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When a surrogate mother pretends the pregnancy has miscarried, and bears a daughter – to whom does the child belong? To her runaway birth mother, or her deceived father and his wife?
Scout, born as a result of a surrogacy arrangement, is kept by her biological mother, Joanie, who has deliberately deceived both the clinic and Scout’s intended parents by claiming to have had a miscarriage. When this deception comes to light ten years later, a compelling moral dilemma unfolds as Joanie makes her situation worse in the eyes of the law and social services by going on the run.
Scout is a resourceful, anxious, perceptive child. She craves normality in the face of her mother’s restlessness and unaccountability. She is loyal to her mother, and loves her deeply, despite being aware of her inconsistencies.
Will the Family Court make the right decision for this vulnerable and determined little girl?
Scout, born as a result of a surrogacy arrangement, is kept by her biological mother, Joanie, who has deliberately deceived both the clinic and Scout’s intended parents by claiming to have had a miscarriage. When this deception comes to light ten years later, a compelling moral dilemma unfolds as Joanie makes her situation worse in the eyes of the law and social services by going on the run.
Scout is a resourceful, anxious, perceptive child. She craves normality in the face of her mother’s restlessness and unaccountability. She is loyal to her mother, and loves her deeply, despite being aware of her inconsistencies.
Will the Family Court make the right decision for this vulnerable and determined little girl?
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Reviews
A poignant, at times funny, at times saddening book about morals and motherhood
Readable, poignant . . . the author's skill is to woo the reader into empathising with conflicting viewpoints
'Thought-provoking' *****
A delight to read, the characters pull at your heartstrings
This is both a comic and poignant read told via quirky prose, and is impossible to put down
Sweet and sad and funny and thought-provoking
An endearing child-heroine and a controversial moral question make HER GIANT OCTOPUS MOMENT a must-read
Poignant novel about parenthood
Funny and poignant
Brilliant new novel . . . impressively plausible and realistic . . . truly heartbreaking and yet life-affirming at the same time. A thoroughly enjoyable and light-hearted, engaging read.
A gripping, heart-rendering story. The characters are portrayed skilfully, especially Scout, who is a wonderful child . . . An extremely exciting and emotional read.
The sympathetic understanding of her characters, the even-handed exposition of different types of mothering and the beauty of her crystal-clear prose all come together to make this a must read.
Vivid storytelling . . . A delicately told tale of an unconventional childhood