Another Woman's Child by Kerry Fisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

Could you take in your best friend’s child, even if it risked destroying your own family?

Jo had thought that her life – and her heart – was full. With a busy job, a husband and a teenage daughter who is going off the rails, keeping her life running smoothly had already felt hard enough.

But now Jo sits at the funeral of her best friend Ginny, crushed by the loss of a friendship that had endured for thirty years: from college and their first days at work through to settling down and raising their own children.

Against her husband’s wishes, Jo has made a life-changing decision: to take in Ginny’s teenage son Victor and raise him as her own. Despite her misgivings,Jo feels she had no choice: Ginny was a single parent and Victor had no other family who could take care of him.

But Victor’s arrival is about to break open the fragile cracks that were already forming on the surface of Jo’s family life and in her small rural community… and expose a secret that has remained hidden for many years, with devastating consequences.

From the bestselling author of The Silent Wife and The Woman I Was Before, Another Woman’s Child is an unputdownable and heartbreaking read about the secrets we keep from our families, and the sacrifices we are willing to make for those we love. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain.

MY REVIEW

At first, I was annoyed at the insecure wife and mother theme and I had a feeling at the beginning how this was going to turn out, but I kept reading and I’m glad I did.

All of Jo’s turmoil and self-doubt as a mother, as a wife, and as a friend changes after finding out the secret. She has to make a difficult choice that will change her life forever, but when it really comes down to it, she makes the only choice for her family…the best choice.

As I said earlier, Jo’s lack of self-confidence and her penchant for always putting everyone before herself was wearing thin. However, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to lose your best friend too young and Jo’s strength at taking in Ginny’s son as part of her family is admirable and challenging at the same time. It’s understandable that she would have doubts at first, but Victor is an extremely mature and kind eighteen-year-old who gradually bonds with her family. I wondered about Patrick’s feelings and lack of support in the beginning, but he steps up and takes responsibility. In addition, Jo, Patrick, and Phoebe, their daughter, turn out to be unfaltering supporters of Victor when all the racist accusations start flying from so-called friends and it is a tear-filled moment to see how they come together when the secret is revealed.

Overall, this is a touching story that emerges slowly with a thought-provoking situation that would have some people throwing in the towel. In my opinion, Jo is an extremely generous and brave soul who is definitely “the lynchpin who keeps her family together”. Recommend highly!

Thank you to Ms. Fisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kerry Fisher is a million-copy bestselling author. She writes women’s contemporary fiction, is a USA Today bestseller and her books have been translated into twelve languages. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent several years living in Spain, Italy and Corsica. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She lives in Surrey with her husband, and a naughty Lab/Schnauzer called Poppy, who joins in the huge dances of joy when her young adult children come home.