House Children Research Articles

Housing Australian Children: A Snapshot of Health Inequities in the First 2000 Days.

Housing is a critical social determinant of children's health. While individual pathways between housing and health are well evidenced, there has been less attention on the co-occurrence of housing disadvantages. We aim to identify typologies of children's housing disadvantage and describe the health inequities they generate. A cross-sectional latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted on 4355 Australian children aged 4 to 5years who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Nine binary indicators-dwelling tenure, external condition, affordability, stability, crowding, cleanliness, fuel poverty, and noise exposure-were used to generate latent housing typologies. Generalized linear models with robust standard errors described disparities in quality of life, injury, disability, and health service use across these housing typologies. Four distinct housing typologies were identified in this cohort: "good condition, affordable, and secure" (60%); "insecure" (11%); "crowded" (24%); and "unsuitable" (5%). Unsuitable housing, characterized by crowding, poor external conditions, and noise exposure, was more likely to be occupied by single-parent families, low-income households, and be headed by parents with low levels of education. Children in unsuitable housing lagged on quality of life indicators at preschool age (e.g., by 8.0 points on emotional functioning, 95% CI - 10.6, - 5.5), and underutilized primary healthcare services (e.g., prevalence ratio 0.76 for GP services, 95% CI 0.67, 0.87), compared to children in good quality housing. This finding supports the case for early intervention strategies that account for children's housing circumstances.

부모의 사회경제적 배경이 자녀의 주택 확보 및 자산 축적에 미치는 영향

부모의 사회경제적 배경이 자녀의 주택 확보 및 자산 축적에 미치는 영향

Reducing Social Disintegration and Economic Inequality through Community-Based Program for a More Equitable Society

Since the independence of Indonesia, many problems have always been discussed. Poverty and inequality are one of those problems that existed and have been solved since almost eight decades ago. The government has been trying to make the country better through development that emphasizes economic improvement. Unfortunately, economic development creates another social problem: the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Social and economic disparities could cause social disintegration. The main dispute is not merely in the poverty itself, but how the stakeholders respond to poverty. This article examines the problems of poverty from the community integration point of view. We found how communities can become separated from each other due to various factors such a physical, social, and economic barriers. It outlines the challenges faced in addressing social disintegration through the children's learning house program which is based on community-based action research.

Mite allergen levels and fungal counts in children's bedding in four widely separated towns in Japan

We evaluated the relationships between children's housing, earthquake or tsunami damage affecting children, prevalence of allergic diseases, and levels of mite allergens and fungi on children's bedding after the Great East Japan Earthquake in four municipalities in Japan. We surveyed 464 children in Ishinomaki, 254 in Kami, 614 in Iwanuma, and 300 in Oiso whose parents or guardians had completed the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire. We measured the levels of Dermatophagoides 1 allergens (Der 1) (Dermatophagoidespteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae) on children's mattresses or futons and fungal counts (Aspergillus and yeast) between 2016 and 2018. Earthquake damage was significantly greater in Ishinomaki than in the other three municipalities. There were no differences in the prevalence of allergic disease among the four municipalities. Der 1 levels were significantly higher in Ishinomaki than in Iwanuma, but there were no differences among Oiso, Iwanuma, and Kami. Der 1 levels in children with asthma in Iwanuma and with allergic rhinitis in Kami were significantly higher than in those without these conditions. Total fungal counts and Aspergillus counts were highest in Kami and lowest in Oiso. Der 1 levels were significantly correlated with fungal counts in Kami and Iwanuma, but not in Ishinomaki or Oiso. Both Der 1 levels and total fungal counts in Ishinomaki were greater than those in other three municipalities. Housing and allergen-avoidance strategies varied among the four municipalities. Mite allergen and fungal levels in these Japanese municipalities might have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and these changes might have affected the prevalence of allergic diseases in children.

