I received this book from Netgalley.

Childhood illness is sad. Seeing a child ill brings out compassion in even the hardest of hearts. What kind of person would cause illness in a child? Paige Dearth has written an emotional, moving story of a young girl who is the victim of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Molly Roslin loves her family but since the age of 8, her health has declined. Doctor after doctor, test after test, and no diagnosis. Molly dies and her soul travels to Limbo. She is met by a guide named Gwen who is to help her look at the details of her life and come to terms with them.

Looking back through her life, Molly is confronted with evidence showing her mother’s wrongdoing. Each illness was started by some action taken by her mother. Once Molly’s mother convinces a doctor to insert a feeding tube, Molly becomes far more ill. Should the medical team treating Molly notice her mother’s odd behavior? Understandably, Molly is shaken and denies her mother’s actions. As each sickness is examined, Molly sees the horrible actions that her mother takes. The disbelief and heartbreak are vividly described, immersing the reader in the pain.

This story opens your eyes to the elaborate ruse that someone with this horrible condition will perpetrate. It is a mental illness that is difficult to detect. As for treatment? I’m not sure there is any. While this story is disturbing, the ending is the best possible outcome given the circumstances. It is important to learn about these issues and hopefully, this education will spread keeping us all vigilant.

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Additional Thoughts: As a mother I really had a difficult time reading about some of the actions that Molly’s mother took. I think that the author did an outstanding job showing us how easy it is for Munchausen syndrome by proxy to remain undetected. What a horrible psychological disease.

While this is far from a summer beach read, it is excellent reading. The author has created wonderfully realistic characters with depth. I recommend reading it.