Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 9781503934160
Price: $14.95
All children’s book illustrator Claire Turner ever wanted was to be a mother. After six years of trying to conceive, she and her husband, Josh, have finally accepted that she will never be pregnant with a child of their own.
Yet once they give up hope, the couple gets the miracle they’ve been waiting for. For the first few months of her pregnancy, Claire and Josh are living on cloud nine. But when she begins to experience debilitating headaches, blurred vision, and even fainting spells, the soon-to-be mother goes to the doctor and receives a terrifying diagnosis. Since any treatment could put their unborn baby’s life at risk, the Turners must carefully weigh their limited options. And as her symptoms worsen, Claire will have to make an impossible decision: Save her own life, or save her child’s?
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Steena Holmes brings us an unforgettable story of one woman’s courage and love.
My Impressions:
This is the first book that I have read by Steena Holmes and it will not be the last. This book was absolutely amazing. Rarely do I read a book that pulls you in so deeply that you feel the emotions of each character and really connect with them, but this was one of those books. Tackling family issues and relationships is really hard to do in a way that resonates and changes the reader, but Steena gets straight to the heart of it.
Josh and Claire have been married for 6 years. They have a deep and beautiful love that you first glimpse as you follow them along on their vacation through Europe to finally let the past go and move forward, letting go of their dream to have a baby of their own. This was the sweetest thing ever actually. To make their decision a little more bearable they had kept a list of all the things they wanted to do with their baby. During their cruise they let go of those dreams by casting their lists into the sea, forever lost.
*****SPOILERS*****
Once they get back to Canada, Claire starts having headaches that continue to get worse. Eventually she goes in to see her best friend and doctor, Abby to see what is happening to her. Josh and Claire and hit with the best and worst news of their lives. They are going to have a baby, but Claire also has a stage 3 brain tumor. Faced with the biggest decision of their lives Josh and Claire must decide weather to abort and get Claire treatment-giving up on their miracle baby, or risk losing Claire and try to carry the baby full term, praying there will still be time to save Claire in the process.
I cannot say enough positive things about this story. I found myself tearing up several times chocking back emotions. The story moves and flows effortlessly and leaves you wanting more. Just a beautiful story of a mothers love and strength.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion from Lake union Publishing via NetGalley.
About the Author:
After writing her first novel while working as a receptionist, Steena Holmes made her dream of being a full-time writer a reality. She won the National Indie Excellence Book Award in 2012 for her bestselling novel Finding Emma. Now both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Steena continues to write stories that touch every parent’s heart in one way or another. To find out more about her books and her love for traveling, you can visit her website at www.steenaholmes.com or follow her journeys over on Instagram @steenaholmes.
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