Saz Vora's Reviews > This Child of Mine

A poignant and beautifully written story of a couple who receive news that throws their hopes of building a family into turmoil.

Stephanie and James finally get news of the family they have wanted for a long time. But the scan reveals that they have to make a choice. A choice that sends them both in different directions. All Steph wants to do is protect ‘peanut’ while James wants nothing more than to keep his wife safe.
Stephanie is determined to keep the child. It’s her body, her choice, but what about James? He is the father, after all?
So many questions need to be addressed and there is never a right or wrong answer in this situation. Wilson’s prose draws us in and slowly we understand Stephanie, and why she feels the need to make the choice on her own.
But what of James’ feelings, and the secret envelope?
There are moments when Stephanie’s ambition to become a mother throws her into a selfish denial. She doesn’t consider how her choice will impact James, her father and her closest friend. All I wanted to do was lock her and James into a room so he could tell her his fears and how much he loved her. Both Stephanie and James haven’t had an easy upbringing. Childhood trauma has made them who they are and we learn why they deal with the divesting news differently.
Wilson depicts the turmoil of Steph’s choice beautifully, and the story sends you on an emotional journey and just when you believe things can’t get any harder, the story takes a turn for the worst.
Take note of the trigger warnings as the book covers themes of grief, trauma, cancer, sibling loss, abandonment, IVF and guilt with realistic emotions. There were many times I had to put the book down, emotionally it’s raw and brought back painful memories for me and our child loss journey.
However, it isn’t a hopeless story. It’s full of hope and that no matter what happens, there is always someone somewhere who will enter your life, and often the path you choose leads to another, more beautiful place.
Highly recommend reading for anyone facing the question ‘What would you do?’ A thought-provoking author who will be in my favourite must read list.