Summer Reading Challenge: Saving Abby by Steena Holmes (Melissa’s review)

Saving Abby
written by Steena Holmes
published by Lake Union Publishing, 2016

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange  for an honest review.

Did I enjoy this book: I’d read one of Holmes’s books before (read my review of The Memory Child here) and loved it, so even though this subject matter isn’t exactly my favorite, I gave it a go.

If you’ve dealt with or are dealing with infertility, the beginning of this book is going to make you angry. My husband and I struggled with infertility for years, and there’s one thing people always tell you–one thing that, after hearing it time and time again, makes you want to scream. It’s this: “Why don’t you just relax and stop trying so hard? Take a cruise or something.” I’m going to give you three guesses as to how Claire and Josh conceive, and the first two don’t count. Holmes could’ve done better than the cliché.

I described this book to my boss as the “dying pregnant lady” book, and once you get past the infertility stuff, that’s basically what it is: a novel about a dying pregnant woman. It’s poignant. You’ll tear up a few times. You’ll wonder if Claire and Josh’s marriage would’ve survived had the inevitable not happened (and yeah, SPOILER ALERT: the dying pregnant lady dies). But if you’re like me, you’ll be left slightly disappointed that the flash forward at the end doesn’t say a word about Abby and Derek. I wonder if they’re still married . . .

 

Would I recommend it: This isn’t the type of book I usually read, but if you like a good tearjerker, then go for it.

About the book – from Goodreads: 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.