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The Mothers
What if you gave birth to someone else’s child? An emotional family drama about two couples, one baby, and an unimaginable choice. Inspired by a real-life case of an IVF laboratory mix-up.
Grace and Dan Arden are in their forties and have been on the IVF treadmill since the day they got married. Six attempts have yielded no results, and with each failure a little piece of their hope dies.
Priya Laghari and her husband Nick Archer are being treated at the same fertility clinic, and while they don’t face the same time pressure as the Ardens, the younger couple have their own problems.
On the same day that Priya is booked for her next IVF cycle, Grace goes in for her final, last-chance embryo transfer. Two weeks later, both women get their results.
A year on, angry and heartbroken, one of the women learns her embryo was implanted in the other’s uterus and must make a devastating choice: live a childless life knowing her son is being raised by strangers or seek custody of a baby who has been nurtured and loved by another couple.
Grace and Dan Arden are in their forties and have been on the IVF treadmill since the day they got married. Six attempts have yielded no results, and with each failure a little piece of their hope dies.
Priya Laghari and her husband Nick Archer are being treated at the same fertility clinic, and while they don’t face the same time pressure as the Ardens, the younger couple have their own problems.
On the same day that Priya is booked for her next IVF cycle, Grace goes in for her final, last-chance embryo transfer. Two weeks later, both women get their results.
A year on, angry and heartbroken, one of the women learns her embryo was implanted in the other’s uterus and must make a devastating choice: live a childless life knowing her son is being raised by strangers or seek custody of a baby who has been nurtured and loved by another couple.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 7, 2020
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May 17, 2021
This is a sad, but beautiful book that raises so many questions about motherhood and at what point motherhood and parentage begins.
We are introduced to two couples, Grace and Dan and Priya and Nick, both looking to conceive a child through IVF. The same IVF clinic on the same day. What ensues is a terrible and terrifying mix up and one couple conceived, the other doesn’t.
This is a beautifully told story and I loved both couples, but for different reasons. One couple is more than ready to be parents, loving, unified. The other couple experiencing turbulence, but no less deserving. The feelings of both couples are palpable and both couples have so much love to give. In this book there was never a shortage of love.
I have to admit that I felt anger towards the clinic and the individual who made he mistake. One careless mistake, one careless person, caused so much heartbreak and devastation.
But there are beautiful parts that I was delighted by, including the remarkable resilience by all involved.
I loved the ending.
I was fortunate enough to win this book in a GoodReads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
We are introduced to two couples, Grace and Dan and Priya and Nick, both looking to conceive a child through IVF. The same IVF clinic on the same day. What ensues is a terrible and terrifying mix up and one couple conceived, the other doesn’t.
This is a beautifully told story and I loved both couples, but for different reasons. One couple is more than ready to be parents, loving, unified. The other couple experiencing turbulence, but no less deserving. The feelings of both couples are palpable and both couples have so much love to give. In this book there was never a shortage of love.
I have to admit that I felt anger towards the clinic and the individual who made he mistake. One careless mistake, one careless person, caused so much heartbreak and devastation.
But there are beautiful parts that I was delighted by, including the remarkable resilience by all involved.
I loved the ending.
I was fortunate enough to win this book in a GoodReads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2021
Thank you to #GoodreadsGiveaway for my Win!
Review posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
One awful mistake. Horrific consequences.
Two couples, Grace and Dan and Priya and Nick go through IVF to try and conceive.
Both couples end up at the same Fertility Clinic. What happens is every woman’s nightmare.
One child, two families, and a custody battle.
Heartache and Heartbreak.
Devastating, and unimaginable, Grace, Dan, and Priya face choices no one should ever have to make.
Character-driven fiction at its finest, “The Mothers” by Genevieve Gannon is a sad, well-written novel about mistakes, choices, and most importantly what it means to be a mother.
“The Mothers” is a thought-provoking, evocative, tear-jerker of a novel. Though I guessed the ending, I still quite enjoyed this brilliantly done piece of fiction.
Published on Goodreads and Twitter.
Review posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
One awful mistake. Horrific consequences.
Two couples, Grace and Dan and Priya and Nick go through IVF to try and conceive.
Both couples end up at the same Fertility Clinic. What happens is every woman’s nightmare.
One child, two families, and a custody battle.
Heartache and Heartbreak.
Devastating, and unimaginable, Grace, Dan, and Priya face choices no one should ever have to make.
Character-driven fiction at its finest, “The Mothers” by Genevieve Gannon is a sad, well-written novel about mistakes, choices, and most importantly what it means to be a mother.
“The Mothers” is a thought-provoking, evocative, tear-jerker of a novel. Though I guessed the ending, I still quite enjoyed this brilliantly done piece of fiction.
Published on Goodreads and Twitter.
January 6, 2020
4.5 stars! I don’t know where to start talking about this book. The Mothers is a book that will make you think. It is highly emotional and a story that will stay with you after you finish it.
The Tagline really says it all “Two couples, one baby, an unimaginable choice” What would you do? All these women want is a baby and when a mix up at the fertility clinic changes both of their lives forever the choice is impossible.
Grace and Dan have been through 6 cycles of IVF and desperately want a child before it is too late. Priya and Nick are young but their marriage is in trouble. And yet Priya still wants a baby.
When the truth comes out it is so awful on both sides. Both couples want this child and want to give him the life that he deserves. But who should have custody... the woman who carried him or the woman who is biologically his mother? The eventual outcome will break your heart and believe me, I had tears in my eyes. Something that should never have happened and they way that the families and the clinic deal with it.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
The Tagline really says it all “Two couples, one baby, an unimaginable choice” What would you do? All these women want is a baby and when a mix up at the fertility clinic changes both of their lives forever the choice is impossible.
Grace and Dan have been through 6 cycles of IVF and desperately want a child before it is too late. Priya and Nick are young but their marriage is in trouble. And yet Priya still wants a baby.
When the truth comes out it is so awful on both sides. Both couples want this child and want to give him the life that he deserves. But who should have custody... the woman who carried him or the woman who is biologically his mother? The eventual outcome will break your heart and believe me, I had tears in my eyes. Something that should never have happened and they way that the families and the clinic deal with it.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
October 20, 2020
The Mothers is a well written book of two couples who desire nothing more than to have a child. Dan and Grace have been on IVF since they were married. Now in their forties with many failed attempts their hopes of ever having a child are fading fast. Priya and Nick have also been having trouble conceiving and have been attending the same fertility clinic as Dan and Grace.
Throughout this book we get a glimpse of the struggles and the toll it takes on these two couples. It’s an emotional roller coaster with no guarantees in sight. But when something goes terribly wrong who is responsible and how do the couples get through such an ordeal?
I gave this book a four star rating as I think it deserved it, but I can’t say I personally loved it as it was a little too real for me having had my own real life experiences on these same issues.
I must warn that I don’t think (in my opinion) this is a book for anyone who has been or is going through IVF or anyone who cannot have children.
Throughout this book we get a glimpse of the struggles and the toll it takes on these two couples. It’s an emotional roller coaster with no guarantees in sight. But when something goes terribly wrong who is responsible and how do the couples get through such an ordeal?
I gave this book a four star rating as I think it deserved it, but I can’t say I personally loved it as it was a little too real for me having had my own real life experiences on these same issues.
I must warn that I don’t think (in my opinion) this is a book for anyone who has been or is going through IVF or anyone who cannot have children.
January 1, 2020
Two couples are desperate for a child. Grace and Dan Arden, in their forties, have been undergoing IVF ever since they got married. Six attempts and they are no closer to having the child they both crave. With each failure hope dies a little more. Priya and her husband Nick Archer, though younger, are undergoing treatment at the same fertility clinic as the Ardens. When she discovers a dating app on her husband’s phone, Priya suspects Nick of cheating. Livid and hurt at his betrayal, she makes the decision to go through with the IVF treatment but using donor sperm. Two weeks later one woman is pregnant, while the other is not. A year later Priya leans the unthinkable has happened. Her child was implanted in the womb of another woman and is now being raised as her son. How can she just let him go? But how can she seek custody to rip him from the woman who has birthed loved, and nurtured him?
This book hooked me from the outset. It lays bare the heartbreak of infertility and the toll the IVF merry go round takes on those affected. I had my issues with Nick and his behaviour, but the other three involved are likeable and victims of circumstances. The reader also gets to follow two doctors who work at the clinic and their differing attitudes and reactions to the situation when it is uncovered. Basically this is a character driven book and the characters are beautifully drawn.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin I received an uncorrected proof of this book. This story had me emotionally involved. The characters and their problems are so real and heartbreaking. If you can read it without more than a few tears you are better than me, as it raises questions about what makes a mother. The final decision about the child I suspect will have many people wondering if the right decision was made. It certainly made me think that way. A compelling and thought provoking read that will not be easily forgotten. What a cracker of a book to finish 2019.
