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Surrogate
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A MOTHER'S LOVE...
Ruth Furnival is a successful television executive with a perfect life: a nice house in London, a lawyer husband and two grown-up daughters. But at 54, with an empty nest and the menopause behind her, she feels restless and dissatisfied.
After multiple rounds of failed IVF, her eldest daughter Lauren has been told that the only chance for her and her husband to have their own child is surrogacy. Overwhelmed by the expense, they have run out of options. So when Ruth discovers that, with the right dose of hormones, she could carry their baby, out of desperation they agree.
Buoyed up by her sense of purpose, Ruth's life disintegrates around her as the pregnancy progresses: her husband moves out, her TV company is near bankruptcy and Lauren can't contain her corrosive envy. Isolated and alone in the pregnancy, Ruth starts to unravel...
Ruth Furnival is a successful television executive with a perfect life: a nice house in London, a lawyer husband and two grown-up daughters. But at 54, with an empty nest and the menopause behind her, she feels restless and dissatisfied.
After multiple rounds of failed IVF, her eldest daughter Lauren has been told that the only chance for her and her husband to have their own child is surrogacy. Overwhelmed by the expense, they have run out of options. So when Ruth discovers that, with the right dose of hormones, she could carry their baby, out of desperation they agree.
Buoyed up by her sense of purpose, Ruth's life disintegrates around her as the pregnancy progresses: her husband moves out, her TV company is near bankruptcy and Lauren can't contain her corrosive envy. Isolated and alone in the pregnancy, Ruth starts to unravel...
- GenresFictionContemporary
319 pages, ebook
Published April 1, 2021
15 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
March 5, 2021
This was a fast read and even though I found it hard to like any of the characters the story was compelling. A 54 year old woman offers to have intensive hormone therapy in order be a surrogate for her daughter, whose repeated miscarriages have rendered her incapable of further pregnancies. The daughter and son in law's embryo is implanted, cue shed loads of trouble. I was picking this up in every spare moment, needing to know what was going to happen, yet dreading it at the same time, they were such an unlikeable, messed up, selfish bunch, it was never going to go smoothly, and I enjoyed watching it all play out. I would've liked a more emotional connection to the characters but in spite of that I was still entertained. 4 stars, thanks Netgalley.
December 10, 2020
Review to come shortly before publication on 4/3/21
July 21, 2021
Surrogate is not the warm and emotional read that you think it will be. It is a tense and difficult read, covering some really tough subjects. It will not be a book for everyone, particularly people who have struggled with fertility. It is one that will have you hooked and unable to look away from what is sometimes the equivalent of a train wreck waiting.
Ruth is 54 and has a successful career in TV production and 2 older children with their own lives now. When her eldest daughter Lauren suffers another miscarriage and is told not to try again, Ruth offers the ultimate gift to her daughter and offers to be the surrogate. It is a risky move but she is determined to do it, without telling her husband. It leads to the discovery of long held secrets and tension between family members
The characters in this book are not easy to like, they are all very self obsessed and selfish. Putting her health and marriage at risk doesn’t seem to faze Ruth in the slightest.
Thanks for to Hachette Australia fo sending me this book to read. Surrogate is out now.
Ruth is 54 and has a successful career in TV production and 2 older children with their own lives now. When her eldest daughter Lauren suffers another miscarriage and is told not to try again, Ruth offers the ultimate gift to her daughter and offers to be the surrogate. It is a risky move but she is determined to do it, without telling her husband. It leads to the discovery of long held secrets and tension between family members
The characters in this book are not easy to like, they are all very self obsessed and selfish. Putting her health and marriage at risk doesn’t seem to faze Ruth in the slightest.
Thanks for to Hachette Australia fo sending me this book to read. Surrogate is out now.
March 30, 2023
Ruth is 54 with a successful career and two grown up daughters, one of which is struggling with infertility. After Lauren’s eighth miscarriage she is told that the only way she’ll have a biological child of her own is through surrogacy. Ruth feels helpless - until she embarks on a plan to become the surrogate herself.
