Author: R.J. Hoffmann
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Book Description: Three mothers facing impossible choices learn what makes a family, and discover just how far they’ll go to protect the ones they love.
What makes a family?
Gail and Jon Durbin moved to the Chicago suburbs to set up house as soon as Gail got pregnant. But then she miscarried—once, twice, three times. Determined to expand their family, the Durbins turn to adoption. When several adoptions fall through, Gail’s desire for a child overwhelms her.
Carli is a pregnant teenager from a blue-collar town nearby, with dreams of going to college and getting out of her mother’s home. When she makes the gut-wrenching decision to give her baby up for adoption, she chooses the Durbins. But Carli’s mother, Marla, has other plans for her grandbaby.
In Other People’s Children, three mothers make excruciating choices to protect their families and their dreams—choices that put them at decided odds against one another. You will root for each one of them and wonder just how far you’d go in the same situation. This riveting debut is a thoughtful exploration of love and family, and a heart-pounding page-turner you’ll find impossible to put down.
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: The story of three different women in a very tough situation, begs to ask what would you do for love. When the story opens Gail and Jon Durbin are trying to adoptable baby after many failed pregnancies, when they are contacted by Carli, who has chosen them to adopt her baby.
At the start, this seems like a very standard adoption scenario. Carli has the baby and the Durbin’s go home with their long awaited daughter Maya. When Carli’s mother intercedes and tells her if she does not get the baby back she will throw her out of the house, turns this story into a spiral of missteps all in the name of love.
This sets up the second half of the story and really the entire point of this book, of missteps, miscues that send all parties involved to make terrible decisions.
This is an emotional book to read and this will not be for everyone, especially if you are going through process of adoption, DO NOT READ. The author kept me engaged as I really did want to find out what ultimately would happen to the sought after Maya. This book will bring many great discussions, especially what would you do? Nice debut novel, looking forward to future books from this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest.
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