조선 현종~숙종 초의 정국과 왕실혼

In the 17th century, the Joseon Dynasty was a period when “Sarim Politics” was implemented in which “Rustic literati[Sanlim]” check the royal authority by using academic standards. In particular, in the year of King Hyeon Jong, the political influence of the mountain party, such as Song Si yeol, after Gihae Ye-song, became stronger than that of the previous King Hyo jong, and the same Westerner, Handang, maternal relatives, and a few other men who sympathized with it united as a force to protect the royal authority. Moreover, King Hyeon jong was the only son of Hyojong. It was also during King Hyeon jong's year that the number of royal figures showed a significant decline from the previous period. Therefore, the spouses of King Hyeon jong's children were politically children of figures who followed Song Si-yeol, but the chosen figures had a relationship with Queen Hyojong's Inseon and Queen Myeongseong, compared to that of the time. It seems that King Hyeon jong and Queen Myeongseong sought to expand the royal power through their children's spouse's house, and later fostered them as a force to protect the royal authority

The Impact of Microfinance on Women Borrowers’ Livelihoods: A Case Study of BRAC Kabarole District, Western Uganda

This study examined the experiences of poor women borrowers involved in BRAC microfinance initiatives in Kabarole District. Drawing upon empowerment theory, a cross-sectional study design was employed, with data collection conducted through interviews, observation and key informant interviews. Information was obtained from women borrowers who were selected through convenient sampling whereas interview guides were used to obtain key information from four group leaders and BRAC officials who were purposively selected. The study discovered that although, BRAC loans largely benefited women borrowers with multiple income sources, the expansion of accessibility to loans for women in far flung districts like Kabarole is economically empowering to women borrowers and increases women’s economic agency and productivity by providing highly needed capita for expansion. Access to BRAC credit facility has also improved women’s array of choices, improved their participation in decision-making, expanded their businesses and increased their appetite for individual loans which were previously seen as a masculine attribute. However, several challenges impeded the successful utilization of BRAC microfinance services by women. These included negative group dynamics, short repayment periods, and increased workloads for women, which reduced productivity. Additionally, some women misallocated their loans to address household needs, such as children's school fees and house renovations. In light of these findings, it is recommended that BRAC bank evaluates these challenges and develops mitigation strategies to fully empower women.

Childhood Homelessness and Housing Insecurity: A Curriculum for Pediatric Residents

Childhood Homelessness and Housing Insecurity: A Curriculum for Pediatric Residents

Study: Childhood housing insecurity has lingering mental health effects

Results of a newly published cohort study suggest that policies supporting stable housing could serve as an important component of youth mental health prevention efforts. The study found that children who experienced housing insecurity showed greater anxiety and depressive symptoms than those in stable housing, with higher scores for depression also present in adulthood.

Prospective Associations of Childhood Housing Insecurity With Anxiety and Depression Symptoms During Childhood and Adulthood

Childhood housing insecurity has dramatically increased in the US in recent decades, but whether an association with adverse mental health outcomes exists after adjusting for repeated measures of childhood poverty is unclear. To test whether childhood housing insecurity is associated with later anxiety and depression symptoms after adjusting for time-varying measures of childhood poverty. This prospective cohort study included individuals aged 9, 11, and 13 years at baseline from the Great Smoky Mountains Study in western North Carolina. Participants were assessed up to 11 times from January 1993 to December 2015. Data were analyzed from October 2021 to October 2022. Participants and their parents reported social factors annually when participants were 9 to 16 years of age. A comprehensive measure of childhood housing insecurity was constructed based on frequent residential moves, reduced standard of living, forced separation from home, and foster care status. Between ages 9 and 16 years, the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment was used up to 7 times to evaluate childhood anxiety and depression symptoms. Adult anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed at ages 19, 21, 26, and 30 years using the Young Adult Psychiatric Assessment. Of the 1339 participants (mean [SD] age, 11.3 [1.63] years), 739 (55.2%; 51.1% weighted) were male; 1203 individuals assessed up to 30 years of age were included in the adulthood outcome analyses. Standardized mean (SD) baseline anxiety and depression symptom scores were higher among children who experienced housing insecurity than among those who never experienced housing insecurity (anxiety: 0.49 [1.15] vs 0.22 [1.02]; depression: 0.20 [1.08] vs -0.06 [0.82]). Individuals who experienced childhood housing insecurity had higher anxiety symptom scores (fixed effects: standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.21; 95% CI, 0.12-0.30; random effects: SMD, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.15-0.35) and higher depression symptom scores (fixed effects: SMD, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.09-0.28; random effects: SMD, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.14-0.37) during childhood. In adulthood, childhood housing insecurity was associated with higher depression symptom scores (SMD, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.00-0.21). In this cohort study, housing insecurity was associated with anxiety and depression during childhood and with depression during adulthood. Because housing insecurity is a modifiable, policy-relevant factor associated with psychopathology, these results suggest that social policies that support secure housing may be an important prevention strategy.