Despite her husband’s misgivings about surrogacy she charges ahead and achieves a pregnancy. Success! But as the months pass and the baby grows Ruth starts thinking about her past, things long forgotten which now resurface and won’t leave her. Meanwhile as Lauren becomes more controlling and envious of her mother’s ease in carrying her grandchild, tensions rise and the situation deteriorates drastically.
This was such a thought provoking read, I could not put it down. From someone who has struggled with infertility I felt the author did a wonderfully accurate job of depicting the emotions and anxiety involved. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this drama would unfurl.
Despite her husband’s misgivings about surrogacy she charges ahead and achieves a pregnancy. Success! But as the months pass and the baby grows Ruth starts thinking about her past, things long forgotten which now resurface and won’t leave her. Meanwhile as Lauren becomes more controlling and envious of her mother’s ease in carrying her grandchild, tensions rise and the situation deteriorates drastically.
This was such a thought provoking read, I could not put it down. From someone who has struggled with infertility I felt the author did a wonderfully accurate job of depicting the emotions and anxiety involved. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how this drama would unfurl.
June 22, 2024
My 🍑 was on fire all the time while reading this book. I wanted to take all of the characters to a therapist and make them talk to each other.
But it's really a good book for a discussion. Lots of problematic points.
But it's really a good book for a discussion. Lots of problematic points.
May 1, 2022
Ruth is living the perfect life, but at 54 she feels there is something missing, she misses being needed. When an opportunity arises to help her daughter by becoming a surrogate, it's the beginning of a closeness that can only end up shattering. By the end of the story, none of them will be the same...
Oh what a story this was! I can't quite say this was a thriller - I can't even begin to decide what genre this could go under. It's a reality that many will face, and shows how easily trust can be broken, even within family.
It's an eyeopening book that will stick in my mind for a while!
Oh what a story this was! I can't quite say this was a thriller - I can't even begin to decide what genre this could go under. It's a reality that many will face, and shows how easily trust can be broken, even within family.
It's an eyeopening book that will stick in my mind for a while!
March 30, 2021
I’ll have to admit to psyching myself up for a novel that, due to the subject matter, maybe a difficult read and quite possibly emotionally draining. However, I was taken completely by surprise and found myself totally swept away in this superbly written story and devoured it page by page. The writing is immersive and the author handles this controversial subject with compassion and sensitivity. Utterly compelling this is a fast paced and brilliantly structured book that had me engrossed until the end. There is thread of tension running throughout the storyline that gives you a sense that things may not go as planned and I was in constant anticipation that everything may go horribly wrong.
The characters are brilliantly executed, they are described so well and we see the good and bad in all of them. The different character perspectives on the subject in hand is fascinating and with emotions running high the author captures their raw emotions, thoughts and feelings perfectly. Surrogacy had been really incredibly well researched and the information provided is interesting and educational.
A thought-provoking novel and I was constantly questioning if I could actually go through the same experience for my daughter. A brilliant and gripping debut novel that really resonated and struck a cord with me. I absolutely loved the whole execution of this story and seeing it all unfold.
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy to review.
The characters are brilliantly executed, they are described so well and we see the good and bad in all of them. The different character perspectives on the subject in hand is fascinating and with emotions running high the author captures their raw emotions, thoughts and feelings perfectly. Surrogacy had been really incredibly well researched and the information provided is interesting and educational.
A thought-provoking novel and I was constantly questioning if I could actually go through the same experience for my daughter. A brilliant and gripping debut novel that really resonated and struck a cord with me. I absolutely loved the whole execution of this story and seeing it all unfold.
Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy to review.
September 2, 2023
Ruth is 54 and has a successful career in TV production, she is married to Adam and they have two grown up children.
