The Search for Joyful

Mrs. Mike #2

by Benedict Freedman, Nancy Freedman

As World War II closes in, Kathy Forquet leaves behind the warmth and security of her home with the Flannigans to enroll in nursing school, where her life unfolds with excitement and a new understanding of her Native American heritage.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Classics, Adventure, World War II, Young Adult

309 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Benedict Freedman, the son and grandson of writers, was born in New York City in 1919. While in high school he studied accelerated courses for gifted boys and graduated with a medal for mathematics. At fourteen he entered Columbia University as a premed student, but had to drop out at sixteen because of his father's sudden death. For a time Benedict continued private study of higher mathematics. Freedman’s chief interest was in games and recreational mathematics, but he also assisted in writing a textbook and worked on actuarial problems as clerk to a consulting actuary.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not Mrs. Mike. Of course it isn't. This is a book written about Kathy Fourquet who was a First Nation descendant, but raised in a white household. Then as a nurse during WW II in Montreal, she again finds herself caught between two cultures --the home front and the enemy. When you isolate this book from the first and consider the context, it is well done. I really liked it. Kathy leaves her cabin in Alberta and begins training as a nurse in the midst of the war. She meets Crazy Dancer, nurses and befriends an Austrian named Erich. In the midst of the love triangle she is sent to Italy and we are given firsthand accounts of being a nurse on the front as the Allies advance to Rome. This book is full of humor and heart and I am really glad to have discovered it. Thanks to my GR friends Julie and Debbie for pointing me to the rest of this trilogy.

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sequel to the popular Mrs Mike , this work of historical fiction is set primarily during World War II, and follows the career of a young Cree woman – Kathy (a/k/a/ Oh-Be-Joyful’s Daughter) – as she becomes an Army nurse and finds love and her place in the world.

I really liked Kathy Forquet as a heroine. Born to Cree parents, she was raised by a white family – Kathy “Mrs Mike” Flanigan is her adoptive mother. Because of her “white upbringing,” she has the advantages of an education that many other First Nation children don’t have, but she is keenly aware that she doesn’t fit in. Still, when WW 2 breaks out, she gathers her courage and heads out on her own to the big city of Montreal and nursing school. Throughout the book she struggles to balance the values she’s been taught, against the temptations she encounters. To find her true identity as a Cree Woman, an Army Nurse, and a Canadian. She remains open to new experiences. She develops a strong friendship with her roommate, a selfish and flighty (if wealthy and well-connected) girl. She finds love – twice; suffers heartbreak; finds courage and tenacity under attack.

In some situations, her status as a First Nation or aboriginal person all but disappears. But in this time period, it is seldom completely set aside. At times she finds herself ill prepared to face the subtle prejudices that are always present. And yet … she has a steel spine, standing up to bullies and insisting on doing the right thing, even if it means losing a friend.

The authors are not First Nation people, and there’s little information about how they came to write this story. I’m skeptical about the truth of what they write, and still I’m drawn into the novel. It’s an inspiring and hopeful story.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up I fell in love with "Mrs. Mike". When I found out there was more to the series of course I was thrilled and couldn't wait to get my hands on the next books.

"The Search For Joyful" in my opinion is not as good as Mrs. Mike. I gave it 3 stars because I did find it enjoyable but nowhere is it the calliber of "Mrs. Mike". I wonder if there were just too many years between the writing of "Mrs. Mike" and these other books in the series. Now that I've read "The Search For Joyful" I almost wish the authors had not continued the story and left well alone.

