The Mothers

Description

Two couples. One baby. An unimaginable choice. What if the baby you gave birth to belonged to someone else? Grace and Dan Arden are in their forties and have been on the IVF treadmill since the day they got married. Six attempts have yielded no results and with each failure a little piece of their hope dies. Priya Laghari and her husband Nick Archer are being treated at the same fertility clinic, and while they don't face the same time pressure as the Ardens, the younger couple have their own problems. Priya is booked for her next IVF cycle the same day that Grace goes in for her final, last-chance embryo transfer. Two weeks later, both women get their results. A year on, angry and heartbroken, one of the women learns her embryo was implanted in the other's uterus and must make a devastating choice: live a childless life knowing her son is being raised by strangers or seek custody of a baby who has been nurtured and loved by another couple. 'The Mothers beautifully captures the desperation for a baby and the emotional roller-coaster of IVF . . . In the style of Jodi Picoult, it's impossible to choose sides. These characters and their heart-wrenching dilemma will follow you off the page and have you asking what would you do? An intriguing, thought-provoking novel.' - Petronella McGovern, bestselling author of Six Minutes 'Engagingly and unflinchingly told, Gannon's new novel, The Mothers, is the story of every parent's worst nightmare. It is that novel that makes you muse on the most difficult of questions ... What makes a mother? And can you ever un-become one? Like all my favourite books, The Mothers is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and it leaves you with a lot to think about after you turn the final page. I sobbed my way through this wonderful book.' - Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Mother-in-Law 'Talk about a page-turner! We dare you to try putting this gripping family drama down. The ending is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.' - NW Magazine 'Poignant and provocative...[The Mothers] is an emotional exploration of themes such as infertility, marriage, family and motherhood. With empathy and respect, the author skilfully explores sides of the situation.' - Book'd Out

Genevieve Gannon is an award-winning Sydney-based journalist and author of four novels. She is presently the staff writer for nation's biggest women's magazine, The Australian Women's Weekly, where she covers everything from cold-case murders and cults to celebrities and sports stars. She has written in-depth political profiles, comedic personal essays and true crime pieces. Her first foray into professional writing included dating and relationship columns which she published while writing her Masters' thesis on global terrorism and the media. She then moved to Canberra to start her news career covering local issues and politics. Before she joined The Weekly, Genevieve was the chief court reporter for Australian Associated Press in Melbourne, covering some of the most notorious crimes of recent years. Her journalism has appeared in most of Australia's major newspapers and she has recently won the Mumbrella Publish Journalist of the Year.