Don't Divorce Us! : Kids' Advice to Divorcing Parents (ISBN 1556201753)

The Most Important Voice:
As somebody entering into a relationship with a man who is adevoted father, I picked up this book to skim the chapter onStepparenting. Instead of skimming a single chapter, I opened the bookto the dedication and found myself reading the entire book in one evening, page after engrossing page. The authors, who have years of professional as well as personal experience in dealing with children of divorce, have done a remarkable dance in the writing of this book. They are present to offer some guidelines, to make a few points. Then, they tiptoe to the background and let the children who they interviewed speak for themselves, sometimes in their own script. The authors are there again, at the end of each chapter, to provide a summary. The authors' commentary is sensitive to the experience of all involved. The children's voices are compelling and let me really appreciate the experience of my to-be stepdaughter. The book also made me understand the importance of everyone having voice in the creation of a stepfamily. I will share this book with my partner, with his daughter, and with my partner's ex-wife as well. The book gives me hope that we can create a future that meets the needs of the one most important and least often heard -- the child.