I had to check several times making sure the authors were the same because it is as if the next two books were written by someone else.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not in the same class as Mrs. Mike. Perhaps because there are no mounties ;)

[Mandolin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book claims to be a continuation of the Freedmans' Mrs. Mike, it is something different altogether. The Search for Joyful tells the story of Kathy Forquet, Oh Be Joyful's daughter and Mrs. Mike's adopted daughter, as she heads out of the Canadian wilderness to "sin city" Montreal, in search of her true identity. Torn between the white man's world in which she was raised and her Indian heritage, Kathy struggles to find a place for herself as a nurse training for war service. Though the trials she faces are very different from those that Mrs. Mike encountered, they are just as poignant and beautifully recounted in a simple, down-to-earth way that touched my heart. Kathy tries to find joy every day ("Happiness I had long ago rejected as not good enough - it must be joy that lifted you up to the skies. Joy at seeing, feeling, hearing, joy at being in the world. Joy became my prayer. The only prayer, Sister Egg tells me, God wants to hear. So each day I remind myself I am Oh-Be-Joyful's Daughter, and look for a piece of joy to take to bed at night. I seize on a cloud lighted by a sinking sun or the pattern in a leaf, or the reds and golds autumn brought, and wrap myself in it before sleeping.") despite the racism, prejudice, immorality and war horrors that she meets. Along the way, she finds friends in unexpected people (like the elusive Elk Girl, the wise but fun Sister Egg and her carefree, selfish roommate) and love with two very different men: a light-hearted Indian soldier and a stoic Austrian soldier. I laughed and cried with her as she made difficult choices, suffered loss and grief and, eventually, grew into a strong, courageous Indian woman with a clear understanding of herself and her identity. Her search for joy is one that will stay with me for a long time to come, for it captures the kind of woman that I, too, want to be.

Some of my favorite quotes, apart from the one above, include:
"I didn't like being a patient. Still, I think it should be a requirement for every nurse and doctor. You see things from a different point of view." (How true! My own experience taught me this, too.)

"Now, about the baby. Do not wash it all the time...too much washing can kill it." (Sounds like the philosophy behind the Little House on the Prairie approach to baths!!)

"Missing," he said, "is a powerful wish. You wish someone is with you."

[Loraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is listed as a sequel to the classic novel, Mrs. Mike; but that character plays a very small role in this novel. The book focuses on Kathy Forquet, Mrs. Mike's adopted Indian daughter. The book itself was interesting as Kathy had always dreamed of being a nurse. During World War II, the Royal Canadian Army was desperate for nurses and offered full scholarships to a nursing school in Quebec. The course was one and a half years long and the students that completed it would become Lieutenants in the RCA.

Kathy not only learned nursing, but also learned about life outside of her close knit Indian/White community in Saskatchewan. For the first time, she was a minority; and Kathy learned to stand up for herself as she traveled through nursing school and her internship. In her nursing assignment in Italy during the war, she also found she had strengths that she didn't realize she had as well as experiencing that finding the right person to love can often take many unexpected turns.

[booklady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy the sequel so much as the first book, Mrs. Mike.

[Debi Boyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very very different then Mrs. Mike, hardly a sequel. I did enjoy it but I was dissapointed with some of the decisions.

[Emily Hartung · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book rather depressing and lacking some character development. It reads more like a chain of events than a story involving a person with depth.

[Katherine Prezioso · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't get past the way Kathy throws marriages around. She's the worst.

This is NOT Mrs. Mike. Lower your expectations A LOT.

Edited after I slept on it:

I need to know if this is a true story or not. Mrs. Mike was based on a true story; is this as well?

If it is true, then I have less issues with it. Kathy's marriages to Crazy Dancer and Erich aren't her fault. The confusion could be blamed on the war. (She still doesn't come out blameless but I'll get to that.)

If it is fiction, which is what the internet is telling me, then I have some issues with the Freedman's. The complete chaos and heartbreak of her two marriages was unnecessary. Basically nothing happens in the first 200 hundred pages of this book and then things start to happen around page 200 and then the last 50 pages it's just constant whiplash. I will say, at least the authors had the integrity to fully deal with the disastrous plot they created and didn't take a lazy cop-out, à la Jodi Picoult in Wish You Were Here.