Supporting the Use of Basic Scientific Process Skills with a Project Approach in Preschool Period: An Action Research

The aim of this study is to examine in detail the project approach practices in preschool education and the state of supporting the use of basic scientific process skills on the water project sample. The research was modeled according to the action research design, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study group was formed with the participation of 20 children attending the İzmir Foça Municipality Children's House 6 (60-72 months) age group, their parents, a classroom teacher, a teacher assistant and a project manager. In the water project implemented within the scope of the study, documents/products obtained from various activities of the s children such as forming a concept network through brainstorming, generating questions, producing materials, drawing graphics, making measurements and calculations, field visits, ensuring the active participation of families in the process, conducting experiments were considered as data collection tools. These documents were categorized in the context of basic scientific processes, "estimation, observation, measurement, communication, data recording/interpretation, trying/experimentation, drawing conclusions" skills and analyzed with content analysis. In the analysis of 57 activities carried out during the project, it can be said that students are looking for answers to their questions by using skills such as "estimation, observation, measurement, data recording, trying/experimentation, communication, drawing conclusions", and the project process carried out in this way greatly supports their use of basic scientific process skills and thus contributes to their scientific thinking.

Intergenerational financial support for homeownership and co-residence in Chinese cities

Drawing on questionnaire data from six cities in China, this study explores the relationship between intergenerational financial support from parents in adult children's housing purchases and key life course facts. The regression results indicate an inverted ‘U’-shaped relationship between the age of young adults and the occurrence of financial support from their parents in housing purchases. Intergenerational co-residence, popular in China, is significantly and positively associated with financial support from parents for housing purchases. This suggests that many Chinese parents seek to achieve further intergenerational reciprocity through co-residence after giving financial support to their adult children. Interestingly, the regression results on samples without loans show that intergenerational co-residence is not significantly related to occurrences of parental financial support in housing purchases. This indicates that more affluent families purchasing housing without loans may not need to engage in intergenerational reciprocity through intergenerational co-residence. This paper provides new empirical evidence of intergeneration wealth transfers on homeownership in the context of China. It enriches our understanding of the relationship between intergenerational financial support for homeownership and the phenomenon of co-residence.

Reprint of: Homelessness and child protection involvement: Temporal links and risks to student attendance and school mobility

BackgroundThe experience of homelessness and child protection involvement pose risks to children's school success. Elucidating processes by which these interrelated systems affect child well-being is important for guiding policy and practice. ObjectiveThis study examines the temporal relation between emergency shelter or transitional housing use and child protection involvement among school-aged children. We evaluated effects of both risk indicators on school attendance and school mobility. Participant and settingUsing integrated administrative data, we identified 3278 children (ages 4 to 15) whose families used emergency or transitional housing in Hennepin and Ramsey County of Minnesota during the 2014 and 2015 academic years. A propensity-score-matched comparison group of 2613 children who did not use emergency or transitional housing. MethodThrough a series of logistic regressions and generalized estimating equations, we tested the temporal associations of emergency/transitional housing and child protection involvement as well as how both experiences affected school attendance and mobility. ResultsExperiences of emergency or transitional housing often proceeded or occurred concurrently with child protection involvement and increased the likelihood of child protection services. Emergency or transitional housing and child protection involvement posed risks for lower school attendance and greater school mobility. ConclusionsA multisystem approach to assist families across social services may be important for stabilizing children's housing and bolstering their success at school. A two-generation approach focused on residential and school stability and enhancing family resources could boost adaptive success of family members across contexts.

Electronic screening for unmet social needs in a pediatric pulmonary clinic: Acceptability and associations with health outcomes.

