One, Two, Three ...: The Story of Matt, a Feral Child

by Eleanor Craig

A social worker takes charge of a young boy variously labelled as feral, schizophrenic, retarded, and autistic, and discovers that he can be reached despite his severe problems

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Psychology, Biography

294 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. Mental illness is real and sometimes it is a genetically inherited issue. This woman never gave up on this child and his mother no matter how frustrating it was at times.

[Luci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me back into reading. We were actually withdrawing it from the collection at the library I work at and the idea of a “feral child” got my attention. This is an intense read but the story is uplifting and brings out the best and worst of humanity. If you aren’t interested in child development or psychology you likely won’t find this as interesting as I did, but I loved it!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never intended to read this book as the subject matter did not interest me. I liked it. After doing volunteer work at the state hospital many years ago, I learned that there are parents like those written about in this book. they do exist and how sad that is.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was in jr. high and I think it really started me on my way to becoming a social worker.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting story of a wild child. I have enjoyed books by Torey Hayden and Mary MacCracken. This was very similar. There was much more parent involvement in this book because the problem began with the relationship between mother and son. Ms Craig had to spend as much time with the mother as with the child. It was great to see growth for both. These books always make me wonder how the clients fared years later. Did the child grow to have a happy life? Was the mother able to let go and form a life of her own? I also wonder how these people felt about Ms Craig's absences in their lives. They came to depend so much on her and then her personal life took her away from them. Overall a fascinating story. I think I can recommend it to patrons that enjoyed A Child Called It.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book because I enjoyed her first one so much, but I barely made it though. I understand that this case history is a composite of several cases and Matt's mother, therefore, is most likely a composite of several women. I still question the author's choice to write this character as she did. The book seemed to be more about her than about the child and I just absolutely could not stand her. Yes, she had it rough growing up and she was mentally deficient and had a low IO-- but that doesn't excuse her rudeness or her cruelty. The more I read, the more I despised her. She harasses Eleanor Craig day and night, expecting her to be at her beck and call, then turns around and, to Craig's face, criticises her for working and accuses her of neglecting her children. Who, by the way, are all in college and high school. If she didn't work, who would you harass instead, Nellie?

[Oriyah N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim, as I'm into non-fiction and atypical child development. It was an easy, casual read, not disappointing for what it was. It reminded me a lot of One Child, by Torey L. Haden ( www.goodreads.com/book/show/18516457-... ) but with less of the shameless "I'm so wonderful" self-promotion that the other book contained." With less outright abuse to the main character than some other books in this genre, it was a less offensive, more upbeat and heart-warming book than other similar works.

I'm extremely curious as to what became of the people in the story...

Spoiler - follow up relevant info:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid...

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars because I couldn't put it down! Reading about Matt, a child who acted more like an animal than a boy due to his sad and twisted home environment, was enthralling. Reading about his mother was not any less interesting! It's amazing that people like Nellie, the mother truly exist and breed! If you are a Tori Hayden fan, then give this a book a try! I will be checking out more of Eleanor Craig's true stories of disturbed children for sure!

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story of a child who was raised without speech, developing feral and inappropriate behavior and a family who did not make an effort with their own child. Eleanor Craig, as a children's therapist, many times will get hard and trying cases. She allows the reader to walk with her through some of these stories and a long pathway to victory. This book leaves one hungry to learn more about speech and behavior of these poor kids left to their own device.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't really about a "feral" child but is still a pretty decent book. It was interesting to see the different ways the center tried to help Matt and the ways he actually learned. A decent read.

[Pattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book cause it made me look at my job, the kids I work with and say, "eh, its not so bad". Fascinating casestudy of Systems Theory and mental health disorders in kids.

[C.E. Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this story when I was a teen, and many years later it is still with me. A psychologist tells of her journey of treating a neglected, feral child. A fabulous read.

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of dated.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autistic child brought up by a mother who feeds off his handicap


Hard cover Borrowed from the book sale

[Sherri Baktuit · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite book for years!