BUT whether it is true or not, Kathy is the worst for not telling Erich about their daughter. As soon as she knew she was pregnant, she should have written that letter to tell him. And then she should have sucked it up and moved to be with him. Her desires DO NOT trump a child's right to be raised by her mother and father. You're a mother now, it's not about you anymore, Kathy. The full circle-ness of Kathy being an Indian raised by white people and Kathy's daughter being a white person raised by Indians isn't cute, it's just a child suffering for her mother's selfishness. Did Kathy not learn anything from the heartbreak she suffered from being abandoned by her father?

[Barb Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in a series of 3 books. Set in Canada. Pre and during WWll. Raised by Mrs Mike a young Cree woman finds her way in the world during WWll. She goes to school becomes a nurse, falls in love twice.......very good.

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Mrs. Mike since I discovered it as a young girl, but this is the first chance I've had to read the book about Mrs. Mike's adopted daughter, Kathy, whose Cree name is "Daughter of Oh-Be-Joyful". I don't know how accurate this book is, but it's described as non-fiction and reads like it, so I'm assuming it's factual till I learn otherwise.

This is a very good historical coming-of-age story. Kathy is a First Nation Canadian native adopted and raised by white parents with two white adopted siblings. She raised with love and care, but grows up not knowing much about her roots. As a young woman she travels from her rural home to Montreal to train as a nurse. She even serves overseas for a time during WWII, and is present at the assault on Monte Cassino.

Along the way Kathy faces racism, falls in love, experiences loss and grief, and begins to come to terms with her dual identity - Kathy and Daughter of Oh-Be-Joyful. The story, reading like a memoir, deals with the reality of joy and forgiveness. It's very well told, with excellent details that make the times come alive. The people she meets are well-drawn and fascinating, and watching Kathy grow into a woman is delightful. It's a pity this book isn't more widely read. I highly recommend it to fans of women's history or coming-of-age stories in general.

[Amber Dyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this is a tough one… Mrs. Mike, the first book in the series, was written in 1947 and is well loved by every woman in my family… I cherish my great grandmother’s original copy.

The sequel came out in 2002, but, because it jumps forward in time, and centers around a different character, I’m not sure it adds much to the original story. It probably should be assessed on it’s own. I bought a copy around the time it came out, but I couldn’t bear to finish it then, since Mike got killed off in the first couple of pages.

So, on its own, it’s… fine I guess? I feel like there’s not many stories about pioneers of the Canadian tundra, and there’s lots of books about World War II, so it doesn’t have the same vibrancy or captivation as the original.

I also think that Mrs. Mike reads as a series of vignettes, each chapter is it’s own short story that can be appreciated on its own, and there is a sense of time passing within the narrative which this book lacks.

Finally, but most importantly, it’s super problematic that a couple of white people wrote and presumably profited from this book from the POV of a young Cree woman. There are many, many points of this book where the language is outdated and offensive, despite it having been written in 2002... but considering that the authors were in their 80s at the time, it is also surprisingly progressive.

On to the next.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, my seemingly high rating comes with mixed feelings.

A) I LOVED Mrs. Mike but made it clear to myself from the very beginning of this book that I couldn't compare the two. I knew that if I did compare then this book wouldn't even come close. Turns out I was right. However, since I didn't compare (riiiiight) the book really was quite enjoyable. I read big chunks at a time, wanting to know what was going to happen next. So that's always a good sign.

B) However, I think Benedict and Nancy Freedman set themselves up for people to not like this book. There are just SO many other ways that it could could have gone. I have my own ideas on what should have happened, but I do appreciate the way they wrote it.

C) I loved the whole premise behind what was driving the main character. I could have even gone with them expounding more on it. I'll remain purposely ambiguous on this one.

