Gripping

The Baby Left Behind by Jen Craven is a totally gripping tale that consumed me from the start. I ‘lived’ through the book as I clung on for an emotional roller coaster read.

The book is about motherhood and the desire for a baby. It seems most unfair that some women get pregnant so easily whilst for others it is a struggle or even impossible. All the carefully laid plans amount to nothing.

In contrast to the full preparation of some, we see a woman thrust unexpectedly into motherhood.

Both women have bonds with a baby. Both women elicit feelings of empathy from the reader. Both women cannot win – there will always be a loser. Where will your sympathies lie?

We see the bonds between mothers and daughters. No matter how old we get, there is nothing a mother will not do for her daughter. There are no regrets just armfuls of love.

Sibling rivalry exists into adulthood. There seems to be the golden girl and the other one. However, when the chips are down, new bonds are formed as a family pulls together.