Tell me what you really think.
Oh, I don't blame you! I would be so sad to learn that.
I had a literature teacher who made it a point to say the lives of writers are completely unrelated to their work, which must be judged solely on its merits.
So my advice is to ignore that inconvenient info.
I LOVED the Karen books! I haven't thought about them for years. Thank you for reminding me. And yes, I totally get why you would be so distraught about this.
I can totally understand where you are coming from.
I missed those! Now I gotta go out and find them. I was into the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys at that age. I still love a mystery....
Perhaps the saddest reality is that there is no "happily ever afer."
-G
Okay, I never read those. I'm going to see if I can find them at my local library to understand what you're talking about! 
Well that stinks! All the libraries in my city (you can do a search for all branches on-line) only carry the first Karen book and not the other 2 that you mention. Well, I'll at least check out Karen and go from there.
"The Family Nobody Wanted" was one of my favourites, too. I hadn't thought about it in years!
When I was reading "Life With Billy", I discovered, to my horror, that the son in the book was a camper at the summer canp were I was working. It changed my perception of this boy, and I didn't like it. It was so much easier to think of it as "just a story" before I was face to face with the victim.
I have fond memories of reading and rereading the Karen books. I remember that she called her mother "Mom Pom" and once announced to guests that she was "ravishing" (because she was hungry!) and I remember getting all choked up over several parts of those books.
I should buy them for Chickadee; I bet she'd love them. Thank you for the reminder!
We loved the "Karen" books too!!! And how about The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew? The Egg and I? Cheaper by the Dozen?
My sisters and I also liked dark stuff like "David and Lisa", though. We were a bit weird. 
I read and re-read those books too! There was a discussion about them on my Betsy-Tacy List-Serv some years ago and the same information came to light. We were all so depressed!
What have I missed? I shall act upon your recommendations immediately.
Have you read the autobiography of Maria von Trapp (The Story of the Trapp Family Singers), Jane? It is even more inspiring, edifying, and exciting than the movie and with more children! ;~)
I haven't read the books, so I might have the wrong people but this might be helpful (or not...):
Rory Killilea was in the Army circa 1971. He is married and has at least one child. He lives in Seattle, WA.
Marie Killilea Irish lives in Fairfield, CT.
Kristin Killilea Viltz was showing dogs by age 15, with some success. She now lives in Tarrytown, NY.
This is from http://www.ucp.org/ucp_generaldo...0438-10438/
1323
My first "grown-up" book was "Call of the Wild." My parents gave it to me, thinking that I would love a book about dogs, but not having read it themselves. Is it any wonder I've been a cynical bitch since the 4th grade?
I loved the Green Knowe books.
Umm, maybe I don't belong here.
I was devastated when I found out about them also. It was like some distant family member died that you'd met and connected with but never saw again. Very painful. I have loved your site for awhile (and delurked before) but now I love your readers who have all read MY books! Totally awesome. and Brenda? I love the Greene Knowe books, too. Call of the Wild not so much.
Hi - I love "The Family Nobody Wanted" so much, too. I just wanted to let you know - Helen and Carl Doss never divorced. They stayed happily married until he passed away some years back. After a few years, she did marry again. But there was never a split from Carl. The source for this is the recent re-release of the book TFNW; it has an afterward by Helen that gives updates on her and all the kids. It is very cool to hear how they all grew up (there was only one really sad thing, one of the boys died as a young man) and as a longtime fan, I was so happy to read the follow up. You might like it, too. I think the re-release came out in 2004. Anyway, she and Carl did have a long, happy marriage.
I thought that i was the only one who read all those books... nice to know that there are other people.
I can tell you that I was dismayed to learn that in her later life, Gloria was estranged from "Big" Marie and it almost broke my heart to learn that! "Little" Marie went through a divorce and married Michael Irish and were still together at the time of Russ Lea's funeral.
Thanks for the info regarding Helen Doss... it seems like we love the same books. I have another book about international adoption called "Room for One More" and I can't bring myself to google that family's name. Enough is enough!
I was so sad to hear of Carl's & Helen's divorce. TFTNW was one of my favorite all time books and you get such a warm feeling when reading it!