D) Overall, it was a gripping story of a young woman trying to define herself while living in a world full of opposites. Riches vs. poverty, practical vs. rash love, Nazis vs. Allies, and White vs. Indian. I think the authors did a good job balancing all those things and told a great story while they were at it. I really hope the Mrs. Mike saga continues, because I'm definitely a fan.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d give 2.5 if I could. I don’t want to overrate it though and have anyone read it on that account. This was as unrealistic as Mrs. Mike was too realistic. I find it hard to believe that Sarah wouldn’t have played an enormous role in young Kathy’s life based on the relationship Mama Kathy and she shared. To live that close to a village and not know some (most) of its culture would take more effort than not. Moving to the love triangle, good grief. Girl falls for First Nations man that turns out to be highly regarded and a chief’s nephew, only to mistakingly think he died and so marries the sole heir to a ridiculously wealthy Austrian estate only to find out first husband wasn’t dead? I can give books and movies a lot of leeway, but this just stacked it on too thick. Maybe because I finished another WWII book that was based on real life, maybe because the first was *so* realistic. For whatever reason I did not enjoy this one and would tell people to use their time reading something better.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of you who have had the joy of reading Mrs. Mike, you will find this second part very different. This is still a tale of survival but not in the wilderness. I found I cried and smiled much less than the first book. But this one still works. It's the tale of Kathy aka Oh Be Joyful's Daughter. She is grown up now and heading off to Montreal to become a nurse in World War II. It is her survival as an Indian woman in a world of mostly white people. It's funny though: you do tend to forget she if First Nations. Once she becomes entrenched in the war, no one sees her nationality anymore. She has many trials and tribulations to survive through. She learns what it's like to be a true Indian, she learns of love and loss. She learns the world can be a cruel and unforgiving place. And she teaches the reader all of that as well.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally, I find this book to be very bland. Kathy Forquet is by no means a dynamic character like Kathy Flannigan. There was some potential by describing Montreal in wartime, but it feels rather dry. Kathy Forquet seems unable to really make up her mind, and somehow ends up in a soap opera, if the book was a little more like its predecessor, the ending could have been pulled off, but it comes across as very soap opera-ish here.

There seems to be a lot of missed opportunities too, Kathy faces a few discriminations for her race early on, but these vanish after the first few chapters, Kathy does see some war, but this never really goes anywhere. All in all, a rather mediocre read, which is rather bland.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely disappointed in this book. I loved the Mrs. Mike book, and this one had a good story potential but was terribly executed! Way too many random historical facts or stories that completely drew away from the novel instead of adding to it. The characters were poorly developed and 8 felt like the main character, Kathy/Oh-be-joyfuls-daughter, had no personality. I didn't connect with her at all. After reading the book word for word half way through I ended up skipping many pages of history or boring thought processing and skimmed the dialogue. Too bad because I do think the basic story and characters had potential. That is the only reason I give it 2 stars instead of 1.

[Josi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a follow-up to Mrs. Mike, but I believe it would stand on it's own as well. It follows the story of an Indian girl adopted by a white couple during the early 1900's and how she finds her place in the worlds of which she's a part. I may have liked this story better than Mrs. Mike, it was wonderful in a different way. Where as Mrs. Mike lived in horrible conditions that presented heart wrenching conflict, Oh Be Joyful's daughter was in search of finding her own peace with the influences in her life. Beautiful story.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished it. There were several times I was tempted to put it down. There were small, redeeming moments, but mostly I was not at all invested. I didn't really care about any of the characters, and was disappointed in a lot of them in the end. The plot didn't seem to flow, and the authors simply told a story - the depth was missing. This is certainly not up to the caliber of Mrs. Mike, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This book is a poor sequel, but even standing on it's own was barely worth my time.

[Cay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because it was a sequel to a favorite childhood book, Mrs. Mike. Although it shares some themes with Mrs. Mike–First Nations characters and a Canadian landscape–that's where the similarity ends. This book is centered around World War II and didn't have the same attraction for me as the stories of the Canadian wilderness found in Mrs. Mike. It's still a good, wholesome story; I just didn't like it as well. 2-1/2 stars.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the historical descriptions...loses a star for not being based on Kathy's real adopted daughter's life...and no appendix to talk about the historical context. Which parts were imagined and which based on actual war accounts? What is the likelihood that a "first nation person" would have been accepted as a nurse during the war?