When her eldest daughter Lauren who is desperate for a baby, has her eighth miscarriage and the doctors tell her not to try again, Ruth offers to be her surrogate. It is a risky idea because of her age and she knows her husband would not approve, so she keeps it a secret from him!!
The pregnancy is a success but Ruth starts thinking about the past, whilst Lauren is becoming more controlling as she feels envious of her mother's ease at carrying her grandchild. This kind offer will change their lives forever.
I couldn't put this book down. Desperate to find out what happened next.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
When her eldest daughter Lauren who is desperate for a baby, has her eighth miscarriage and the doctors tell her not to try again, Ruth offers to be her surrogate. It is a risky idea because of her age and she knows her husband would not approve, so she keeps it a secret from him!!
The pregnancy is a success but Ruth starts thinking about the past, whilst Lauren is becoming more controlling as she feels envious of her mother's ease at carrying her grandchild. This kind offer will change their lives forever.
I couldn't put this book down. Desperate to find out what happened next.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 8, 2021
Thank you to @netgalley for this copy!
I thoroughly enjoyed this!
Alot of the time I found myself saying "this is not going to end well"
Although I thought what Ruth did for Lauren was absolutely amazing, alot of the time I couldn't help but get mad with Ruth. And also a few occasions a get a bit irrated with Lauren.
All in all it was a nail biting and truly gripping. This is coming out 1st of April, its well worth a read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this!
Alot of the time I found myself saying "this is not going to end well"
Although I thought what Ruth did for Lauren was absolutely amazing, alot of the time I couldn't help but get mad with Ruth. And also a few occasions a get a bit irrated with Lauren.
All in all it was a nail biting and truly gripping. This is coming out 1st of April, its well worth a read!
March 14, 2021
What better time to read Surrogate, the thought provoking novel from Susan Spindler than in the immediate run up to Mother’s Day. As I sit in the same room as my daughter, writing this review I would say this is a novel written for women everywhere, of any age. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the prime of your life, menopausal or post menopausal, struggling to conceive or contemplating motherhood for the first time, this compelling novel explores the mother/daughter dynamic and the complexities of a mother’s love in the most dramatic of ways. This is an impressive debut that strikes a healthy balance between compassionate handling of a controversial subject, forcing the reader to consider the moral and ethical implications of surrogacy when the host is your own mother whilst also commentating on the ageing process in general and the invisibility of women when they reach a certain age.
The novel opens with Ruth Furnival, film company director rushing to the hospital bedside of her daughter Lauren, suffering her seventh miscarriage, where she is met by lawyer husband Adam and son in law Dan. Over the years Ruth, Adam and younger sister Alex have been a source of comfort and support as Lauren and Dan endure yet another failed round of IVF but with this latest round of heartache and loss comes the reality that Lauren has run out of options,bar the idea of surrogacy. Forced to dismiss Alex’s offer of help, Lauren is at first shocked to discover her mother Ruth is willing to act as a host for the baby, providing they are able to find a clinic happy to deal with a woman of her advancing age. However, desperation leads Lauren and Dan to accept Ruth’s most generous offer of help, a decision that may have dire implications for Ruth’s marriage and Lauren’s relationship with her mother going forward.
