Waiting to Forget

Waiting to Forget
By Sheila Welch
Namelos, 2011. 170 pgs. Middle Grade fiction

As T.J. sits in the hospital waiting room, anxious for news about his sister Angela, who has suffered a fall, he reflects on their life. "Now" they are adjusting to being recently adopted and fitting in with their new parents, but "then," they lived with their mother and her series of boyfriends, with T.J. acting much more like an adult than his mother as he tried to keep himself and his sister safe. As he reflects on his life and worries about his sister, T.J. comes to realize what he wants from life.

This is a touching, thought-provoking story. Told alternately between "now" and "then," it takes readers through the children's lives, as they craved their mother's love and attention but could never quite rely on her, and their struggles to fit into a new family. While it deals with difficult topics, such as abandonment and neglect, it does so in a gentle, caring way that invites readers to join T.J. on his emotional journey.

3.5 stars. Has a little bit of language, but of the milder variety.