[Lewestover · Rating 3 out of 5]

A follow-up to "Mrs. Mike", this book follows the life of Mrs. Mike's adopted daughter Kathy Forquet.
Searching to know where she fits in this world, Kathy becomes a nurse during WW II. Although the book is interesting, I did not like it as much as I did "Mrs. Mike."

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to see that a sequel to Mrs. Mike had been written, but like many other reviewers, it doesn't quite live up to the (irony) joy of the original. I wish more of the original (Mama) Kathy's character had made it into the book.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this more than Mrs. Mike (which I really liked).

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friends kept telling me it wasn't as good as Mrs. Mike. I thought it was, just different. I especially like the parts about nursing. I thought it good.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it enough to search out the 3rd book in the trilogy! This second book was about Mrs. Mike's adopted daughter, Kathy....and book 3 looks like it's about HER daughter, the 3rd Kathy!

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
Dragged a bit for me and then picked the last third

[AnneCatherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow this was a terrible book...
It's really hard for me to believe that the same people wrote Mrs. Mike, a book I give 5 stars and have read several times.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!

It wasn't necessarily poorly written. The story pulled you along and I've read many other books that were far more "boring". However! The storyline itself was stressful, weird, and never made me really care for the main character. Here's a little recap of the major events that made my rating go from 3 stars to 2 near the end of the book.

- About halfway into the story Kathy marries Crazy Dancer in an Indian ceremony that she definitely considers valid. They have a wonderful few weeks together.

- Crazy Dancer gets shipped off to Europe to fight. A few days later Kathy gets a telegram saying the ship was sunk, no survivors.

- Stuff happens. Over a year later Kathy reconnects with an Austrian prisoner who she flirted with while being his nurse a long time ago. The sparks still fly, the war ends, and they get married.

- Seem very happy together and are married for several months. Kathy suddenly gets a letter from Crazy Dancer. He's alive...

- They meet and he's overjoyed to see her. She tells him she's married and they can't be together. He's very confused and hurt, because he married her first. Suddenly her Indian marriage isn't as valid as the one performed in a Canadian court.

- She doesn't tell her Austrian husband anything. Goes on with life and tries to forget about Crazy Dancer but constantly has flash backs about him. Her husband's mother comes to visit from Austria. They live it up while she's there because she's very wealthy. Convinces them to come back for a "vacation".

- Before they leave for Austria, they are dining at a very fancy restaurant. Kathy realizes that she will never fit into this life and have different she is, and that if they go to Austria they will never return. She faints.

- When they get home she tells her husband to go to Austria without her and to stay there. He resists, but not very much. She convinces him that she's right and she would never fit in with his life and that he's meant to go back. He leaves with his mother, saying they will figure out an annulment.

- Right after she finds out she's pregnant.

- Runs home to her mom, has her baby, heals a little, goes back to Montreal with her daughter.

- Last few pages of the book she runs into Crazy Dancer and they kiss. The End.

😐🤔

I'm exhausted.

[Karen Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this sequel to Mrs. Mike, Benedict and Nancy Freedman continue the saga of Kathy, the daughter of Oh Be Joyful. As a full Cree First American child raised in a white world, Kathy feels apart from the world around her. She is well-loved by her adopted mother, Mrs. Mike, and her twin adopted brother Georges and Connie, but with her copper skin and remarkable Indian appearance, she walks the line between the two worlds. Set in Canada during World War II, she responds to the call for nurses and bravely begins her training, ultimately earning a commission and serving in the Italian arena. She faces prejudice, but war is a great equalizer when all hands, no matter the color, are needed. She meets Crazy Dancer who teaches her First American ways and later falls in love with an Austrian POW who is severely burned in a U-boat battle. I hesitated to read this book because I thought nothing could live up to Mrs. Mike. I was wrong. This stays true to the style and story line and is a breathtakingly beautiful story.