This book hooked me from the outset. It lays bare the heartbreak of infertility and the toll the IVF merry go round takes on those affected. I had my issues with Nick and his behaviour, but the other three involved are likeable and victims of circumstances. The reader also gets to follow two doctors who work at the clinic and their differing attitudes and reactions to the situation when it is uncovered. Basically this is a character driven book and the characters are beautifully drawn.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin I received an uncorrected proof of this book. This story had me emotionally involved. The characters and their problems are so real and heartbreaking. If you can read it without more than a few tears you are better than me, as it raises questions about what makes a mother. The final decision about the child I suspect will have many people wondering if the right decision was made. It certainly made me think that way. A compelling and thought provoking read that will not be easily forgotten. What a cracker of a book to finish 2019.
April 20, 2021
For some reason, I went into this book thinking that it was a thriller; but it didn't take me long to figure out that it was definitely not a thriller, but I still ended up soaking up every page. There's so much I could say about this book, but I'll just leave it at that it is such an emotionally-charged book that will make you think long and hard about you would handle a situation like this one.
The back cover blurb states, “Two couples, one baby, an unimaginable choice. A mix-up at a fertility clinic changes the lives of two couples forever." It sounded like a book I've read before, but I was wrong. Grace and Dan, who have been through 6 cycles of IVF, desperately want a baby. Priya and Nick are young and having trouble conceiving naturally, and despite the fact that their marriage is in trouble, Priya still wants a baby. A mix-up happens and when the truth comes out, I could palpably feel the agony. Who should have custody - the woman who carried the child for nine months, or the biological mother? I thought I would feel differently than I did, and I'll be honest the outcome had me in tears.
I really liked all of the characters. Gannon did a tremendous job at introducing them in a way that empathize with them all (well, maybe not Nick - I thought he got too much of a pass!), and the way that the families and the clinic dealt with what happened was complex. From a legal standpoint, I understand what the doctor did, but if that was reality, her actions crossed some lines. Not that her partner was any better - I took issue with how both of them handled it - but in the end, there was a redeeming quality to one of the doctors that helped somewhat. The court case was riveting, and as I went into this one completely blind, I had no idea how the judge would rule. It was truly one of those breath-holding moments while I waited for the decision. I really enjoyed the conclusion of the book, and it made it memorable to me.
Overall, it is a well-written, heart-wrenching read about the ultimate depths of love, devastation, and hope. 4 stars!
The back cover blurb states, “Two couples, one baby, an unimaginable choice. A mix-up at a fertility clinic changes the lives of two couples forever." It sounded like a book I've read before, but I was wrong. Grace and Dan, who have been through 6 cycles of IVF, desperately want a baby. Priya and Nick are young and having trouble conceiving naturally, and despite the fact that their marriage is in trouble, Priya still wants a baby. A mix-up happens and when the truth comes out, I could palpably feel the agony. Who should have custody - the woman who carried the child for nine months, or the biological mother? I thought I would feel differently than I did, and I'll be honest the outcome had me in tears.
I really liked all of the characters. Gannon did a tremendous job at introducing them in a way that empathize with them all (well, maybe not Nick - I thought he got too much of a pass!), and the way that the families and the clinic dealt with what happened was complex. From a legal standpoint, I understand what the doctor did, but if that was reality, her actions crossed some lines. Not that her partner was any better - I took issue with how both of them handled it - but in the end, there was a redeeming quality to one of the doctors that helped somewhat. The court case was riveting, and as I went into this one completely blind, I had no idea how the judge would rule. It was truly one of those breath-holding moments while I waited for the decision. I really enjoyed the conclusion of the book, and it made it memorable to me.
Overall, it is a well-written, heart-wrenching read about the ultimate depths of love, devastation, and hope. 4 stars!
September 6, 2022
3.25 stars
When you pick up a book you embark on a personal reading experience. Given this story revolves around fertility issues, it may hit harder for certain readers. At different points I found myself getting emotional but yet by the time I finished the book it seemed like a few key things were missing and therefore it never reached its potential.
Grace and Dan Arden have undergone six unsuccessful IVF attempts. Priya Laghari and her husband, Nick, are closer to the beginning of their IVF journey and it just so happens they visit the same clinic as the Ardens. There's a mix-up with the embryos and thus a nightmare situation for all parties involved.
The author did a good job setting the stage so to speak before getting to the enormous dilemma. In fact, it's quite a ways into the story before you even get to the mix-up. Grace had better character development than Priya though. I didn't find it to be clear why Priya continued on with IVF and there were aspects that were glossed over when it came to her character. She need more finetuning which is shame because she actually brought some unique aspects to story particularly in regards to her marriage.
A heartbreaking tale especially since it was inspired by real life events but the second half of the book had some issues. I guess you could say the core of the story was good and held my interest but some of the details needed work.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
When you pick up a book you embark on a personal reading experience. Given this story revolves around fertility issues, it may hit harder for certain readers. At different points I found myself getting emotional but yet by the time I finished the book it seemed like a few key things were missing and therefore it never reached its potential.
Grace and Dan Arden have undergone six unsuccessful IVF attempts. Priya Laghari and her husband, Nick, are closer to the beginning of their IVF journey and it just so happens they visit the same clinic as the Ardens. There's a mix-up with the embryos and thus a nightmare situation for all parties involved.
The author did a good job setting the stage so to speak before getting to the enormous dilemma. In fact, it's quite a ways into the story before you even get to the mix-up. Grace had better character development than Priya though. I didn't find it to be clear why Priya continued on with IVF and there were aspects that were glossed over when it came to her character. She need more finetuning which is shame because she actually brought some unique aspects to story particularly in regards to her marriage.
A heartbreaking tale especially since it was inspired by real life events but the second half of the book had some issues. I guess you could say the core of the story was good and held my interest but some of the details needed work.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
January 15, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The Mothers is penned by award winning Australian journalist Genevieve Gannon, who has published four novels. The Mothers is Gannon’s latest piece of topical contemporary fiction. This impassioned novel looks at the agony and ecstasy of conception, pregnancy, birth, parenthood and motherhood. It is a devastating, heartbreaking and highly relevant. It will likely strike a chord with many readers.
Questions of birth and belonging circulate around The Mothers, a 2020 Allen and Unwin publication. It introduces two couples, pertinent to this weighty story. For the first couple, Dan and Grace Arden, the clock is ticking for them in the baby stakes. Grace is over forty and with half a dozen IVF cycles, each resulting in failure, the future looks grim for this couple. The other couple in this compelling tale are Priya Laghari and Nick Archer. This couple are also seeking IVF treatment at the same clinic as the Ardens to start a family, but they are also plagued by relationship issues. In a horrible twist of fate, a terrible mistake is made the day Grace and Priya enter the doors of the fertility clinic, hoping to walk out with a successful transfer. The weeks and months that follow this fateful day brings about joy, sadness, despair, confusion and anger. A choice must be made about a young child’s life, which will have a devastating impact one set of parents, while complete relief for another. The Mothers treads the tricky minefield of choices, mistakes, nature, nurture and biology.
What a slippery slope The Mothers presents! This is my first experience of the writing of Genevieve Gannon, but I do hope to explore her previous novels and upcoming work. I was absolutely drawn into this novel from page one. It was so riveting that everything was put aside for this one. No housework, dinner or sleep required! I turned this one over in just a couple of sittings, it is the type of book that lends itself to short burst reading episodes, you will be unable to ignore it!
The Mothers takes on the very difficult and emotional topic of conception via IVF. Fortunately, I have not had to experience this first hand, but as a mother I found the various situations faced by the couples and the doctors in this novel incredibly polarising and heartbreaking. Gannon negotiates a whole host of emotionally fraught scenarios, from infertility, conception, failed IVF attempts, loss, pregnancy, birth, infidelity, separation, motherhood, adoption and careers. It is a full and involving novel which Gannon takes in her stride, producing a novel of a very high standard. Gannon’s approach to The Mothers enables the reader to really settle themselves in the shoes of the characters in this book, it can be uncomfortable at times, but I valued the issues of contention raised in this book. The Mothers is a book that will have you in a moral quandary, as plenty of ethical and social dilemmas are raised. I tended to side with one couple over the other, but Gannon provides a balanced point of view in delivering both sides of this complex issue.
Gannon presents the feelings and reactions of all her protagonists very clearly. I was able to get a good feel for their hopes, fears, flaws and assets. By presenting the reader with two different couples to understand, we develop a firm insight into the difficult process of IVF and the subsequent mix up that changes the lives of these people forever. Gannon offsets this with an essential supporting perspective of one of the doctors from the fertility clinic. Doctor Ashley inserts a vital professional and medical slant to this complex case. I really admired Ashley by the close of the novel, she definitely works to redeem herself by the close of the story.
Throughout the book what concerned me was the social construction of the terms ‘motherhood’, ‘parenthood’ and ultimately who should be called a ‘mother’. Is it down to biology, genetics or birth? Is a mother someone who isn’t related by blood, but a figure who nurtured you from birth? What a moral quandary!
‘Who cares about the colour of his skin. You gave birth to him. That’s the definition of a mother.’
The preceding court case a year after the young child’s birth throws up all sorts of difficult decisions. We learn that this case is in a no man’s land situation. There is an absence of a system of law and legislation around a case of this nature. I really felt for the judge involved, what a hard task.
‘It is hard to imagine a question more difficult than the one we face today. Before us, we have the case of one baby and two mothers, each with a connection and potential claim to the child. Each with a fierce, true love for the boy. So, how do we decide?’