There will be many of us who pick up this novel automatically thinking Ruth and Lauren’s predicament is a recipe for disaster. I know I was one of them! The subject of surrogacy is a highly sensitive topic anyway but when the host for your embryo is your own mother, surely you’re entering dangerous territory, a minefield of moral, ethical and emotional dilemmas. I had no idea this was even a feasible proposition so this is a storyline that’s not only thought provoking but educational too. Clearly the author has researched this topic well but I’ll admit to finding the concept alarming. In an age where youth is favoured and revered, this scientific ability to turn back time, breathing life back into an organ that’s technically past its sell by date seems morally dubious, cementing the idea that once a woman is no longer fertile, she’s redundant, no longer desirable and therefore invisible. Is a woman’s worth reliant only upon her reproductive capabilities? Whatever your viewpoint on what Ruth is proposing to undertake for her daughter Lauren, this won’t be the altruistic noble act you may initially believe it to be. Insights into the younger Ruth and her life prior to Lauren and Alex’s arrival in the world soon put paid to those thoughts and I couldn’t see this ending well for anyone. On paper Ruth’s solution to Lauren’s overwhelming desire to become a mother seems like the only option left open after all other avenues have been explored but what often is sound in theory doesn’t translate well in practice. Whilst part of me could understand why Ruth would even consider herself suitable for surrogacy, making the ultimate sacrifice for her own flesh and blood I found the whole premise quite disturbing and unsettling. Would I be willing to do the same for my daughter? Obviously that’s a hypothetical question which fortunately I don’t need to answer but it does prompt the bigger question of what lengths any mother is prepared to go to to secure a child’s happiness. What bothered me most is that Ruth, Lauren and Adam all have their own agendas, and the whole family dynamic stands to be thrown into disarray by this one act of love. Nothing about this situation is straightforward, it’s fraught with problems every step of the way and I could foresee the damaging effects on both Lauren’s feelings of self worth since her mother is capable of achieving something she can’t and the demeaning way Ruth’s own body is violated, simply a vessel for new life, used purely as a means to an end. I feared for her sanity once her incubating days were over and she presumably returned to her post menopausal self. As events proceed at an alarming speed you can expect Ruth and Adam’s marriage to come under close scrutiny and any cracks in their relationship and any flaws in their characters exposed. As much as this storyline is concerned with a selfless act it is revealing in terms of Adam and Ruth’s relationship past and present, his status now reduced to that of a mere bystander, and the personal cost is has on her professional life, not to mention the effects on her role as a mother to both daughters.
Unfortunately I did not like any of these characters. Although the author has dealt sympathetically with both Ruth and Lauren’s plight, as a menopausal woman myself my loyalties lay to a certain extent more with Ruth. I could recognise that feeling of redundancy and dissatisfaction at life in general that afflicts Ruth at the start of this novel. That’s not to say her motives are uncomplicated; instead she’s endeavouring to right the wrongs of the past and make amends for her own parenting errors whilst behaving in a most duplicitous manner. Her husband Adam, supposedly the most morally upright individual in this family behaves equally duplicitously so in many ways they are well suited! On the surface I’d expect to feel immense sympathy towards Lauren whom having suffered miscarriage after miscarriage is having to contemplate life without children of her own. Her pain and desperation dominate her every waking thought to the exclusion of a normal relationship with Dan and the rest of her family which of course is understandable but the way she loses sight of everything else, particularly towards the end I found astounding and unforgivable.
“Contraception, abortion,fertility - they’re central to the physical and ethical experience of being female but we never join up the dots and talk about them honestly.”
So speaks Ruth, summing up perfectly the essence of this novel. Through Ruth and Lauren’s characters, the author has managed to convey every conceivable emotion these two women could possibly experience given their allotted roles in a drama of their own making, whilst at very different stages in their reproductive lives. Raw, honest and entirely believable Surrogate is one of those novels that remind you nothing in life is ever black and white, rather it’s every shade of grey in between. There is a smattering of dark humour that breaks up an otherwise controversial and emotionally charged storyline but in my opinion it’s subtle and sparse. A great starting point for debate and discussion regarding how women perceive themselves in relation to their reproductive status and their declining visibility in society post middle age. Surely one many book groups will be keen to get their hands on. Highly recommend. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.
