''Maddie'' (ePub)

We all have our "e;inner-child"e; within us. Madeline Elsworthis a fifty-eight year old social worker whose life and her familyslives are affected by her lost "e;inner-child"e;, Maddie. The fourth,fifth, and sixth years of her childhood are missing. Until shelocates Maddie and lives those three years with her, Madeline can Itbe a whole person. Madeline lives in California as the woman she thinks she shouldbe--an educated stable wife of a surgeon and mother of two adultdaughters. Shes an "e;actress"e; going through her "e;role of life"e;. As she grows older, reality is becoming too frightening so sheswithdrawing and becoming more dependent on her family instead ofbeing a participating member. Madeline believes her mother passed away during her childhood. When she learns her mother has just recently died, she is forcedto return alone to her childhood environment in Pennsylvania to findher lost childhood years. As Maddie begins to appear, Madelinechooses to be in denial and doesnt want to leave her "e;safe place"e;so she sees Maddie as a very happy child and her childhood as a happyone. As Maddie continues appear.inq to her, she starts seeing thingsshe doesn It want to acknowledge. Madeline keeps running away toher migraine headaches and Codeine to lessen her discomfort. But Madeline begins to feel love for Maddie and wants to defendand protect her. With the help of her old friend and psychiatrist, Doctor Bob, she starts trusting Maddie and wants to know her better. As a result, Maddie developes a need for Madeline to help her andopens up to her. Maddie slowly reveals her fears and horror shehad suffered during those lost three years. With the support of the caring new people Madeline meets inher old hometown and her growing concern for Maddie, she finds newstrength to help her "e;inner-child"e;. Theres the friendly mortician who had known Maddie; theresthe Ott family who gives support; theres Uncle Arthur who sharesMaddies mothers younger years with her maternal grandparents;theres the attorney who fills in the blanks in her memory of herfather and paternal grandparents; and then there are the memoriesof a sweet, loving Down s Syndrome boy whose love and devotion hadhelped Maddie survive. Madeline lives through Maddie s fourth, fifth, and sixth yearswith her and helps her "e;inner-child"e; cope with each horrific episodeshe had encountered. As Madeline holds her hand and walks by herside through those years, Maddie developes the courage to takeMadeline back to the terror-filled events of her childhood. Madeline sees the abuse by her Schizophrenic mother; the absenceof her loving father; the taunting and bullying by a neighborhoodboy; the feeling of loneliness; facing the deaths of loved ones;and finally, almost her own death. As Maddie conquers her fears, she no longer needs to hide within Madelines psyche. Madeline experiences a beautiful feeling offreedom--freedom from the fear of devastating emotional pain. Sheemerges as the confident, self-loving woman she wants to be. Shecan now love her family and others with the deep trusting love shecould never allow. Shes become a "e;whole person"e;.