The decision is agonising and unfair, but no one really is to gain from this unfortunate medical mistake. Either way, you will be changed by this novel and if you are like me, you will be immediately reaching out to someone to discuss this challenging case.
The Mothers is an attentive novel, that accurately captures the sense of longing and desperation experienced in the quest to become a mother. It is agonising, penetrating and informative, appealing to your heart at all times. Read this one if you value high quality and relevant contemporary fiction. The Mothers is definitely an early contender for book of the year for me.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Mothers is book #3 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
The Mothers is penned by award winning Australian journalist Genevieve Gannon, who has published four novels. The Mothers is Gannon’s latest piece of topical contemporary fiction. This impassioned novel looks at the agony and ecstasy of conception, pregnancy, birth, parenthood and motherhood. It is a devastating, heartbreaking and highly relevant. It will likely strike a chord with many readers.
Questions of birth and belonging circulate around The Mothers, a 2020 Allen and Unwin publication. It introduces two couples, pertinent to this weighty story. For the first couple, Dan and Grace Arden, the clock is ticking for them in the baby stakes. Grace is over forty and with half a dozen IVF cycles, each resulting in failure, the future looks grim for this couple. The other couple in this compelling tale are Priya Laghari and Nick Archer. This couple are also seeking IVF treatment at the same clinic as the Ardens to start a family, but they are also plagued by relationship issues. In a horrible twist of fate, a terrible mistake is made the day Grace and Priya enter the doors of the fertility clinic, hoping to walk out with a successful transfer. The weeks and months that follow this fateful day brings about joy, sadness, despair, confusion and anger. A choice must be made about a young child’s life, which will have a devastating impact one set of parents, while complete relief for another. The Mothers treads the tricky minefield of choices, mistakes, nature, nurture and biology.
What a slippery slope The Mothers presents! This is my first experience of the writing of Genevieve Gannon, but I do hope to explore her previous novels and upcoming work. I was absolutely drawn into this novel from page one. It was so riveting that everything was put aside for this one. No housework, dinner or sleep required! I turned this one over in just a couple of sittings, it is the type of book that lends itself to short burst reading episodes, you will be unable to ignore it!
The Mothers takes on the very difficult and emotional topic of conception via IVF. Fortunately, I have not had to experience this first hand, but as a mother I found the various situations faced by the couples and the doctors in this novel incredibly polarising and heartbreaking. Gannon negotiates a whole host of emotionally fraught scenarios, from infertility, conception, failed IVF attempts, loss, pregnancy, birth, infidelity, separation, motherhood, adoption and careers. It is a full and involving novel which Gannon takes in her stride, producing a novel of a very high standard. Gannon’s approach to The Mothers enables the reader to really settle themselves in the shoes of the characters in this book, it can be uncomfortable at times, but I valued the issues of contention raised in this book. The Mothers is a book that will have you in a moral quandary, as plenty of ethical and social dilemmas are raised. I tended to side with one couple over the other, but Gannon provides a balanced point of view in delivering both sides of this complex issue.
Gannon presents the feelings and reactions of all her protagonists very clearly. I was able to get a good feel for their hopes, fears, flaws and assets. By presenting the reader with two different couples to understand, we develop a firm insight into the difficult process of IVF and the subsequent mix up that changes the lives of these people forever. Gannon offsets this with an essential supporting perspective of one of the doctors from the fertility clinic. Doctor Ashley inserts a vital professional and medical slant to this complex case. I really admired Ashley by the close of the novel, she definitely works to redeem herself by the close of the story.
Throughout the book what concerned me was the social construction of the terms ‘motherhood’, ‘parenthood’ and ultimately who should be called a ‘mother’. Is it down to biology, genetics or birth? Is a mother someone who isn’t related by blood, but a figure who nurtured you from birth? What a moral quandary!
‘Who cares about the colour of his skin. You gave birth to him. That’s the definition of a mother.’
The preceding court case a year after the young child’s birth throws up all sorts of difficult decisions. We learn that this case is in a no man’s land situation. There is an absence of a system of law and legislation around a case of this nature. I really felt for the judge involved, what a hard task.
‘It is hard to imagine a question more difficult than the one we face today. Before us, we have the case of one baby and two mothers, each with a connection and potential claim to the child. Each with a fierce, true love for the boy. So, how do we decide?’
The decision is agonising and unfair, but no one really is to gain from this unfortunate medical mistake. Either way, you will be changed by this novel and if you are like me, you will be immediately reaching out to someone to discuss this challenging case.
The Mothers is an attentive novel, that accurately captures the sense of longing and desperation experienced in the quest to become a mother. It is agonising, penetrating and informative, appealing to your heart at all times. Read this one if you value high quality and relevant contemporary fiction. The Mothers is definitely an early contender for book of the year for me.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Mothers is book #3 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
April 16, 2020
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
The Mothers by Genevieve Gannon. (2020).
What if the baby you gave birth to belonged to someone else? Grace and Dan are in their forties and have been on the IVF treadmill for some time - 6 attempts with no baby and their hope is dying. Priya and Nick are being treated at the same fertility clinic and have their own problems. Priya is booked for her next IVF cycle the same day that Grace has her final last-chance embryo transfer. They will get their results in 2 weeks. A year on, one of the women learns her embryo was accidentally implanted in the other's uterus. It's a devastating choice: know her son is being raised by strangers or seek custody of a baby who has been nurtured and loved by another couple...
Oh my this one was so heart-wrenching! What an absolutely horrific position to be put into. It just makes you wonder what you would do if you were either Grace or Priya; any decision is really going to cause utter devastation and you know there isn't going to be a happy ending for one woman. You can't help but feel for both women while you are reading. I had mixed feelings about Priya's partner and I think most women who read this book and find out his actions would probably agree with me; he seemed so likeable but did a few things that were not ok in my opinion. I liked that there was a follow up ending set a few years into that future, it rounded off the story nicely.
I highly recommend this thought-provoking novel; extremely well written and not one you'll forget.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
The Mothers by Genevieve Gannon. (2020).
What if the baby you gave birth to belonged to someone else? Grace and Dan are in their forties and have been on the IVF treadmill for some time - 6 attempts with no baby and their hope is dying. Priya and Nick are being treated at the same fertility clinic and have their own problems. Priya is booked for her next IVF cycle the same day that Grace has her final last-chance embryo transfer. They will get their results in 2 weeks. A year on, one of the women learns her embryo was accidentally implanted in the other's uterus. It's a devastating choice: know her son is being raised by strangers or seek custody of a baby who has been nurtured and loved by another couple...
Oh my this one was so heart-wrenching! What an absolutely horrific position to be put into. It just makes you wonder what you would do if you were either Grace or Priya; any decision is really going to cause utter devastation and you know there isn't going to be a happy ending for one woman. You can't help but feel for both women while you are reading. I had mixed feelings about Priya's partner and I think most women who read this book and find out his actions would probably agree with me; he seemed so likeable but did a few things that were not ok in my opinion. I liked that there was a follow up ending set a few years into that future, it rounded off the story nicely.
I highly recommend this thought-provoking novel; extremely well written and not one you'll forget.
May 27, 2025
This is a Hard Hitting Women's Fiction. In this book we follows two-couples that is doing IVF because they are having trouble getting pregnant. This book so the stress that IVF causes to a couple very well. I also feel the characters are really well done. The storyline is there is a laboratory mix-up at the IVF clinic these two couples in this book goes to. We also get some of one of the doctors at the clinic points of view around the 50% mark of the book, but her character is not a big part of the book. I do think the doctor's point of view was an important part even if she is not in the book much. I loved this book. The emotions comes off the pages of this book, and this book makes you really thinks about things. Great book that is well written. I won a Kindle edition of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway, but this review is my own opinion about the book.
May 17, 2021
This book is inspired by a real life case of an IVF laboratory mix up. Grace and Dan are in their 40s and have been trying to have a baby through IVF. It has failed for them so far and they are devastated. Priya and her husband Nick are also being treated at the same clinic. They are both scheduled for their next IVF transfer on the same day. Then...they get their results!
A year later, one of the women finds out that her embryo was implanted in the other woman's uterus. She now has a huge decision to make, to continue her life childless, OR try to get custody of the child, who is bonded with the other family.
Omg I cannot even imagine being in this situation. A definite tear jerker of a book. I loved reading this book, and how the families and the clinic itself handled the situation. This one pulled at my heartstrings, so emotional. It shows the real heartbreak that couples deal with while going through infertility. This was a read that will not soon be forgotten!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own!
A year later, one of the women finds out that her embryo was implanted in the other woman's uterus. She now has a huge decision to make, to continue her life childless, OR try to get custody of the child, who is bonded with the other family.
Omg I cannot even imagine being in this situation. A definite tear jerker of a book. I loved reading this book, and how the families and the clinic itself handled the situation. This one pulled at my heartstrings, so emotional. It shows the real heartbreak that couples deal with while going through infertility. This was a read that will not soon be forgotten!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own!
May 31, 2021
I seem to be on a baby kick!! I just read PLAYING NICE, something to do with babies being switched deliberately, unlike this one that brings IVF into play where eggs are in question. The books, however similar are worlds apart in intent.
