Suddenly, my memory hearkens back to James Michner’s most uncharacteristic work, his semi-autobiographical “Fires of Spring”.
In that novel, the hero grows up indifferently raised by his aunt (Michner referred to himself in interviews as a “foundling” abandoned by his parents—Mom told me that in olden times most illegitimate children were given over to orphanages or put up for adoption as that was better than growing up a bastard in a small town [how many classic short stories or country songs have that as a bitter theme?]). The protagonists’ cruel aunt runs a “poorhouse” which according to the author’s description is where farmers would dump their aged parents when they took over the spread. I recall thinking as I read it that this did not exactly fit in with the image of the Good Old Days.
As the boomers retire and reap the legacy of divorce and bad parenting we’re really going to be in for it as I do not think for a hot minute that most of us Gen-X’ers feel the slightest obligation to parents who walked out on them or neglected/abused/molested them. Those chickens will be coming home to roost as the right-on Reverend Wright said.
I will have to read that one when I finish “Alaska.” :)