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Julia Hollander
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Book
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Publisher | John Murray | ||
ISBN | 9780719564581 | ||
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Reviewer
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Steve
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Synopsis
After moving to the country to start a new life together away from the pressures of London, Julia and Jay had it all. Pregnant with their second child, Julia looked forward to a happy, complete family. But giving birth to this baby was not the straightforward experience it had been with the first. There were complications. Every mother's worst fear began to take shape as Julia realised that something was wrong. The months that followed involved endless hospital visits and consultations with doctors as she tried to convert her mother's instinct into a concrete diagnosis. Eventually it became clear that Julia's baby was severely disabled. When the Bough Breaks is an account of one woman's coming to terms with loss and the decision she has to make. It is also a portrait of a mother's love, strength and courage in the most difficult circumstances.
Review
When the Bough Breaks is a very thought provoking book. People who have read the book, and even some who haven't, have had quite extreme opinions as to what they felt about Julia Hollander giving up her disabled baby to foster care. The book is her honest account of how hard she found it trying to care for her baby, a baby that didn't even seem to notice she existed, and what effect this had on her husband and their other daughter.
It gives an insight into how hard it is to care for a severely disabled child and into their pain and frustration, feeling like they were failing as parents and weren't able to give Imogen what she needed. A lot of books like these would probably end up with the parents battling through and keeping their child, giving the reader a nice happy ending. When you first look at this book you might be tempted to think that it isn't going to have a happy ending, knowing that she decides to give her baby away. But having read the book I can understand what made her come to this decision. It certainly seems like it was the right decision, for her, her husband and their other daughter. Thanks to Imogen's new carer, a lady who possessed a wonderful gift for caring for disabled children, it turned out to be also the best decision for Imogen.
A very moving book, one that would be very helpful to people struggling in similar circumstances. It's also a good book for others to read to get a better understanding of how hard it is for families where they are caring for a disabled child and trying to care for other siblings as well and trying to hold a marriage together.
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