The Mothers is about couples who are desperate for children and on the "IVF treadmill" paying lots of money and trying to have that child. There are two couples, Grace and Dan Arden (six attempts and no results) and Priya Laghari and her husband Nick Archer all at the same clinic.
The underlying themes are about parenthood and whether biology trumps nurture with regard to parenthood. It is the Bible story 1 Kings 3:16–28 about who gets the baby. I found myself siding with both sides and wondering how I would make the decision if I had been the judge.
I found the book engaging, excellently written, and one that spurs discussion.
5 stars
Happy Reading.
May 9, 2021
“Two couples, one baby, an unimaginable choice”
Two couples struggling with fertility decide to try IVF treatments. The author did an excellent job developing these characters and their relationships.
The first couple the author introduces is Grace and Dan, a well to do couple in their 40s whose lives literally revolve around Grace's ability to get pregnant. Grace is obsessed with having a baby - she knows that she is nearing the age where the opportunities for successful pregnancies are virtually nonexistent. Dan is a doting and sensitive husband who yearns for nothing more than his wife's happiness.
The second couple introduced are Priya and Nick. A beautiful couple who met in college and have been married several years without a successful pregnancy. They decide to take a more aggressive approach and try IVF. Their marriage feels like it is somewhat tenuous. Things have happened in the past that cause them to be cautious with each other. There is always a sliver of doubt in the air where their relationship is concerned.
Both couples are likable and relatable. They both visit doctors at the Empona Fertility Clinic. One couple becomes pregnant. Fast forward to one of the female's labor and delivery. She is so happy, even as her labor is intensive. They deliver a perfectly healthy baby. There are some items regarding their baby that cause them doubt, but they file it away. Meanwhile, the other couple has had no luck getting pregnant and endure marital problems. Information is found proving that there was a mix-up at the Fertility clinic and the successful pregnancy resulted from the implantation of an egg that did not belong to the Mother. It is really hard to describe more about this story, because it gives too much away.
Suffice it to say, this book had me captivated. I could not put it down. I voraciously read while watching the story go in a direction where there would be no winners. But alas, I had to see how the author was going to have it play out. There were so many directions the ending could have gone. There was a pivotal part that made me gasp and tears definitely fell. This would be such an excellent book club read for the discussion possibilities. What alternative endings could there be? How would one be more correct than another?
I felt there was one aspect of the ending that was a little too convenient and that is the only reason I considered this a 4.5 star read instead of a 5 star - but I rounded up based on my feelings about the book in its entirety. I devoured it and highly recommend it!
Warning - this book may be a trigger for someone that has dealt with fertility issues.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for gifting me an advance copy to read and review.
Two couples struggling with fertility decide to try IVF treatments. The author did an excellent job developing these characters and their relationships.
The first couple the author introduces is Grace and Dan, a well to do couple in their 40s whose lives literally revolve around Grace's ability to get pregnant. Grace is obsessed with having a baby - she knows that she is nearing the age where the opportunities for successful pregnancies are virtually nonexistent. Dan is a doting and sensitive husband who yearns for nothing more than his wife's happiness.
The second couple introduced are Priya and Nick. A beautiful couple who met in college and have been married several years without a successful pregnancy. They decide to take a more aggressive approach and try IVF. Their marriage feels like it is somewhat tenuous. Things have happened in the past that cause them to be cautious with each other. There is always a sliver of doubt in the air where their relationship is concerned.
Both couples are likable and relatable. They both visit doctors at the Empona Fertility Clinic. One couple becomes pregnant. Fast forward to one of the female's labor and delivery. She is so happy, even as her labor is intensive. They deliver a perfectly healthy baby. There are some items regarding their baby that cause them doubt, but they file it away. Meanwhile, the other couple has had no luck getting pregnant and endure marital problems. Information is found proving that there was a mix-up at the Fertility clinic and the successful pregnancy resulted from the implantation of an egg that did not belong to the Mother. It is really hard to describe more about this story, because it gives too much away.
Suffice it to say, this book had me captivated. I could not put it down. I voraciously read while watching the story go in a direction where there would be no winners. But alas, I had to see how the author was going to have it play out. There were so many directions the ending could have gone. There was a pivotal part that made me gasp and tears definitely fell. This would be such an excellent book club read for the discussion possibilities. What alternative endings could there be? How would one be more correct than another?
I felt there was one aspect of the ending that was a little too convenient and that is the only reason I considered this a 4.5 star read instead of a 5 star - but I rounded up based on my feelings about the book in its entirety. I devoured it and highly recommend it!
Warning - this book may be a trigger for someone that has dealt with fertility issues.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for gifting me an advance copy to read and review.
December 27, 2020
Two mothers, one baby and a heart-breaking conundrum!
If you need some moral dilemma contemplation, this is the read for you! Emotional, ethical and moral questions remain even after I have finished reading it.
The blurb sums it up “Two couples, one baby, an unimaginable choice” What would you do? A fertility clinic becomes the common denominator between two women who in everyday life would not normally cross paths. However, one mistake changes both of their lives forever and the choice that needs to be made is impossible.
A character-driven novel, featuring two couples Grace and Dan, and Priya and Nick form the foundation of the plot. Both couples want a child, both feel they deserve a child but when only one is born who should have custody... the woman who carried him or the woman who is biologically his mother?
The eventual outcome has to be devastating for one couple and it is so in the novel. The ultimate ending, however, is where I lost a star (or two) but saying more would give away too much.
Well-worth the questions the read poses regarding the moral, ethical, biological and emotional viewpoints of the scenario.
If you need some moral dilemma contemplation, this is the read for you! Emotional, ethical and moral questions remain even after I have finished reading it.
The blurb sums it up “Two couples, one baby, an unimaginable choice” What would you do? A fertility clinic becomes the common denominator between two women who in everyday life would not normally cross paths. However, one mistake changes both of their lives forever and the choice that needs to be made is impossible.
A character-driven novel, featuring two couples Grace and Dan, and Priya and Nick form the foundation of the plot. Both couples want a child, both feel they deserve a child but when only one is born who should have custody... the woman who carried him or the woman who is biologically his mother?
The eventual outcome has to be devastating for one couple and it is so in the novel. The ultimate ending, however, is where I lost a star (or two) but saying more would give away too much.
Well-worth the questions the read poses regarding the moral, ethical, biological and emotional viewpoints of the scenario.
August 2, 2020
Fatally flawed - spoilers ahead.
This book was marketed to me as a woman and a mother. And yet by the final pages it had made a mockery of every mother who has ever birthed a child, every mother who has ever adopted a child and every mother who use donor genetic material during the IVF process.
This book poses the dilemma - what does it mean to be a mother? And whilst I appreciate that this question can have no universal and inviolable truth, the narrative framework does not allow this question to be explored in a way that is either reasonable or consistent.
This book is by no means the first book to take liberties and fictionalise the court process and cannot be criticised for that alone. But it failed to explore even the most straightforward aspects of the Australian legal landscape as it pertains to parenthood. That, by and large, there are no property rights in genetic material. That Grace's position was comparable to that of a surrogate, who under Australian law has the right to rescind a surrogacy agreement at any stage in a pregnancy and keep custody of the child because the law recognises the intimacy and connection of carrying a child. But that unlike a surrogate, Grace had not agreed at the outset to only carry Sam as a vehicle for his genetic parents, but always believed herself to a be his mother. That had Grace and Dan been required to use a donor egg and/or donor sperm, that there would have been no question of their parentage at law or ethically.
The resolution implies that genetics prevail in the definition of motherhood. But later, the hastily and shallowly cobbled together ending sees Grace as the adoptive mother of twins. We are led to unequestioningly accept that she is the rightful mother of the twins by her love for them and the care she bestows on them and their new school shoes and matching Spiderman lunch boxes despite her having no genetic link to them. Yet the love and care she bestowed on Sam whom she also carried and birthed is not enough to allow her to challenge Priya's custody claim because of Priya's status as the genetic mother.
Similarly in determining the custody dispute, the judge talks of the culture that Sam will be denied by staying with Dan and Grace. But there is no question that the twins will be denied their genetically predestined cultural heritage.
Gannon treats fatherhood as simply adjunct and secondary to motherhood. Neither of the father figures had any genetic link to Sam yet Dan's bond with the child that he has raised and loved barely rates a mention. Granting Priya a biological child, Isa at the close of the book adds further insult to injury. For Dan and Grace, we know that their opportunities to become parents (birth parents or adoptive parents) were few. Yet Priya, albeit with some failed IVF rounds, is never actually found to have been biologically precluded from having a child - she simply had the misfortune of being married to a lying man, who ends up at the end of the book with a wife and two kids, despite spending the balance of it sexting strange women on the internet.
I read this book to the end with a desire to see how the author could possibly resolve the dilemma of what it means to be a mother in an age of assisted reproductive technology. But I walk away irate that this book did not even made a cursory attempt of dissecting this problem, at the expense of its readers whose motherhoold may have been inadvertently maligned.
This book was marketed to me as a woman and a mother. And yet by the final pages it had made a mockery of every mother who has ever birthed a child, every mother who has ever adopted a child and every mother who use donor genetic material during the IVF process.
