Review by Lillian Hanson, San Diego Welfare Warriors

TR Rose & Associates with notable activist and author, Theresa Funiciello*, has created in comic-book format, "The Adventures of Carrie Giver: The Cost of Caring." Carrie Miller (her "public" name) is Director of the Women’s Division at the Dept. of Labor by day. But by night she is a super-heroine helping caregivers who she calls “the unsung heroes”.

Armed with the gifts of ESP and astral projection from childhood, our heroine wears a custom-made suit built by her late husband, a NASA scientist. Carrie grapples with real-life issues from making her voice heard at Congressional hearings to squelching wife and child abusers in their tracks.

While testifying about the value of caregiving before a Senate hearing, Carrie makes a brief exit to save a choking baby.  Her testimony piques the interest of Congressman Bearly. He defends Carrie's message to another colleague at a glittery affair that evening. When the errant gent replies with a vicious welfare stereotype, the Congressman retorts, "A poor mother has fewer supports. So she probably has to work even harder than my wife did (as a stay-at-home mom). How many 24/7 jobs have you had?”

 On her way home, Carrie is summoned to save a family from the battering father who is attempting to murder them in their sleep. Later, as Carrie tries to thwart a possible serial attacker, she stuns him but is unable to corral him. Regretting her actions, Carrie expresses her fatigue…and the story is "to be continued".

For comic-book aficionados, "Carrie" is first-rate, skillfully rendered, and darkly compelling.  For mother and family advocates, it is a dream come true in design, message and concept. This new addition to the far-but-few-between vehicles that value motherwork will certainly turn the page in bringing about needed change.

             Inserted in the pages is a postcard from Social Agenda, a mother's advocacy group. Addressed to Laura Bush, the postcard requests that she ask her husband to add care of adults to the Child Care Tax Credit, making it a Caregiver Credit.

www.caregivercredit.org

ORDER 
$3.95 + $1.05 S & H, total $5.00
2-5 copies, $3.95 each + $4.95 S + H,
6-11 copies, $3.95 each +$4.60 (book rate) S + H
12-20 copies, $3.95 each + $6.20 (book rate) S + H
For larger orders, $3.00 per copy, call for shipping charges
T.R. Rose Associates, 150 E. 49th St., Suite 89E, New York, NY 10017
(212)755-4801

*Theresa Funiciello is the author of Tyranny of Kindness.