This story focuses on one of India's new "industries" - providing surrogate mothers for Westerners. Simran Singh is a social worker, who is connected with a new facility providing these services. She's torn between understanding the overwhelming need of childless couples to be parents, the relief from poverty that payment to surrogates can bring to their families in India against the exploitation of the women and ruthlessness of the organisations that use them.
When a girl is born, in the clinic, and subsequently diagnosed with HIV, Simran's suspicions increase and she turns detective and the baby's parents are reported dead whilst on a short holiday. Travelling to London to try to trace the baby's relatives, she begins to learn more than she bargained for.
Part morality tale, part detective story, this tale spans the world, showing how far the impact of this industry spreads with little publicity, fewer safeguards than might be imagined and with deeply emotional consequences. Approve or not, this fictionalised version tells us that this trade is well established and unlikely to be well controlled any time soon.
I'd have liked to see tighter writing of this story. It just failed to arouse any passionate feelings in me, either one way or another, which I expected when I first began to read. Still, the characters are each mixtures of good and bad, kind and casually cruel, just like real people!
Origins of Love is published by Simon and Shuster, ISBN 978-1-47111-112-8
Thursday, 20 February 2014
The Light Between Oceans by ML Steadman
Set on Australia's western seaboard in the years following WWI, this is the love story between Isabel and Tom. It's also a talk of morality and consequences.
Tom Sherbourne is drawn to the peace and solitude of the life of a light house keeper following his devastating experiences in Europe during WWI. He accepts a posting to Janus Rock, situated where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet; a place of storms, winds and months at a time of isolation. That is, until Tom meets Isabel Graysmarks in his embarkation port. Her brothers were lost in the War and she's drawn to Tom partly because of his experiences.
In the first years of their marriage Isabel suffers miscarriages and a still birth on the Rock, all with just Tom to help her. Then a miracle happens. A skiff washes up on the Rock; inside is a dead man and a very alive baby girl. She brings them joy and pain, fear and hope but their decisions change Tom and Isabel's lives for ever.
The premise of this novel, and what it does so well with tenderness and insight into the irresistible human need to nurture and love, is that deeds that seem so right for and to one person can be so wrong. And that confession can be devastating far beyond the initial impact.
This novel asks us all what we would do in the face of overwhelming temptation, especially when we can persuade ourselves that our actions will harm no-one, and no-one will discover what we've done. Recommended
The Light Between Oceans is published by Black Swan, ISBN 978-0-552-77847-3
Tom Sherbourne is drawn to the peace and solitude of the life of a light house keeper following his devastating experiences in Europe during WWI. He accepts a posting to Janus Rock, situated where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet; a place of storms, winds and months at a time of isolation. That is, until Tom meets Isabel Graysmarks in his embarkation port. Her brothers were lost in the War and she's drawn to Tom partly because of his experiences.
In the first years of their marriage Isabel suffers miscarriages and a still birth on the Rock, all with just Tom to help her. Then a miracle happens. A skiff washes up on the Rock; inside is a dead man and a very alive baby girl. She brings them joy and pain, fear and hope but their decisions change Tom and Isabel's lives for ever.
The premise of this novel, and what it does so well with tenderness and insight into the irresistible human need to nurture and love, is that deeds that seem so right for and to one person can be so wrong. And that confession can be devastating far beyond the initial impact.
This novel asks us all what we would do in the face of overwhelming temptation, especially when we can persuade ourselves that our actions will harm no-one, and no-one will discover what we've done. Recommended
The Light Between Oceans is published by Black Swan, ISBN 978-0-552-77847-3
Saturday, 8 February 2014
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
I've read Kate Morton previously - The House at river ton - so, when I was this one on the library shelf, I homed in.
The tale begins in London just before the outbreak of WWII, with young Dorothy (Dolly) Smitham dreaming of a life of fame and fortune far from her suburban childhood. Her ambitions are huge and she's single minded about pursuing them. She's in love with Jimmy and he shares her dreams, although he's not so sure about her methods.
Dolly weaves her dreams as she cares for an elderly aristocratic lady through the Blitz and tries to befriend a rich neighbour when they both volunteer at the local Red Cross canteen. After two disastrous misconceptions, Dolly's optimism turns to thoughts of revenge and she involves Jimmy in her plans. But Jimmy is less than enthusiastic and, gradually, finds himself involved in secrets that put himself, and others, at serious risk. Dolly's dreams end in tragedy.
30 years later Dolly's teenage daughter, Laurel, witnesses a violent and brutal death, which haunts her for the rest of her life.
In the present day Dolly is now an old woman, dying and haunted by events in her past and Laurel sets out to search out her mother's secrets. Are they connected with the death she witnessed? And who was Vivien Jenkins?
The story is told in a series of flashbacks - a common story-telling method nowadays, which can work well in building tensions and suspense. The risk, however, is that the reader looses the thread of the story and fails to build any relationship with the characters. Kate Morton handles this complicated method with aplomb. Whilst we can begin to guess at the ending of the story towards the final chapters, Ms Morton carefully crafts a number of possibilities, which keeps the readers attention until the final page. Recommended.
Published by mantle-panmacmillan, ISBN 978-0-230-75950-3
The tale begins in London just before the outbreak of WWII, with young Dorothy (Dolly) Smitham dreaming of a life of fame and fortune far from her suburban childhood. Her ambitions are huge and she's single minded about pursuing them. She's in love with Jimmy and he shares her dreams, although he's not so sure about her methods.
Dolly weaves her dreams as she cares for an elderly aristocratic lady through the Blitz and tries to befriend a rich neighbour when they both volunteer at the local Red Cross canteen. After two disastrous misconceptions, Dolly's optimism turns to thoughts of revenge and she involves Jimmy in her plans. But Jimmy is less than enthusiastic and, gradually, finds himself involved in secrets that put himself, and others, at serious risk. Dolly's dreams end in tragedy.
30 years later Dolly's teenage daughter, Laurel, witnesses a violent and brutal death, which haunts her for the rest of her life.
In the present day Dolly is now an old woman, dying and haunted by events in her past and Laurel sets out to search out her mother's secrets. Are they connected with the death she witnessed? And who was Vivien Jenkins?
The story is told in a series of flashbacks - a common story-telling method nowadays, which can work well in building tensions and suspense. The risk, however, is that the reader looses the thread of the story and fails to build any relationship with the characters. Kate Morton handles this complicated method with aplomb. Whilst we can begin to guess at the ending of the story towards the final chapters, Ms Morton carefully crafts a number of possibilities, which keeps the readers attention until the final page. Recommended.
Published by mantle-panmacmillan, ISBN 978-0-230-75950-3
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