This book poses the dilemma - what does it mean to be a mother? And whilst I appreciate that this question can have no universal and inviolable truth, the narrative framework does not allow this question to be explored in a way that is either reasonable or consistent.
This book is by no means the first book to take liberties and fictionalise the court process and cannot be criticised for that alone. But it failed to explore even the most straightforward aspects of the Australian legal landscape as it pertains to parenthood. That, by and large, there are no property rights in genetic material. That Grace's position was comparable to that of a surrogate, who under Australian law has the right to rescind a surrogacy agreement at any stage in a pregnancy and keep custody of the child because the law recognises the intimacy and connection of carrying a child. But that unlike a surrogate, Grace had not agreed at the outset to only carry Sam as a vehicle for his genetic parents, but always believed herself to a be his mother. That had Grace and Dan been required to use a donor egg and/or donor sperm, that there would have been no question of their parentage at law or ethically.
The resolution implies that genetics prevail in the definition of motherhood. But later, the hastily and shallowly cobbled together ending sees Grace as the adoptive mother of twins. We are led to unequestioningly accept that she is the rightful mother of the twins by her love for them and the care she bestows on them and their new school shoes and matching Spiderman lunch boxes despite her having no genetic link to them. Yet the love and care she bestowed on Sam whom she also carried and birthed is not enough to allow her to challenge Priya's custody claim because of Priya's status as the genetic mother.
Similarly in determining the custody dispute, the judge talks of the culture that Sam will be denied by staying with Dan and Grace. But there is no question that the twins will be denied their genetically predestined cultural heritage.
Gannon treats fatherhood as simply adjunct and secondary to motherhood. Neither of the father figures had any genetic link to Sam yet Dan's bond with the child that he has raised and loved barely rates a mention. Granting Priya a biological child, Isa at the close of the book adds further insult to injury. For Dan and Grace, we know that their opportunities to become parents (birth parents or adoptive parents) were few. Yet Priya, albeit with some failed IVF rounds, is never actually found to have been biologically precluded from having a child - she simply had the misfortune of being married to a lying man, who ends up at the end of the book with a wife and two kids, despite spending the balance of it sexting strange women on the internet.
I read this book to the end with a desire to see how the author could possibly resolve the dilemma of what it means to be a mother in an age of assisted reproductive technology. But I walk away irate that this book did not even made a cursory attempt of dissecting this problem, at the expense of its readers whose motherhoold may have been inadvertently maligned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2021
“Two couples, one baby, an unimaginable choice”
Two couples struggling with fertility decide to try IVF treatments. The author did an excellent job developing these characters and their relationships.
The first couple the author introduces is Grace and Dan, a well to do couple in their 40s whose lives literally revolve around Grace's ability to get pregnant. Grace is obsessed with having a baby - she knows that she is nearing the age where the opportunities for successful pregnancies are virtually nonexistent. Dan is a doting and sensitive husband who yearns for nothing more than his wife's happiness.
The second couple introduced are Priya and Nick. A beautiful couple who met in college and have been married several years without a successful pregnancy. They decide to take a more aggressive approach and try IVF. Their marriage feels like it is somewhat tenuous. Things have happened in the past that cause them to be cautious with each other. There is always a sliver of doubt in the air where their relationship is concerned.
Both couples are likable and relatable. They both visit doctors at the Empona Fertility Clinic. One couple becomes pregnant. Fast forward to one of the female's labor and delivery. She is so happy, even as her labor is intensive. They deliver a perfectly healthy baby. There are some items regarding their baby that cause them doubt, but they file it away. Meanwhile, the other couple has had no luck getting pregnant and endure marital problems. Information is found proving that there was a mix-up at the Fertility clinic and the successful pregnancy resulted from the implantation of an egg that did not belong to the Mother. It is really hard to describe more about this story, because it gives too much away.
Suffice it to say, this book had me captivated. I could not put it down. I voraciously read while watching the story go in a direction where there would be no winners. But alas, I had to see how the author was going to have it play out. There were so many directions the ending could have gone. There was a pivotal part that made me gasp and tears definitely fell. This would be such an excellent book club read for the discussion possibilities. What alternative endings could there be? How would one be more correct than another?
I felt there was one aspect of the ending that was a little too convenient and that is the only reason I considered this a 4.5 star read instead of a 5 star - but I rounded up based on my feelings about the book in its entirety. I devoured it and highly recommend it!
Warning - this book may be a trigger for someone that has dealt with fertility issues.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for gifting me an advance copy to read and review. Pub date: May 11, 2021.
Two couples struggling with fertility decide to try IVF treatments. The author did an excellent job developing these characters and their relationships.
The first couple the author introduces is Grace and Dan, a well to do couple in their 40s whose lives literally revolve around Grace's ability to get pregnant. Grace is obsessed with having a baby - she knows that she is nearing the age where the opportunities for successful pregnancies are virtually nonexistent. Dan is a doting and sensitive husband who yearns for nothing more than his wife's happiness.
The second couple introduced are Priya and Nick. A beautiful couple who met in college and have been married several years without a successful pregnancy. They decide to take a more aggressive approach and try IVF. Their marriage feels like it is somewhat tenuous. Things have happened in the past that cause them to be cautious with each other. There is always a sliver of doubt in the air where their relationship is concerned.
Both couples are likable and relatable. They both visit doctors at the Empona Fertility Clinic. One couple becomes pregnant. Fast forward to one of the female's labor and delivery. She is so happy, even as her labor is intensive. They deliver a perfectly healthy baby. There are some items regarding their baby that cause them doubt, but they file it away. Meanwhile, the other couple has had no luck getting pregnant and endure marital problems. Information is found proving that there was a mix-up at the Fertility clinic and the successful pregnancy resulted from the implantation of an egg that did not belong to the Mother. It is really hard to describe more about this story, because it gives too much away.
Suffice it to say, this book had me captivated. I could not put it down. I voraciously read while watching the story go in a direction where there would be no winners. But alas, I had to see how the author was going to have it play out. There were so many directions the ending could have gone. There was a pivotal part that made me gasp and tears definitely fell. This would be such an excellent book club read for the discussion possibilities. What alternative endings could there be? How would one be more correct than another?
I felt there was one aspect of the ending that was a little too convenient and that is the only reason I considered this a 4.5 star read instead of a 5 star - but I rounded up based on my feelings about the book in its entirety. I devoured it and highly recommend it!
Warning - this book may be a trigger for someone that has dealt with fertility issues.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for gifting me an advance copy to read and review. Pub date: May 11, 2021.
February 15, 2020
This got off to a slow start for me, for the first 100 or so pages I kept wanting to hurry the story along. Though it was necessary so as to give the backgrounds of each character I was impatient with it. Once the baby was born, the pace of the novel picked up and I found I couldn't put it down wanting to know the outcome. I have no knowledge of the IVF process and can't even begin to imagine what the characters were going through.
I enjoyed the parts of the novel that covered the custody battle, and how the parents were coping throughout. As a parent I could well imagine the devastation of having my child denied/taken from me, so could empathise with the characters.
I was disappointed with the ending, I felt it was rushed and skimmed over the outcome of the trial and the impact the result had on the characters. After the build up during and leading up to the trial, it all just fizzled out.
The ending itself I really disliked. Apart from the fact that it is implausible, I really hate when authors feel a need to give every story a happy ending. While I know a lot of readers love that, I much prefer a more realistic conclusion.
Having said that, I raced through this in a day and would consider reading more from this author.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof to read and review.
I enjoyed the parts of the novel that covered the custody battle, and how the parents were coping throughout. As a parent I could well imagine the devastation of having my child denied/taken from me, so could empathise with the characters.
I was disappointed with the ending, I felt it was rushed and skimmed over the outcome of the trial and the impact the result had on the characters. After the build up during and leading up to the trial, it all just fizzled out.
The ending itself I really disliked. Apart from the fact that it is implausible, I really hate when authors feel a need to give every story a happy ending. While I know a lot of readers love that, I much prefer a more realistic conclusion.
Having said that, I raced through this in a day and would consider reading more from this author.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof to read and review.
March 2, 2020
Loved it!! Well written, I tore thru it in less than 24 hours.
January 24, 2021
Christ did I hate this book, I was originally going to rate this 2 stars, but the sheer betrayal of the fact that this book promised a nuanced, complex and engaging insight into a very complicated topic and then had the sheer audacity to completely fall flat on both the exploration of the ethics of IVF and the overall execution made me rate this down to 1 star. There will be spoilers and mild language starting from now so read at your own risk.
To start, the only likeable characters were honestly Grace and Dan Arden, they had an established healthy relationship (mostly), both characters felt human and had actual development over the series that was meaningful and didn’t detract from them as characters. I must emphasise that I absolutely cannot say the same about the other characters (excluding Priya’s sister and her nieces), especially Priya and Nick.
