Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: November 9, 2023

Length: 385 pages

I downloaded this book from Kindle Unlimited because I am a fan of this author.

On the hottest day of 1976, two young girls are born in Lincoln, England. The nurse takes both babies to the nursery so the mothers can get a good night’s sleep. The first mother just gave birth to her fourth child while the other mother gave birth to her first. The next morning the mother of four, Michelle, looks at her baby and believes she has the wrong child. In her newborn’s features, she saw a strong resemblance to her husband. Now that resemblance is gone. The other mother, Sylvia, never glanced at her baby at birth and doesn’t believe anything is wrong. Sylvia did not want to have a child and felt absolutely no maternal instincts.

As the years go by Michelle continues to notice certain behaviors in her daughter that her other three children never exhibited. Her daughter Donna loves reading. No one in the family likes to read except Donna. Why is Donna so curious? None of the others are. After being silent for years, she voices her concern to her husband again. Her husband is tired of hearing about it and tells her to put it out of her mind. How can she when she is reminded every day of something different that Donna says or does?

The other family is unaware of Michelle’s continuing suspicions. Their daughter is strong-willed and opinionated. She misbehaves at school and believes it to be a waste of time. Michelle visits when the girls are five and explains her concern. Sylvia is stunned. Michelle leaves her contact information behind but as soon as she leaves, Sylvia burns it. Why?

At the hospital upon discharge, Michelle mentioned that she thought she had the wrong child. The hospital staff believed she was fatigued. A few weeks later, she tried to explain her concerns at the hospital and was dismissed again. Michelle’s husband remains unconvinced of the mix up and begins questioning Michelle’s behavior. How will Sylvia become aware of the possible mix-up? How do they reconcile this dilemma?

Imogen Clark’s story is based on a true story. If a mistake is made, do you switch children? At what age would this be too late? Beyond physically having the wrong child, there are many issues to consider. This mistake has a profound emotional toll on the children and parents. Clark is at her very best when she discusses emotional impact. She has the innate ability to find and uncover the heart of the matter. Her ability to understand the feelings a child might have about their biological parents is movingly accurate. As an adopted child, I often found myself wondering if certain likes or dislikes were similar to my biological mother or father. Both girls in the story have the same questions. The resolution of this problem isn’t simple. The author’s ingenuity brings a unique and successful conclusion that satisfies readers.

My only criticism would be that I found the location of the family gathering to be odd. An art gallery seems to be a place for reflection instead of problem-solving. Sylvia and her husband are artists, and an art gallery would feel comfortable for them. A public place would discourage people from making a scene, perhaps. See what you think once you’ve read the book. I loved the ending, it was unpredictable much like the uniqueness of the girls, and fit perfectly.

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻/5