Donna Brown Agins Reviews “The Irresistible Henry House” by Lisa Grunwald

In her latest novel, The Irresistible Henry House, Lisa Grunwald tells the life story of Henry House, a young orphan who was a “practice baby.” In the early part of the 20^th century, colleges and universities across the US used real children to teach mothering skills to young women in home economics classes. These orphans were called “practice babies” and they lived in “practice houses” where they were passed off each week from one mother in training to the next. The orphans usually stayed for a few years before being sent onto adoptive homes. From the start, Henry inspires in women the desire for his exclusive attention, and at an early age Henry learns to use his charm to get what he wants from women.

Unable to let him go, the program director raises Henry until he is a teenager when, as a protest against his unusual situation, Henry refuses to speak and is sent to The Humphrey School for troubled teens in Connecticut. During his mute years at school, Henry expresses himself through drawing and painting and blossoms into a talented artist and a future lover of women.

Once Henry leaves the school he is hired by Disney Studios to draw penguins for the film, “Mary Poppins.” Later he moves to London and works on the film, “Yellow Submarine.” The book includes appearances by Dr. Benjamin Spock, Walt Disney and John Lennon. All through his life Henry is surrounded by a revolving door of girlfriends but is often perplexed at his inability to feel deeply for any of these young women. All but one, his childhood sweetheart Mary Jane, pass through his life without event. These multidimensional women in Henry’s life are archetypes that represent the fascinating cultural changes American women experienced during the latter half of the 20^th century. But it is the story of Henry’s own struggle within himself to understand the desires of his heart that propel Lisa Grunwald’s novel. Although it is not easy for him, Henry is determined to transcend his unusual childhood, confront the truth of his past actions and find a place in the world that he can call home.

Ultimately, The Irresistible Henry House is a warm, original and entertaining novel filled with many characters and period details of American life that will ring true with many readers. I highly recommend this novel.

Donna Brown Agins is the author of two biographies: “Jacqueline Kennedy, Legendary First Lady” and “Maya Angelou: Diversity Makes for a Rich Tapestry,” which was nominated for an NAACP Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth and Teens. She has been the recipient of the Judy Blume Work in Progress Grant and the Sidney Taylor Grant for Outstanding Literature.

This post originally appeared on my former blog, StyleSubstanceSoul.