I’m upset because Priya could have been an amazing character if she was written well and had good character development. She starts off as an engaging and sympathetic character, with the readers finding out her husband is a real ass who’s not only cheated on her before, but she suspects is cheating again. She turns out to be right and her husband is a manipulative, lying asshole, hence their marriage falls apart. Although my issues with Priya began here, when she finds the woman her husband has been sexting she describes her in the most awful way just to make herself feel better, thinking “she has large cantaloupe breasts that are starting to sag. Priya had been spared from that” and “her blonde hair was dry, like rope, and brittle” - “she imagined it would be crunchy to the touch”. It just felt really gross to be honest, like she’s angry at the other woman (who didn’t know he was married) instead of her husband, she also implied the women on similar dating apps were desperate. With context though I thought this was mostly understandable, so I looked past it. But nope, apparently that’s just her personality I guess, because once she’s stalked down Grace (after their reproductive doctor broke patient confidentiality because she has daddy issues, I really wish I was joking) she also describes Grace in an awful was as well “she’s blonde but she’s put this terrible witchy black dye through it so it’s not as obvious that he’s not her son. I can’t leave my baby with people like that”. Not only does she describe Grace as “witchy” but also makes some awful assumptions about the Ardens (although this is understandable too, it’s just outright wrong), she also thinks she’s entitled to Sam (the baby) simply because they are blood related, never mind the fact that she hasn’t raised him, cared for him, or supplied him with the resources to live, you know what parents do... Or the fact that I don’t even think she’s mature enough to be a parent to be perfectly honest. While there are some complex aspects of Priya (like her desire to have children, and her relationship with her sister and family, excluding Nick, but I’ll get into that) her general unlike-ability considerably detracts from any and all interest I had in her as a character, which is really unfortunate because I think with a few tweaks (like she doesn’t get custody of Sam, and she doesn’t get back with Nick) she could have been a great character with good development over the story (like getting over internalised misogyny, becoming more mature and better as a person, having and raising a child on her own with her family, and realising at the time she could not have provided the best situation for Sam, and never getting back with Nick ever)
Okay onto Nick, he was awful, he’s cheated on Priya multiple times, lied about it, emotionally manipulated her and was generally horrible. But Priya’s family members said “he’s a good guy” so it must be true the he jUsT sUcH a GrEaT gUy. And he gets a “redemption” arc. Alas, Priya’s arc really suffered because she got back with him, if later she actively acknowledged how what he did was wrong and grew as person and never got back with him I think she would have been a much more successful character.
Whilst this book does try to explore how a lack of cultural and familial identity can affect someone negatively, leading to confusion, insecurity, isolation and loneliness (through Priya’s court case and family, and Ashley (the IVF specialist)) I don’t think it succeeds on a meaningful level.
The court battle was extremely anticlimactic, especially with the EXTREMELY black and white view points, there was literally no nuance or logic in its resolution. Priya’s only argument was basically that she was related to him and she could share her family’s culture with him (not to detract from that, I think cultural identity is very important but overall I don’t think it was important enough to make Priya’s home the better environment for Sam), whereas the fact that Sam’s embryo probably wouldn’t have even implanted in Priya’s uterus if it was put in the ‘correct’ person (a fact that while brought up, is largely ignored), as well as how the Arden’s can and are providing a loving and caring environment for Sam, how Grace literally gave birth to him, and how they raised him are all thrown out the window and deemed less important than blood relations. The judge also literally stated at the end the Arden’s time spent raising him is and will be meaningless to Sam (who is literally their child, yes I am salty). It really rubbed me the wrong way, like it’s implying that familial relationships where there are no blood relation are less valid than blood related families. I really think it was the worst way to resolve the whole conflict. Also at the end the doctor who violated patient confidentiality finds two abandoned twins in the Philippines and, predictably, they are adopted by the Arden’s (yes the author really pulled it out their ass). The ending did not go in depth into the aftermath of the courts case and how it affected each party (which could have made the court case from awful into interesting and complex due to its effects) and just rushed to a ‘happy’ epilogue.
Overall the book sh*ts on what it means to be a parent (in my opinion), degrades from the fact that family is not defined by who you are related and is defined by people that actively care for and love you, or that adoption as a concept is a f*cking thing (seriously adoption is not brought up once during the court case for some reason...). Don’t bother reading it, because if you think too hard you’re bound to be bitterly disappointed.
To start, the only likeable characters were honestly Grace and Dan Arden, they had an established healthy relationship (mostly), both characters felt human and had actual development over the series that was meaningful and didn’t detract from them as characters. I must emphasise that I absolutely cannot say the same about the other characters (excluding Priya’s sister and her nieces), especially Priya and Nick.
I’m upset because Priya could have been an amazing character if she was written well and had good character development. She starts off as an engaging and sympathetic character, with the readers finding out her husband is a real ass who’s not only cheated on her before, but she suspects is cheating again. She turns out to be right and her husband is a manipulative, lying asshole, hence their marriage falls apart. Although my issues with Priya began here, when she finds the woman her husband has been sexting she describes her in the most awful way just to make herself feel better, thinking “she has large cantaloupe breasts that are starting to sag. Priya had been spared from that” and “her blonde hair was dry, like rope, and brittle” - “she imagined it would be crunchy to the touch”. It just felt really gross to be honest, like she’s angry at the other woman (who didn’t know he was married) instead of her husband, she also implied the women on similar dating apps were desperate. With context though I thought this was mostly understandable, so I looked past it. But nope, apparently that’s just her personality I guess, because once she’s stalked down Grace (after their reproductive doctor broke patient confidentiality because she has daddy issues, I really wish I was joking) she also describes Grace in an awful was as well “she’s blonde but she’s put this terrible witchy black dye through it so it’s not as obvious that he’s not her son. I can’t leave my baby with people like that”. Not only does she describe Grace as “witchy” but also makes some awful assumptions about the Ardens (although this is understandable too, it’s just outright wrong), she also thinks she’s entitled to Sam (the baby) simply because they are blood related, never mind the fact that she hasn’t raised him, cared for him, or supplied him with the resources to live, you know what parents do... Or the fact that I don’t even think she’s mature enough to be a parent to be perfectly honest. While there are some complex aspects of Priya (like her desire to have children, and her relationship with her sister and family, excluding Nick, but I’ll get into that) her general unlike-ability considerably detracts from any and all interest I had in her as a character, which is really unfortunate because I think with a few tweaks (like she doesn’t get custody of Sam, and she doesn’t get back with Nick) she could have been a great character with good development over the story (like getting over internalised misogyny, becoming more mature and better as a person, having and raising a child on her own with her family, and realising at the time she could not have provided the best situation for Sam, and never getting back with Nick ever)
Okay onto Nick, he was awful, he’s cheated on Priya multiple times, lied about it, emotionally manipulated her and was generally horrible. But Priya’s family members said “he’s a good guy” so it must be true the he jUsT sUcH a GrEaT gUy. And he gets a “redemption” arc. Alas, Priya’s arc really suffered because she got back with him, if later she actively acknowledged how what he did was wrong and grew as person and never got back with him I think she would have been a much more successful character.
Whilst this book does try to explore how a lack of cultural and familial identity can affect someone negatively, leading to confusion, insecurity, isolation and loneliness (through Priya’s court case and family, and Ashley (the IVF specialist)) I don’t think it succeeds on a meaningful level.
The court battle was extremely anticlimactic, especially with the EXTREMELY black and white view points, there was literally no nuance or logic in its resolution. Priya’s only argument was basically that she was related to him and she could share her family’s culture with him (not to detract from that, I think cultural identity is very important but overall I don’t think it was important enough to make Priya’s home the better environment for Sam), whereas the fact that Sam’s embryo probably wouldn’t have even implanted in Priya’s uterus if it was put in the ‘correct’ person (a fact that while brought up, is largely ignored), as well as how the Arden’s can and are providing a loving and caring environment for Sam, how Grace literally gave birth to him, and how they raised him are all thrown out the window and deemed less important than blood relations. The judge also literally stated at the end the Arden’s time spent raising him is and will be meaningless to Sam (who is literally their child, yes I am salty). It really rubbed me the wrong way, like it’s implying that familial relationships where there are no blood relation are less valid than blood related families. I really think it was the worst way to resolve the whole conflict. Also at the end the doctor who violated patient confidentiality finds two abandoned twins in the Philippines and, predictably, they are adopted by the Arden’s (yes the author really pulled it out their ass). The ending did not go in depth into the aftermath of the courts case and how it affected each party (which could have made the court case from awful into interesting and complex due to its effects) and just rushed to a ‘happy’ epilogue.
Overall the book sh*ts on what it means to be a parent (in my opinion), degrades from the fact that family is not defined by who you are related and is defined by people that actively care for and love you, or that adoption as a concept is a f*cking thing (seriously adoption is not brought up once during the court case for some reason...). Don’t bother reading it, because if you think too hard you’re bound to be bitterly disappointed.
February 1, 2023
4.5 stars
An IVF clinic is at the centre of a drama when a woman is mistakenly impregnated with another woman's embryo. When both women find out what has happened, they both know they want the child. Thus raising the question - what makes a mother?
Another Aussie backlist title and oh my goodness, did this one pull at my heartstrings! I found myself tearing up in several parts of the book and kept thinking how well Genevieve Gannon broached such a sensitive topic yet managed to keep the book well balanced in terms of both women. The epilogue was wonderful - just the ending I was hoping for.
An IVF clinic is at the centre of a drama when a woman is mistakenly impregnated with another woman's embryo. When both women find out what has happened, they both know they want the child. Thus raising the question - what makes a mother?
