Book Synopsis:
If you had to make an impossible choice to save your long-lost daughter, you would… wouldn’t you?
It’s a warm early summer’s evening when Mia’s doorbell rings. She opens the door to see a teenage girl standing in the shadow beyond the porch light—and in an instant she knows who it is. Daisy, the daughter she gave up as a baby. Daisy steps forward, as she says tearfully “I’m sorry I didn’t call first. But something happened. And I really needed… you.”
Seventeen years before, knowing she couldn’t possibly give her beautiful little girl Daisy the future she deserved, Mia made the hardest decision of her life—to give her up. And Suzanne seemed the perfect adoptive mother: calm, stable, and full of love for the daughter she’d always dreamed of having.
The two mothers promised to keep communication open, so Daisy could have Mia’s love and support along with Suzanne’s. But as the years passed, Mia moved away, and their visits happened less. Now Daisy is almost a stranger to Mia—angry, closed and broken—nothing like the tiny girl she once couldn’t bear to say goodbye to.
But now Daisy has arrived on Mia’s doorstep, and she says she has a terrible secret. One she can never tell Suzanne. And she believes the only person who can help her is Mia. Her birth mother.
Mia, however, has secrets of her own. Ones she is afraid to let Daisy or anyone else know. And while Suzanne desperately seeks a way to bring her child home, can Mia overcome her past to help the girl they both call their daughter in her darkest hour before it’s too late?
Totally gripping emotional women’s fiction from the author guaranteed to make readers cry. Kate Hewitt’s story will grab you by the heartstrings and never let you go. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Jojo Moyes.
The Child I Never Had is available in ebook and paperback using the links below.
My Review:
The Child I Never Had is a highly emotional, absorbing book that made me think about a difficult subject.
Firstly as a mum myself I found this book very emotional. I can’t imagine giving my kids away, even for the reasons Mia does, so I felt the situation keenly as I felt I could understand what she was going through. The author has taken a fascinating, sensitive subject and written about it beautifully so the reader can see it from both sides. It was interesting to learn more about adoption and to explore what being a mum can actually mean.
I thought this book was well paced as there always seemed to be something happening that kept my interest. I liked being able to follow both Mia and Suzanne throughout the book and thought it was clever how the author managed to give different voices to the two of them. Of the two I much preferred Suzanne who came across as a very sympathetic character who’s feelings for her adoptive daughter’s were beautiful to read about. Although I did understand Daisy’s need to connect with her birth mum part of me felt angry with her for leaving Suzanne too.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in future. It was one of those books that I was constantly thinking about when I wasn’t reading and one which I found myself discussing with friends to find out their views. For this reason I think it would make a great bookclub read.
Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Bookouture for my copy of this book via netgalley.
About The Author:
Kate Hewitt is the bestselling author of many novels of both historical and contemporary fiction. She particularly enjoys writing contemporary issue-driven women’s fiction, and her novels have been called ‘unputdownable’ and ‘the most emotional book I have ever read’ by readers. An American ex-pat, she lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five young(ish) children, along with their two Golden Retrievers. Join her newsletter for monthly updates and giveaways at http://www.kate-hewitt.com, or be part of her Facebook groups Kate’s Reads, to discuss all manner of books, movies, music and cooking.
Over The Rainbow Blog 
Great review Joanna. I felt the same way as you, and my emotions were all over the place.
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