I did verify that they did divorce- it apparently was in 1964. Carl remarried in 1966 to Maxine Mapes. He and Maxine lived in Redlands, CA until his death in 1994. At the time of his death Don, Diane, Dorothy, Elaine, Rita, Tim, Ted, Susan, Laura & Alex were still living. Maxine has since passed away as well.
Incidentally, Carl left his ministry and had a career in real estate. Later he retired from real estate to do sculpturing.
Helen married Walter Reed. I'm not sure if she is still living.
Their divorce almost ruins the book for me now. So sad!
I would like to ask Jennifer, what is your source that Gloria and Big Marie became estranged? Can you shed any more light?
I've just learned about the fire that took the lives of the 3 little girls and the other news about the rest of the family today. I must have read both "Karen" and "With Love from Karen" 20 times! I still have them. I feel terribly sad today!
I will certainly have to read "The Family Nobody Wanted."
I read "Autobiography of a Face" many times. I loved that book, still do. Then I read the book about the main character that was written by a friend, and, while it was good, ah....it just was distressing! And to learn the ending, oh I didn't like that!
Hello: I am the wife of Don Doss the first child adopted by the Doss's in the book The Family Nobody Wanted. Yes, Carl and Helen divorced in 1964.
Helen is still alive and is married to someone named Roger Reed, not Walter.
Hello Sharon,
I found the book, The Family Nobody Wanted, this summer and just finished reading it. I could relate to so many things I read, both in my own childhood and as a father of five children. Don reminds me so much of myself - all I could do was shake my head and smile. It would be wonderful if someday we could meet.
Eric
Eric:
Where do you live? Were you also adopted? Don and I have been married 41 years. Sharon
go to Youtube to see Helen and Carl..they are on "You Bet Your Life."
Every once in a while I run out of things to read and turn to old favorites. I haven't taken out TFNW in quite a while because it was in three pieces. I took it out this week and am enjoying it once again. I decided to Google the Dosses and am pleased that their story has touched so many! (I "stole" my copy from neighbors as a child, more like a permanent loan - Sorry Mom & Dad Jinkins! I also borrowed the first Karen book from them and later found the second on my own.) Amazingly, it doesn't distress me that the Dosses divorced. They did a fantastic thing while they were together! I am going to find and read the Karen books again!
Does anybody know what became of the Doss children. I've tried googling them but nothing and I can't find the current updated cope of "teh Family Nobody Wanted". I truly love that book and was wondering what happened to the children, now that they've all grown up. I always wanted to be part of that family.
Just today, I was talking in the lab (at work - chemist) to a co-worker and she mentioned that she had thought about adopting children someday (she is young and unmarried). I told her about the book TFNW that I had remembered reading as a child and all these memories came flooding back. I must have read that book dozens of times. That inspired me to do a google that led me to this post. I'm definitely going out tonight to buy the new edition or order it online. There were some sample pages posted at Amazon and every word I read was like a vivid memory: the canned snake!; the basement flood!; Donnie and Laura and Susan and Teddy and... That book was a real and valuable gift to the world. And I agree with the person who posted above that it is a book that becomes a part of you and helps to shape the most positive parts of you. Thank you, thank you, Helen Doss.
I have read and re-read "The Family Nobody Wanted", so it was like finding an old friend to see this mentioned here. I was wondering--which of the children is no longer living? Someone mentioned that one boy died young. Still one of my favorite books--I also love Cheaper by the Dozen, just got done re-reading that. Thanks!
According to the afterward in the fairly recent edition of the book. Gregory died a young man after a tragic mugging. She does not say anything more. Richard died of cancer in middle age (she does not give his age but he had grandchildren). As of the time of the book - all of the others were doing well.
This was such an interesting article. I was listing a copy on Ebay and decided to "google" the Doss family for some background. I found your post and really enjoyed reading it. I will be back!
As a young girl "The Family Nobody Wanted" was my absolute favorite book. I read and reread it many times.I have tried to find the updated version in local stores but with no success. Guess I'll have to order it. Anybody have any more updates on any of the Dosses? They almost seem like an extended family to me
I would like any recent updates on the Killilea family from the"Karen" books.
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