Another Aussie backlist title and oh my goodness, did this one pull at my heartstrings! I found myself tearing up in several parts of the book and kept thinking how well Genevieve Gannon broached such a sensitive topic yet managed to keep the book well balanced in terms of both women. The epilogue was wonderful - just the ending I was hoping for.
July 6, 2021
A thinly written and overly simplistic story about a couple who gives birth to another woman's biological child via a botched ivf transfer. It takes almost halfway through the book to even get to the said pregnancy. The pages before that are filled with tedious story lines practically irrelevant to the plot including very cringy descriptions of a husbands sexting obsession. But the cringe-worthy weak writing doesn't stop there, we get treated to choice lines like 'lust seized her' or 'his dimples, the reason people believed in heaven' or his fingernails, finer than the Louvre's rarest treasure' ugh!
And when the book gets to the courtroom scenes which should have been the strongest part of the story, it races through the proceedings, building absolutely no tension or drama as it races to a very predictable conclusion. Skip this one, unless you are into very mediocre Hallmark channel movies
And when the book gets to the courtroom scenes which should have been the strongest part of the story, it races through the proceedings, building absolutely no tension or drama as it races to a very predictable conclusion. Skip this one, unless you are into very mediocre Hallmark channel movies
February 23, 2020
‘They were both looking at the baby, and something was coming into focus. As they processed his features, his arrival, something else became apparent. His face was covered with the waxy substance that protects babies in utero, but there was no mistaking it. His eyes were brown. His skin was dark. His hair was black. There was no biological sense to what they were seeing.’
So, this was a novel with a twist! The Mothers is a gripping read, perfect for book clubs, which is exactly what I read it for – my own book club! There are moral conundrums in abundance, and just when you think you’ve formed a solid unshakeable opinion, something else begs for consideration and you’re back to tossing up. Although, I will say, despite some wavering along the way, my initial opinion on who should ‘get the baby’ never changed. But I did find the debate over genetic rights versus gestation rights quite interesting. To be honest, it’s not something I’ve ever given much consideration to until now.
I found this novel to be written with a great deal of empathy. The characters were well crafted and I liked both of ‘the mothers’, although the second part of the novel saw Grace descend into a kind of manic fever that didn’t always ring true. She began to act in a way that wasn’t even a little bit rational, and even taking her stress, fears, and postnatal hormones into account, some of the things she did were still highly questionable.
One character I had a real issue with was Ashley – Dr. Li. I thought she acted more out of a sense of making herself feel better, a panacea for the betrayal she felt at her boyfriend/boss not acting in the manner that she prescribed that he should in the face of such a grievous error on the part of his IVF clinic. This quote is a perfect example of the drama she created out of acting in such a rash and indiscrete way:
‘A mix-up, a cover-up, an angry and powerful former lover, a phone full of evidence and a baby in the wrong hands.’
It was all a little bit dramatic and I was concerned the novel was about to take a turn into a different genre, but rest assured, it stayed the course.
By part three, the story was very much on the right track and the characters seemed to have slipped into their rightful selves. The court scenes were particularly well done, the legal parrying and genuine anguish portrayed. It didn’t take me long to read this book, I could barely put it down. It’s a good one for fans of Jodi Picoult and other likeminded moralistic stories that offer up topics for debate. I’m looking forward to discussing this one at book club!
Thanks is extended to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Mothers for review.
So, this was a novel with a twist! The Mothers is a gripping read, perfect for book clubs, which is exactly what I read it for – my own book club! There are moral conundrums in abundance, and just when you think you’ve formed a solid unshakeable opinion, something else begs for consideration and you’re back to tossing up. Although, I will say, despite some wavering along the way, my initial opinion on who should ‘get the baby’ never changed. But I did find the debate over genetic rights versus gestation rights quite interesting. To be honest, it’s not something I’ve ever given much consideration to until now.
I found this novel to be written with a great deal of empathy. The characters were well crafted and I liked both of ‘the mothers’, although the second part of the novel saw Grace descend into a kind of manic fever that didn’t always ring true. She began to act in a way that wasn’t even a little bit rational, and even taking her stress, fears, and postnatal hormones into account, some of the things she did were still highly questionable.
One character I had a real issue with was Ashley – Dr. Li. I thought she acted more out of a sense of making herself feel better, a panacea for the betrayal she felt at her boyfriend/boss not acting in the manner that she prescribed that he should in the face of such a grievous error on the part of his IVF clinic. This quote is a perfect example of the drama she created out of acting in such a rash and indiscrete way:
‘A mix-up, a cover-up, an angry and powerful former lover, a phone full of evidence and a baby in the wrong hands.’
It was all a little bit dramatic and I was concerned the novel was about to take a turn into a different genre, but rest assured, it stayed the course.
By part three, the story was very much on the right track and the characters seemed to have slipped into their rightful selves. The court scenes were particularly well done, the legal parrying and genuine anguish portrayed. It didn’t take me long to read this book, I could barely put it down. It’s a good one for fans of Jodi Picoult and other likeminded moralistic stories that offer up topics for debate. I’m looking forward to discussing this one at book club!
Thanks is extended to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Mothers for review.
January 22, 2020
Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Mothers, in exchange for an honest review!
What makes a parent? Nature or nurture?
I think this book will hit some people harder than others. For parents, and especially parents (like me) who have been through IVF, the true level of horror is probably more apparent. My daughter was brought into the world via IVF and I know the realities of how strict their protocols and checks are, so although it doesn’t strike me as a common risk in any sense, the unimaginable grief it would bring to a couple, to be afraid they may have their baby taken from them, due to a clerical error, still sits heavy in my heart. I couldn’t even give back a puppy, not about a child.
When a mix up in the lab results in one couple having a positive pregnancy outcome and the other not, it’s just another day in IVF. But when the baby is born and the parents notice he doesn’t look anything like either of them, seeds of doubt start to grow in their mind. Hiding the baby away from the world, to avoid questions, will only work for so long. But surely no-one would actually be able to take him from them, if there was an error with their transfer? Or could they?
This book was probably one of the most harrowing books I’ve ever read. While I know a lot of people will probably find themselves sympathising with both parties in the situation, I just couldn’t. A mother grew, birthed and cared for a baby. In my mind, that makes a mother, not DNA. I have friends who have needed to use entire donor embryo’s to have babies, so their children are not biologically related to them in any way, and I’d fight anyone who suggested they are not their real parents. My husband and I have embryos we want to donate to another couple in need. A baby resulting from that would in no way be our baby. I admit, I was shaking with rage for some of this book, particularly at the actions of one of the husbands and the wife’s family’s terrible advice to her about it! Head’s up ladies – if your husband is sexting other women, you should not ignore it because ‘he didn’t actually sleep with them though’ Ugh! But my emotions throughout the story didn’t mean I didn’t love it, quite the opposite! I love when books can make me feel strongly. The Mothers was an intense, thought provoking and raw book. I’d highly recommend it (although maybe wait to read it if you’re currently going through IVF 😏 )
What makes a parent? Nature or nurture?
I think this book will hit some people harder than others. For parents, and especially parents (like me) who have been through IVF, the true level of horror is probably more apparent. My daughter was brought into the world via IVF and I know the realities of how strict their protocols and checks are, so although it doesn’t strike me as a common risk in any sense, the unimaginable grief it would bring to a couple, to be afraid they may have their baby taken from them, due to a clerical error, still sits heavy in my heart. I couldn’t even give back a puppy, not about a child.
When a mix up in the lab results in one couple having a positive pregnancy outcome and the other not, it’s just another day in IVF. But when the baby is born and the parents notice he doesn’t look anything like either of them, seeds of doubt start to grow in their mind. Hiding the baby away from the world, to avoid questions, will only work for so long. But surely no-one would actually be able to take him from them, if there was an error with their transfer? Or could they?
This book was probably one of the most harrowing books I’ve ever read. While I know a lot of people will probably find themselves sympathising with both parties in the situation, I just couldn’t. A mother grew, birthed and cared for a baby. In my mind, that makes a mother, not DNA. I have friends who have needed to use entire donor embryo’s to have babies, so their children are not biologically related to them in any way, and I’d fight anyone who suggested they are not their real parents. My husband and I have embryos we want to donate to another couple in need. A baby resulting from that would in no way be our baby. I admit, I was shaking with rage for some of this book, particularly at the actions of one of the husbands and the wife’s family’s terrible advice to her about it! Head’s up ladies – if your husband is sexting other women, you should not ignore it because ‘he didn’t actually sleep with them though’ Ugh! But my emotions throughout the story didn’t mean I didn’t love it, quite the opposite! I love when books can make me feel strongly. The Mothers was an intense, thought provoking and raw book. I’d highly recommend it (although maybe wait to read it if you’re currently going through IVF 😏 )
July 31, 2020
Content warning: IVF, miscarriage, minor talk about pre-birth testing for disability
The Mothers by Genevieve Gannon was a great read - well researched and compelling, yet still light enough to be an easy read. I went to RMIT University with Genevieve Gannon - we both studied the same Masters degree. I’ve always admired her journalism and fiction writing.
I had been eager to read this book since its release, and it was worth the wait. I downloaded the audiobook this week, and devoured it in two days. It was an enthralling and compassionate story about IVF, yearning for a baby, and ethical and moral dilemmas. It also focused on middle and upper class people.