The novel opens with Ruth Furnival, film company director rushing to the hospital bedside of her daughter Lauren, suffering her seventh miscarriage, where she is met by lawyer husband Adam and son in law Dan. Over the years Ruth, Adam and younger sister Alex have been a source of comfort and support as Lauren and Dan endure yet another failed round of IVF but with this latest round of heartache and loss comes the reality that Lauren has run out of options,bar the idea of surrogacy. Forced to dismiss Alex’s offer of help, Lauren is at first shocked to discover her mother Ruth is willing to act as a host for the baby, providing they are able to find a clinic happy to deal with a woman of her advancing age. However, desperation leads Lauren and Dan to accept Ruth’s most generous offer of help, a decision that may have dire implications for Ruth’s marriage and Lauren’s relationship with her mother going forward.
There will be many of us who pick up this novel automatically thinking Ruth and Lauren’s predicament is a recipe for disaster. I know I was one of them! The subject of surrogacy is a highly sensitive topic anyway but when the host for your embryo is your own mother, surely you’re entering dangerous territory, a minefield of moral, ethical and emotional dilemmas. I had no idea this was even a feasible proposition so this is a storyline that’s not only thought provoking but educational too. Clearly the author has researched this topic well but I’ll admit to finding the concept alarming. In an age where youth is favoured and revered, this scientific ability to turn back time, breathing life back into an organ that’s technically past its sell by date seems morally dubious, cementing the idea that once a woman is no longer fertile, she’s redundant, no longer desirable and therefore invisible. Is a woman’s worth reliant only upon her reproductive capabilities? Whatever your viewpoint on what Ruth is proposing to undertake for her daughter Lauren, this won’t be the altruistic noble act you may initially believe it to be. Insights into the younger Ruth and her life prior to Lauren and Alex’s arrival in the world soon put paid to those thoughts and I couldn’t see this ending well for anyone. On paper Ruth’s solution to Lauren’s overwhelming desire to become a mother seems like the only option left open after all other avenues have been explored but what often is sound in theory doesn’t translate well in practice. Whilst part of me could understand why Ruth would even consider herself suitable for surrogacy, making the ultimate sacrifice for her own flesh and blood I found the whole premise quite disturbing and unsettling. Would I be willing to do the same for my daughter? Obviously that’s a hypothetical question which fortunately I don’t need to answer but it does prompt the bigger question of what lengths any mother is prepared to go to to secure a child’s happiness. What bothered me most is that Ruth, Lauren and Adam all have their own agendas, and the whole family dynamic stands to be thrown into disarray by this one act of love. Nothing about this situation is straightforward, it’s fraught with problems every step of the way and I could foresee the damaging effects on both Lauren’s feelings of self worth since her mother is capable of achieving something she can’t and the demeaning way Ruth’s own body is violated, simply a vessel for new life, used purely as a means to an end. I feared for her sanity once her incubating days were over and she presumably returned to her post menopausal self. As events proceed at an alarming speed you can expect Ruth and Adam’s marriage to come under close scrutiny and any cracks in their relationship and any flaws in their characters exposed. As much as this storyline is concerned with a selfless act it is revealing in terms of Adam and Ruth’s relationship past and present, his status now reduced to that of a mere bystander, and the personal cost is has on her professional life, not to mention the effects on her role as a mother to both daughters.
Unfortunately I did not like any of these characters. Although the author has dealt sympathetically with both Ruth and Lauren’s plight, as a menopausal woman myself my loyalties lay to a certain extent more with Ruth. I could recognise that feeling of redundancy and dissatisfaction at life in general that afflicts Ruth at the start of this novel. That’s not to say her motives are uncomplicated; instead she’s endeavouring to right the wrongs of the past and make amends for her own parenting errors whilst behaving in a most duplicitous manner. Her husband Adam, supposedly the most morally upright individual in this family behaves equally duplicitously so in many ways they are well suited! On the surface I’d expect to feel immense sympathy towards Lauren whom having suffered miscarriage after miscarriage is having to contemplate life without children of her own. Her pain and desperation dominate her every waking thought to the exclusion of a normal relationship with Dan and the rest of her family which of course is understandable but the way she loses sight of everything else, particularly towards the end I found astounding and unforgivable.
