Sarah and Phil have a healthy 17 year old boy, James, and a severely disabled, mute, wheelchair-bound 14 year old daughter, Lauren. A chance glance at a medical report alerts Phil to Lauren's blood-type and he wonders how it fits with his and Sarah's. A genetic test reveals her not to be their daughter.
Now all sorts of different authorities step in, their birth-daughter is found and the other family informed: a divorced mother, Anne, with a single child, Rosie. The first half of the tale is in dual narrative from Sarah and Phil's point of view, the second in four voices adding Anne and Rosie to the mix.
You can imagine the emotional turmoil that ensues, the terrible choices, the complex reactions and the dilemma of not knowing what is best for whom. It delves into family values, marriage, trust, love and loyalty. The whole unthinkable situation is powerfully explored. A very accomplished first novel. Highly recommended.
It only takes a second to change a family forever... Why do you love your child? Is it because they're funny, kind or creative?
| Primary Genre | Romance / Relationship Stories |
| Recommendations: |
Tell Us What Rosie Goodwin’s Books Mean to You and Win a Signed Book Bundle
Closing date: 31/10/2026
A wonderful read which will pull at every feeling you have ever possessed if you read one book this year make it this one...it will pull at your heartstrings.
The Second Child written by Caroline Bond for me was a very believable read, it really felt like I was a fly on the wall watching this story take place in front of my eyes.
Phil and Sarah have two children, James and Lauren, their lives revolve around Lauren as she was born with a syndrome which left her totally disabled and depended on her parents as her carers.
When a blood test questions their parentage, their lives will never be the same again.
I would happily recommend this wonderful read to anyone who likes their fiction which is not only well written but one which will show two parents and their family simply guilty of loving their daughter and for James it was his little sister.... Read Full Review
A compelling debut novel about a complex situation, which kept me enthralled to the end.
The story starts when Sarah and Phil Rudak discover, quite by chance, that their profoundly disabled 14 year old daughter is not in fact their biological child. This throws their lives into disarray as they attempt to come to terms with this bombshell and all its implications. It’s a story full of emotions, which is narrated in alternating short chapters by the principal characters, so that the reader sees everybody’s point of view and their reactions to the situation. I thought it was a well written, very readable, book which I found quite compelling.... Read Full Review
This is an outstanding book and excellent debut. It was hard, at times, for me to remember that I was reading fiction.
Caroline Bond brought this complicated story to life and it was impossible not to become emotionally involved with the characters. I couldn't put it down. This is not necessarily because it is the usual sort of 'page turner', but that I was so worried about how they would sort their lives out!... Read Full Review
It only takes a second to change a family forever... Why do you love your child?
The Second Child features in the following genres: Books with reviews by our Reader Review Panel, eBooks of the Month, Romance / Relationship Stories, Fiction, Recommendations
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
The Second Child was written by Caroline Bond and published by Corvus an imprint of Atlantic Books
The Second Child has 313 pages
