Responses

    1. True, dystopia often arises from attempts at utopia. And many years ago, we did discuss A Handmaid’s Tale.

      I can see how it sounds horrifying, but it comes across less so than the HT. I’m still only in the middle, but I think the book is getting more at the notion that family ties do matter.

  1. Oooh, this sounds like fun. I’ve joined the group, but have to get the book now.

    Sigh – as if I didn’t have enough new projects this year!

  2. I’m in! Although it appears I sent my join request before answering both questions. Whoops. I’m pretty sure I can bring the light and not the heat… 🙂 Now to get the book! Fascinating.

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