The Love Child's Mother — Suzanne Wright

The theme of this novel is adoption, which affects an amazing number of people today. Many families have a secret adoption tucked away in the minds and memories of the older generation, unacknowledged, unspoken, often unknown. Each experience is individual; however, the birth mothers of adopted babies have similarities of guilt and heartache which cut across age, class and place and in this sense the story is universal. The main character is Carol, whose dearest wish comes true with the reunion with her child, and traces the events surrounding her adoption thirty years before, when a few short weeks and months affected the rest of her life. The reunion is not the beginning of a new life, however, but rather the trigger for the disintegration of the old. The story is at times moving and poignant, at others funny, and sometimes shocking. It is the story of a journey to achieve peace of mind, and it is, unashamedly, one which will appeal to women - it is about the unbreakable bond between a woman and her child. But it also appeals to men. It touches on issues which were important in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. And anyway, who said men weren't interested in adoption? Boys were adopted, too. The story is told with compassion and with an understanding of the feelings and motivations of a woman who lives with the guilt of having given away her baby. It is written for all birth mothers, everywhere.