Are Parents People?

by Alice Duer Miller

"Are Parents People?" by Alice Duer Miller is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around Lita Hazlitt, a young girl navigating her complicated relationships with her divorced parents, who exhibit a deep-seated animosity toward each other. Set in a boarding school context, the book explores themes of family dynamics, childhood innocence, and the emotional turmoil faced by a child caught between two feuding parents. The opening of the novel introduces Lita during a school chapel service, where she grapples with the tension of her parents' presence at the school. Her mother and father, despite their long-standing divorce, harbor unresolved feelings toward each other, creating a difficult situation for Lita, who has to navigate her loyalties. As tensions between her parents rise, Lita’s reflections reveal her feelings of obligation and confusion about affection, showcasing her struggle to assert her own identity amid the emotional manipulations of her parents. Through Lita's experiences, the novel promises an exploration of the complexities of love, loyalty, and the pressures of parental expectation.