Naomi's Place
Why did you write Naomi's Place?
‘Naomi’ lived to be 100 years old, but for the last fifteen years of her life she was severely stricken with the tragic illness of Alzheimer’s disease. I wanted her caretakers to know something about the woman she had been. First, it was a love story written for Naomi.
A second important purpose for the book stemmed from my work in the juvenile court system as a forensic psychologist. I witnessed the many problems within the foster care system. As I saw children traumatized by the ‘revolving door’ of the court system, I thought back on my own life in a children’s home and realized how fortunate I was to have grown up in a stable environment. I vocalized the merits of ‘orphanages’ for the children separated from siblings or moved from home to home. However, many persons could not get beyond the Dickensian perception of institutions. And so I wrote Naomi’s Place with the intent to dispel such views. Most of the children homes of the past were founded and run by caring persons with a desire to help the most vulnerable of society. Most of the homes provided stability, continuity, care and educational opportunities, all important qualities for helping a young person achieve a healthy and independent life. I hoped that Naomi’s Place would present an adjunct, not a replacement, for the over-stressed foster care system.
Editorial Review from School Library Journal (1/1/2001)
"This story of Naomi, Ruth and the children’s home they ran together rings with authenticity….since the author drew upon her own experiences….other young voices are heard…voices that shriek with pain, anger and frustration; at other times, they sing with joy and love, but above all they are real."Island Tides Book Review NAOMI'S PLACE (5/8/2003)
Excerpts from a review by John Wiznuk "...Dr. Wardell...has a superb gift for storytelling. The ability to take ordinary events and tell them in a way that makes them universal. It also has something to do with honesty; ...something in the way that the words are strung together that moves my eyes along and makes me greedy for the next page."
"I enjoyed this book, finding it emotionally and intellectually stimulating. Of all the books that I have read in the past decade this is (one) I believe cries out to be made into a film and given wider public attention."