Children with unmet basic needs experience worse health than more advantaged counterparts. There has been limited research on screening for unmet basic needs in pediatric subspecialty care. Caregivers of established patients in pediatric asthma and cystic fibrosis (CF) clinics were screened for unmet basic needs with an electronic survey, which asked about concerns and stress level (5-point Likert scale) related to food, housing, transportation, health insurance, and childcare, among others. Medical record review provided patient demographic characteristics and clinical data. A follow-up survey with the clinical providers assessed the acceptability of electronic screening for unmet needs. The sample included 214 pediatric patients (N = 105 asthma, N = 109 CF) and their caregivers. Most patients with asthma (76%) were Black, 30% in households with <$20,000 annual income. In contrast, most patients with CF (93%) were white, 12% in households with <$20,000 annual income. Reported needs included food insecurity (29% asthma and 17% CF), healthy food (75% asthma and 87% CF), financial insecurity (45% asthma and 32% CF), health insurance (15% asthma and 28% CF), smoke exposure (24% asthma and 28% CF), child's exercise (21% asthma and 28% CF), living conditions (18% asthma and 17% CF), childcare (11% asthma and 15% CF), transportation (16% asthma and 9% CF), and housing insecurity (10% asthma and 8% CF). Concerns were rated moderately to very stressful. Food insecurity, financial insecurity, and smoke exposure were significantly associated with uncontrolled asthma. In people with CF, concerns about health insurance and child exercise were significantly associated with lower lung function and increased odds of hospitalizations. Clinicians believed that screening was important and should be administered by a designated person on the clinical team. Unmet basic needs and associated stress levels are linked to adverse pediatric pulmonary outcomes. Electronic screening, without face-to-face interaction or paper trail, facilitates high response rates and is easily integrated into clinic flow. Such screenings can identify vulnerable patients for targeted interventions and referral to available community resources.

La Vagabonde assise – space, place and the meaning of home in Colette and other women writers

Nick Hewitt wrote wonderfully well about the significance of different places in French history and culture, and in our lives. Colette was a chronicler of places, from the famous childhood house and garden in Burgundy, to Brittany, Provence and of course Paris. But as her writing moves across regions and houses, home recurs as a crucial place in the emotional landscape of a human life. Nick was also always attentive to the relationship between canonical and ‘minor’ authors, and to the interplay between socio-political moment and cultural production. In this article home is examined as a vital and recurring theme not only in the work of Colette but also in that of her lesser-known female contemporaries – for home as a place has particular practical and emotional meanings for women.

Housing insecurity and adolescent behavioral outcomes: The mediating role of aggression in parenting

BackgroundHousing insecurity impacts millions of families with children each year and is linked with a range of adverse outcomes. Greater understanding of pathways linking housing insecurity with emotional and behavioral problem is needed to prevent enduring mental health problems. The Family Stress Model and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model contribute understanding to the complex dynamics underlying development from childhood to adolescence in the context of economic hardship and parental strain. ObjectiveThe present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of harsh parenting in the relationship between childhood housing insecurity and adolescent behavior problems. Participants and settingData from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study, and included a sample of at-risk mothers with children from 20 large U.S. cities (N = 2719). MethodsStructural equation modeling with latent variables tested direct and indirect pathways from housing insecurity at age 5 with emotional and behavioral problems at age 15 via intermediary harsh parenting at age 9. ResultsHousing insecurity directly predicted adolescent anxious/depressive behaviors (β = 0.14, p < 0.01); and indirectly predicted rule-breaking (β = 0.04, p < 0.01), aggressive (β = 0.05, p < 0.01), and anxious/depressive (β = 0.03, p < 0.05) behaviors via psychological aggression in parenting. ConclusionsFailure to address housing hardship among families with young children increases maltreatment risk and subsequent enduring mental health problems. Efforts to identify and mitigate housing hardship and maltreatment among at-risk families offer promise to promote long-term mental health in the transition from childhood to adolescence.

Unattended home sleep studies for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in a population of French children

