Would The Sometimes Mother have been a better title for the novel? Why or why not?

It might have been more apt but I think choosing to tell the story through the eyes of the daughter gave it more feeling and reality as well as angst. This was so well written in the sense that Judy came through as a real child and teenager with all of her feelings and reactions being very genuine.

I agree. The telling of this story through Judy's eyes brought home the agony and feelings of neglect that she experienced.

Telling the story through Judy's eyes meant alot more than if had been told through her mother

I believe it would, and I even questioned that as I was reading. The story being told by Judy had nothing to do with the title. She was always a daughter (her father was a constant) but her mother was only around sometimes.

I agree with the others that telling the story through Judy's point of view was important. However, I also think The Sometimes Mother would be a more appropriate title. The book really is all about Judy's relationship with her mother. Even the parts that aren't directly about Cassie are indirectly about her or how she's affected Judy. The current title almost suggests that Judy isn't a good daughter in some way.

The title The Sometimes Mother more accurately reflects the storyline. This makes it a better choice for consumers "judging a book" by reading titles on the spines of shelved books.

I like that it was told through the eyes of the daughter. I think she really felt that she was a sometimes daughter. This goes directly to the fact that her mothers behavior left her feeling unimportant and discounted most of the time.