“Contraception, abortion,fertility - they’re central to the physical and ethical experience of being female but we never join up the dots and talk about them honestly.”
So speaks Ruth, summing up perfectly the essence of this novel. Through Ruth and Lauren’s characters, the author has managed to convey every conceivable emotion these two women could possibly experience given their allotted roles in a drama of their own making, whilst at very different stages in their reproductive lives. Raw, honest and entirely believable Surrogate is one of those novels that remind you nothing in life is ever black and white, rather it’s every shade of grey in between. There is a smattering of dark humour that breaks up an otherwise controversial and emotionally charged storyline but in my opinion it’s subtle and sparse. A great starting point for debate and discussion regarding how women perceive themselves in relation to their reproductive status and their declining visibility in society post middle age. Surely one many book groups will be keen to get their hands on. Highly recommend. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.
January 5, 2021
If you want to start the year with a book that will have you stuck to seat from beginning to end this is the one for you.
I was totally engrossed from the very start. One of the most captivating stories I think I have ever read.
As a mother myself I have often questioned the strength it must take to be a surrogate. Could I give the most precious gift willingly and so unselfishly?
It was fascinating to examine how the relationships within the story were impacted, whether between husband/wife, mother/daughter or sister/sister, each one was brilliantly written and each and every raw emotion was felt.
The character execution in this book was spot on. Every single character was strong and brought something to the novel, definitely no filler characters needed here. I loved the way the author was able to portray the good, the bad and the ugly in everyone's traits.
Susan Spindler has so expertly covered an emotional charged, sensitive topic with upmost authenticity, it has sat with me for days after finishing. She has so obviously researched to its highest level and that is evidently clear in her writing.
Loved, loved, loved it!
Huge thank you to netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.
I was totally engrossed from the very start. One of the most captivating stories I think I have ever read.
As a mother myself I have often questioned the strength it must take to be a surrogate. Could I give the most precious gift willingly and so unselfishly?
It was fascinating to examine how the relationships within the story were impacted, whether between husband/wife, mother/daughter or sister/sister, each one was brilliantly written and each and every raw emotion was felt.
The character execution in this book was spot on. Every single character was strong and brought something to the novel, definitely no filler characters needed here. I loved the way the author was able to portray the good, the bad and the ugly in everyone's traits.
Susan Spindler has so expertly covered an emotional charged, sensitive topic with upmost authenticity, it has sat with me for days after finishing. She has so obviously researched to its highest level and that is evidently clear in her writing.
Loved, loved, loved it!
Huge thank you to netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.
April 5, 2021
Surrogate tells the story from the point of view of 54 year old Ruth, who offers to have a longed-for baby for her daughter Lauren who has suffered from draining IVF experiences and numerous miscarriages.
At the crux of the novel is the relationship between a mother and her adult daughter, who delivers list upon list of rules Ruth has to abide by while pregnant. Lauren feels she needs to be in control and envies the experience her mother has undertaken. Secondary is the long term relationship between Ruth and her husband Adam. Her decision to proceed with this pregnancy causes deep rifts and Ruth behaves
with a lack of honesty in order to have her own way.
No-one behaves well but I did feel these were realistic characters and the attention to detail throughout the pregnancy illustrates thorough research by the writer.
I sympathised with Ruth, she needed to remain the strong individual woman while being bowled over by the effects of her pregancy. The ending is most poignant and I was left wondering what would happen in the future. An excellent read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Virago for the opportunity to read and review Surrogate.
At the crux of the novel is the relationship between a mother and her adult daughter, who delivers list upon list of rules Ruth has to abide by while pregnant. Lauren feels she needs to be in control and envies the experience her mother has undertaken. Secondary is the long term relationship between Ruth and her husband Adam. Her decision to proceed with this pregnancy causes deep rifts and Ruth behaves
with a lack of honesty in order to have her own way.
No-one behaves well but I did feel these were realistic characters and the attention to detail throughout the pregnancy illustrates thorough research by the writer.