BackgroundAmbulatory exams were preferred in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Polysomnography (PSG), the gold standard for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis, requires several leads and sensors to be attached to the child's body. Children are more comfortable with respiratory polygraphic (RP) recording, which needs fewer sensors. ObjectiveTo compare respiratory parameters obtained by home RP with those obtained by home PSG with the device installed at the child's home by a trained sleep nurse from a national health care provider. MethodsData from home PSGs performed in children aged 2–19 years were retrospectively included. The obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) was computed in PSG and then in RP after removing the sleep signals. The two indexes were compared using non-parametric paired Wilcoxon rank test, Bland-Altman analysis and sensitivity–specificity analysis. Results44 PSGs of 44 children were included with only 34 (77%) PSGs interpretable. Median (min-max) OAHI was significantly underestimated in RP than in PSG (2.2 (0–25) vs 4.0 (0.4–28), p < 0.0001), confirmed also by the Bland-Altman diagram, the magnitude of the difference being mean ± standard deviation −1.7 ± 1.7. The sensitivity and specificity of OAHI in RP to identify an OAHI ≥2/h in PSG was 0.91 for both. ConclusionUnattended ambulatory RP performed at child's house and installed under carefully controlled conditions is a useful exam for diagnosing OSA in children with or without comorbidities. However, RP must be installed in a supervised environment and interpreted with caution as it tends to underestimate OSA severity.

The influence of neighborhood safety and built environment on childhood obesity: isolated and combined effect of contextual factors.

This study aims to analyze the isolated and combined effect of objective measures concerning neighborhood safety, food, and physical activity environments on students' obesity. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 9- and 10-year-old children enrolled in the municipal education network of a Brazilian metropolis. Environment objective measures comprised neighborhood unsafety (annual criminality and road traffic accident rates), availability of public parks and spaces for physical activity practicing, and index of establishments that predominantly sell ultra-processed food. Euclidean buffers of 1,000m around the children's house were used as eligible geographic units. This study adopted the Principal Component Analysis and Generalized Estimation Equation models. Stratified analyses were conducted based on neighborhood unsafety and on child's family income. In total, 717 students were assessed, 12.2% of them were children with obesity. The latent variable of the obesogenic environment (deduced by environment unsafety rates and the index of establishments that predominantly sell ultra-processed food) was a risk factor for obesity in children with lower socioeconomic levels (OR = 2.37; 95%CI: 1.06-5.19). Public parks and spaces for physical activity practicing were protective factors against childhood obesity only in locations recording the lowest environment unsafety rates (OR = 0.30; 95%CI: 0.09-0.94). Based on our findings, social conditions change the effect of the environment on childhood obesity, reinforcing the relevance of inter-sectoral policies and strategies against this condition.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BASICS OF PEDAGOGY OF TOLERANCE IN THE PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES OF MODERN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The article highlights the results of the 1st organizational and preparatory stage of the all-Ukrainian level experiment "Scientific and methodological support for the implementation of the author's model "School of tolerance", the participating pedagogical teams are the Educational Complex № 2 of Khmelnytskyi, Gymnasium № 6 of Shepetivsk City Council of Khmelnytskyi Region, House of Children's Creativity of Netishynsk City Council of Khmelnytskyi Region. The purpose of the study is to scientifically substantiate and experimentally verify the effectiveness of scientific and methodological support for the implementation of the author's model "School of Tolerance". The theoretical justification of the experimental work at the first stage provided for the achievement of two goals: the 1st implies conducting study, analysis and generalization of theoretical research with the aim of clarifying the concept of "tolerance", "dignity", "partnership", "tolerant educational space", "pedagogy of non-violence", clarification of these concepts regarding the education of the personality of education seekers and residents of the selectives, the formation of a personal and activity approach to the organization of education and upbringing according to the principles of tolerance; the 2nd implies is the study, analysis and generalization of ways and means of integrating the principles of tolerance into the system of educational activities in institutions of general secondary and extracurricular education. The participants of the experiment carried out a number of tasks, namely: studied and analyzed the pedagogical experience of the team of gymnasium № 2 in Khmelnytskyi of the author's model "School of Tolerance", psychological and pedagogical literature on the problem of the experiment; the composition of creative groups of teachers was formed regarding the organization and conduct of the experiment at the all-Ukrainian level; established cooperation with institutions that provide scientific and methodological support for experimental work; the functional duties of teachers in the system of solving the tasks of the experiment are defined and clarified; held consultations and meetings for teachers regarding the study and analysis of domestic and foreign experience on the research problem; conducted comprehensive diagnostics of the level of readiness of the participants of the educational process to work in the experimental mode.

