This Child of Mine by Emma-Claire Wilson - #BookReview @AvonBooksUK

 

It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

I was supposed to bounce out of this chair and follow the sonographer into a room for a follow-up scan and to hear the sex of our first child. This was supposed to be the day all our dreams came true. I was supposed to have a grin on my face and a heart full of joy and love.

But that's not what happened. My heart knew it was coming before anyone else did. Somehow my body knew it too. I could feel it. My heart wasn't racing. In fact, I think it all but stopped. I couldn't feel anything...

***

When Stephanie is told she’s pregnant and that she is sick on the same day, she faces an impossible choice…

After trying for a baby for so long, finding out I was pregnant was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. But in the same breath as the news I had been waiting years to hear, the doctor told me I was seriously ill.

If I carry my baby to term, I will almost certainly die.

If I proceed with treatment, my baby will not live.

My husband – the father of this child – is telling me to save myself. But with all the secrets I know he is keeping from me, I can’t trust him anymore.

What would you do?

***

This is an extremely well written and heartfelt book and made for emotional reading. It deals with some difficult themes that readers should be aware of before they read this book as it discusses grief, miscarriage and cancer at length. 

Having said that, and speaking as a reader who has had multiple miscarriages and lost loved ones to cancer, it is ultimately an uplifting and hopeful book. Thankfully, I have never been in the position that the protagonist, Anna, found herself but the book is designed to make the reader wonder how they would react if they were unfortunate enough to find themselves in the same situation.

I was completely gripped by this novel and finished it within a day. I so wanted to know how things would pan out for Anna and her husband James. The author has created a cast of characters who were believable and easy to identify with.

The author deals with her difficult themes with sensitivity and compassion. As a debut author, I think Ms. Wilson is one to watch out for. She clearly knows how to delve into human emotions and to bring characters to life on the page. An excellent addition to the genre.

ISBN:  978 0008608088

Publisher:  Avon

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  352 (paperback)

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About the Author:

Born in Scotland, Emma travelled the world as the child of military parents. Finally she settled in Southern Spain with her husband, daughters, and rescue dog, Pip. Emma works as a journalist for English language magazines and newspapers in Spain and in 2015 launched The Glass House Online Magazine. When not writing emotional book club fiction, you can find her by the sea dreaming up new stories, or wrapped in a blanket with a book in her hand.

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(book courtesy of the publisher)

(author photo and bio. info. courtesy of Kate Nash Literary Agency)

(all opinions are my own)

*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.