Priya and Nick were in their 30s and had been together half their lives. They tried for a baby for two years, without luck. They went to an IVF clinic to start the IVF process.
Grace and Dan were in their 40s - they had many rounds of IVF. They weren’t successful, until their eighth round.
Dr Ashley Lee was a renowned IVF doctor, receiving a lot of media attention. But she made a terrible mistake, and breached patient confidentiality.
The couples’ lives crossed dramatically, when Grace and Dan had their baby boy.
The story explored the ethical dilemma of gestational versus genetic parents, as well as the pressure that IVF can place on some couples when trying for a baby.
As mentioned in the content warning, there was minor talk about pre-birth testing for disability. The increased risk for older mothers to give birth to a disabled, chronically ill or terminally ill babies was mentioned. Of course, I’m always alert when Disability is written about, especially by non disabled writers. I expect a lot of writers when touching on ableist concepts and views and also ableist language. I really liked the way this issue was addressed - the risks were outlined, yet the characters were excellent in stating that there is nothing “wrong” with having a disabled baby, and that they were prepared for disability.
The character development and depth was excellent. I could really picture the scenery. And so was the pace of the story.
Caz Prescott narrated it, and she did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life.
Loved this book.
The Mothers by Genevieve Gannon was a great read - well researched and compelling, yet still light enough to be an easy read. I went to RMIT University with Genevieve Gannon - we both studied the same Masters degree. I’ve always admired her journalism and fiction writing.
I had been eager to read this book since its release, and it was worth the wait. I downloaded the audiobook this week, and devoured it in two days. It was an enthralling and compassionate story about IVF, yearning for a baby, and ethical and moral dilemmas. It also focused on middle and upper class people.
Priya and Nick were in their 30s and had been together half their lives. They tried for a baby for two years, without luck. They went to an IVF clinic to start the IVF process.
Grace and Dan were in their 40s - they had many rounds of IVF. They weren’t successful, until their eighth round.
Dr Ashley Lee was a renowned IVF doctor, receiving a lot of media attention. But she made a terrible mistake, and breached patient confidentiality.
The couples’ lives crossed dramatically, when Grace and Dan had their baby boy.
The story explored the ethical dilemma of gestational versus genetic parents, as well as the pressure that IVF can place on some couples when trying for a baby.
As mentioned in the content warning, there was minor talk about pre-birth testing for disability. The increased risk for older mothers to give birth to a disabled, chronically ill or terminally ill babies was mentioned. Of course, I’m always alert when Disability is written about, especially by non disabled writers. I expect a lot of writers when touching on ableist concepts and views and also ableist language. I really liked the way this issue was addressed - the risks were outlined, yet the characters were excellent in stating that there is nothing “wrong” with having a disabled baby, and that they were prepared for disability.
The character development and depth was excellent. I could really picture the scenery. And so was the pace of the story.
Caz Prescott narrated it, and she did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life.
Loved this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2020
4.5★
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
For anyone going through IVF, this is probably NOT the book for you at the moment. And even if you aren’t undergoing IVF but desperately want a child, this still probably isn’t the book for you.
It is a heart-breaking story on both sides and I don’t know what I would have done in any of the situations in the story!
It was an engaging read with likeable characters.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
For anyone going through IVF, this is probably NOT the book for you at the moment. And even if you aren’t undergoing IVF but desperately want a child, this still probably isn’t the book for you.
It is a heart-breaking story on both sides and I don’t know what I would have done in any of the situations in the story!
It was an engaging read with likeable characters.
June 16, 2021
Essentially, it's about a mix-up in an IVF lab. This is a drama about two couples, one baby, and an unimaginable choice. It was inspired by a real-life case of an IVF laboratory mix-up. Grace and Dan Arden IVF attempts have all failed. Priya and her husband Nick are at the same fertility clinic. One woman learns her embryo was implanted in the other’s uterus and must make a devastating choice: live a childless life knowing her son is being raised by strangers or seek custody of a baby who another family has raised. The situation is hard to believe and raises a zillion ethical considerations.
There was one line where the author did a nice job talking about aging, women's bodies, and their relationships with their bodies. She said, "From the aerial view she had of her stomach now, it appeared thick enough, poking out beneath breasts whose nipples were slowly starting to point south. She examined her face, turning her head from side to side. There was a definite softening around the jawline, and her skin was slackening. She pinched her cheek and watched its surface crinkle. This is why we have children, she thought darkly, to distract us from the ravages of time." I loved that.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/gen...
There was one line where the author did a nice job talking about aging, women's bodies, and their relationships with their bodies. She said, "From the aerial view she had of her stomach now, it appeared thick enough, poking out beneath breasts whose nipples were slowly starting to point south. She examined her face, turning her head from side to side. There was a definite softening around the jawline, and her skin was slackening. She pinched her cheek and watched its surface crinkle. This is why we have children, she thought darkly, to distract us from the ravages of time." I loved that.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/gen...
January 7, 2020
Poignant and provocative, The Mothers is Genevieve Gannon’s fourth novel.
Shattered to learn her husband, Nick, has been unfaithful, Priya Archer (née Laghari) decides giving up on her marriage doesn’t mean she has to give up on her dream of becoming a mother and impulsively decides to move ahead with a planned IVF procedure, opting to use a sperm donor. Priya is upset when the procedure fails, but decides against a second attempt, choosing to focus on rebuilding her life on her own.
After a half dozen failed IVF procedures, Grace Arden, and her husband Dan, are thrilled when they learn their final attempt with their one remaining embryo has taken, and Grace is finally pregnant. As Grace cradles their son, Sam, for the first time all the heartache seems worth it, but as the days pass it becomes clear that something isn’t quite right.
Told in three parts, The Mothers focuses on the lives of the two couples during the period before conception, after the arrival of baby Sam, and during the court case that develops when Priya learns the Arden’s son is genetically her own. It’s an emotional exploration of themes such as infertility, marriage, and family, but ultimately this is a book about motherhood.
Gannon examines some challenging dilemmas when Priya discovers Grace has given birth as a result of an error at the IVF clinic, exploring a myriad of questions about how motherhood is defined by genetics, biology and socialisation. Sam is the genetic product of Priya and the sperm donor, but Grace ‘grew’ him during her pregnancy and gave birth to him. The question of who has the right to custody is further complicated by the circumstances of the conception and wider cultural issues, presenting a unique ethical quandary. With empathy and respect, the author skilfully explores both sides of the situation and the very difficult circumstances Priya and Grace and Dan, are forced to confront in their desire to raise Sam.
The Mothers is a thought-provoking and emotive novel, and I imagine it will be particularly engaging as the focus for discussion in a bookclub.
Shattered to learn her husband, Nick, has been unfaithful, Priya Archer (née Laghari) decides giving up on her marriage doesn’t mean she has to give up on her dream of becoming a mother and impulsively decides to move ahead with a planned IVF procedure, opting to use a sperm donor. Priya is upset when the procedure fails, but decides against a second attempt, choosing to focus on rebuilding her life on her own.
After a half dozen failed IVF procedures, Grace Arden, and her husband Dan, are thrilled when they learn their final attempt with their one remaining embryo has taken, and Grace is finally pregnant. As Grace cradles their son, Sam, for the first time all the heartache seems worth it, but as the days pass it becomes clear that something isn’t quite right.
Told in three parts, The Mothers focuses on the lives of the two couples during the period before conception, after the arrival of baby Sam, and during the court case that develops when Priya learns the Arden’s son is genetically her own. It’s an emotional exploration of themes such as infertility, marriage, and family, but ultimately this is a book about motherhood.
Gannon examines some challenging dilemmas when Priya discovers Grace has given birth as a result of an error at the IVF clinic, exploring a myriad of questions about how motherhood is defined by genetics, biology and socialisation. Sam is the genetic product of Priya and the sperm donor, but Grace ‘grew’ him during her pregnancy and gave birth to him. The question of who has the right to custody is further complicated by the circumstances of the conception and wider cultural issues, presenting a unique ethical quandary. With empathy and respect, the author skilfully explores both sides of the situation and the very difficult circumstances Priya and Grace and Dan, are forced to confront in their desire to raise Sam.
The Mothers is a thought-provoking and emotive novel, and I imagine it will be particularly engaging as the focus for discussion in a bookclub.
December 6, 2022
I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I feel like it did have a lot of potential, it’s a fascination question - what would you do if you gave birth to a child who was accidentally not from your embryo. And then following, what would you do if your embryo was impacted in another woman and she gave birth. I thought that Grace’s character was well developed but I didn’t think Priya got the same development and her pieces were harder for me to swallow as they were more obsessed with the is he cheating isn’t he cheated should I take him back than about having a baby. I also felt like the legal trial for custody was rushed and huge pieces of arguments were just left out. Overall I gave this book 2.5 stars rounded down because I honestly struggled with the resolution of the story. Ethical decision aside (and I did disagree with the ethical decision made) I just didn’t think the epilogue did anything for me. It was a trite “happily ever after” solution that ignored the complexities involved.
May 13, 2021
Debating on 3-4 stars. Probably 3.5 but not sure if it deserves the bump. A full review to come.
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