Homelessness and child protection involvement: Temporal links and risks to student attendance and school mobility

BackgroundThe experience of homelessness and child protection involvement pose risks to children's school success. Elucidating processes by which these interrelated systems affect child well-being is important for guiding policy and practice. ObjectiveThis study examines the temporal relation between emergency shelter or transitional housing use and child protection involvement among school-aged children. We evaluated effects of both risk indicators on school attendance and school mobility. Participant and settingUsing integrated administrative data, we identified 3278 children (ages 4 to 15) whose families used emergency or transitional housing in Hennepin and Ramsey County of Minnesota during the 2014 and 2015 academic years. A propensity-score-matched comparison group of 2613 children who did not use emergency or transitional housing. MethodThrough a series of logistic regressions and generalized estimating equations, we tested the temporal associations of emergency/transitional housing and child protection involvement as well as how both experiences affected school attendance and mobility. ResultsExperiences of emergency or transitional housing often proceeded or occurred concurrently with child protection involvement and increased the likelihood of child protection services. Emergency or transitional housing and child protection involvement posed risks for lower school attendance and greater school mobility. ConclusionsA multisystem approach to assist families across social services may be important for stabilizing children's housing and bolstering their success at school. A two-generation approach focused on residential and school stability and enhancing family resources could boost adaptive success of family members across contexts.

The Rest of the Story: Remembering childhood

The Rest of the StoryRemembering childhood Carolyn Forché (bio) No matter how early I woke, how light it was or wet the fields, and whether or not the horses from the stable down the road had broken their fence and were grazing near our windows like horses in a dream, Anna would be gone. I swept my arm across the still-warm sheet. Her teeth were missing from the glass on the bedside table, and her wire-rimmed spectacles were also gone. Once again, she had not shaken me from sleep to go with her. I got dressed, taking care not to let the door make any sound, as everyone else was still asleep and the alarm, set for six, would not yet be jangling on my father's bedside table. [End Page 7] Click for larger view View full resolution The author's aunts: Margaret (left) and Anna. Courtesy the author. [End Page 8] Break of day. My grandmother was already moving along the rows, bending and hoeing, tossing weeds into one bushel basket and squash or cucumbers into another as crows gathered above her and the dawn fog rose. Her hoe rang out when it struck a stone buried in the soil, and she stooped to pry it up and carry it to a pile of stones at the edge of the field. Back and forth she walked, rocking from side to side, muttering under her breath either prayers or swear words, I couldn't tell, or else she was talking to someone who wasn't there. At first, she ignored me, planting her hoe again and again, turning and pulling soil and stone, as white grubs fell from the edge of the blade, curled from having been pulled so abruptly from their darkness. Once she let a grub fall into my palm, and it bit me. When I cried out, she shook it away and laughed, not as if a joke had been told. On this morning, she wrapped a stick with a rag soaked in fluid, set it on fire, and stabbed it into a mole's tunnel until the mole emerged and then was finished off under her shovel. Two crows followed her as she worked, rising and falling in the air on oily black wings to steal strawberries from her quart basket or snatch rye scraps from her outstretched hands. Go away! she cried out even as she fed them, and in Slovak, too, she said it. Chod' preč! We picked whatever was ripe, and then as we walked back through the orchard with our full bushels, she checked each tree for the hardness of its fruits. Hours passed, yet it was still morning, and the mist hadn't left the fields when we returned to the kitchen to proof yeast for bread and kolachy. Only then would she sit, all in, weary from work, rubbing her wire-rimmed spectacles in her apron, dabbing her face with a handkerchief edged in lace. She often talked then about her childhood house in the Tatras and of things as they were in her village, Tarnov, and of Bratislava, not so very far from Vienna. She spoke of the Emperor, Franz Josef I, as if he were still alive. We have opera and dance there. Your own cousin is a tenor in the Vienna Opera House. Opera and dance, you cannot imagine, Piskata, because you have nothing here. By here she meant the United States as she had known it. [End Page 9] It had by now been a decade since her husband's death the month before I was born. He went suddenly, they said, while chopping wood. She found him, his ax blade embedded in a split of oak, staring up without blinking at the passing clouds. When Anna wasn't living with us, she lived with her eldest daughter on Chalfonte Street in Detroit. Sometimes I went there for visits, and Anna shared her room with me. The house was quiet and orderly, its silence broken only by the chirps of a cuckoo on the quarter hour. Heavy drapes darkened the rooms, and the porcelain figurines in the glass case chimed when...