I sympathised with Ruth, she needed to remain the strong individual woman while being bowled over by the effects of her pregancy. The ending is most poignant and I was left wondering what would happen in the future. An excellent read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Virago for the opportunity to read and review Surrogate.
June 25, 2021
I couldn't sleep last night, so started this, intending only to read the first chapter...
An utterly compelling, immersive & thought provoking domestic thriller!
As debut novels go, this was actually pretty impressive & I really enjoyed reading it!
When her oldest daughter Lauren & husband Dan are told she can never carry a baby after suffering a series of miscarriages & failed IVF treatments, fifty four year old mother Ruth decides she will become their surrogate, omitting to tell her husband.
Isolated & alone in the pregnancy Ruth slowly starts to unravel, beginning to resent her daughter for keeping tabs on her & the baby.
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
An utterly compelling, immersive & thought provoking domestic thriller!
As debut novels go, this was actually pretty impressive & I really enjoyed reading it!
When her oldest daughter Lauren & husband Dan are told she can never carry a baby after suffering a series of miscarriages & failed IVF treatments, fifty four year old mother Ruth decides she will become their surrogate, omitting to tell her husband.
Isolated & alone in the pregnancy Ruth slowly starts to unravel, beginning to resent her daughter for keeping tabs on her & the baby.
𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
March 5, 2024
A big thank you to @tandem for my free copy of this book.
As someone who had to go through IVF to have a child, I felt this book portrayed infertility so well. It was handled so sensitively.
The characters are excellent. The author has developed them so well showing both the good and bad sides to them.
This is a brilliant, thought provoking and gripping debut which was a pleasure to read.
As someone who had to go through IVF to have a child, I felt this book portrayed infertility so well. It was handled so sensitively.
The characters are excellent. The author has developed them so well showing both the good and bad sides to them.
This is a brilliant, thought provoking and gripping debut which was a pleasure to read.
December 1, 2021
This book really brings to light how lucky I am to have my baby girl. I take my hat off to every surrogate, my pregnancy was hard and so was Ruth’s. Brought back memories of sickness, labour (the whole experience) Those people are amazing who go through it all for other people to have a baby.
April 1, 2021
"Surrogate" invites us into the world of IVF, surrogacy and motherhood through the eyes of the Furnival family: Ruth the postmenopausal matriarch and Lauren her barren daughter who tries to look past her insecurities and reservations with her mother in order to finally have a baby.
General Impressions
This is what happens when rich people don't get therapy!
"Surrogate" is not a cute little book about a grandmother's selfless act to be a surrogate to her grandchild. It's about the complexities of womanhood and motherhood in a society that shames women for embracing their sexuality and choosing to be childless, punishes them for having children and then forgets them once they get past forty.
This book was so good and left me so angry. Every character was so wonderfully complex, flawed and taken to their very limit and then some. Even the characters I hate, I understand why they are the way they are and made the decisions they did. "Surrogate" is a very nuanced piece of fiction but I can't help but think that would be even more impactful as horror, if more difficult to market to its target audience, perhaps. I would read/listen/binge-watch the crap out of it though.
The most surprising part for me, and I think it goes to show Susan Spindler's research skills was how dirty and money-grabbing the IVF and surrogacy businesses were and the monetary and emotional devastation they leave behind them when they fail to work. That and how it's a business that aims primarily not to get sued and how backwards much of its legislation is because of that instead of their concern for the patients.
Although women are usually the ones that suffer the most physically and emotionally through the treatments, I was always looking forward to any chapter told through Adam and Dan's eyes, because it's rare to see a man at the centre of such conversation as a father rather than beside the wife as just a secondary concern or the antagonist to the story in some way.
Ruth and Adam
Ruth and Adam are the seemingly in love middle-class empty nesters. They go on dates and holidays and are supportive and involved with their children's and partners lives. It doesn't take many chapters to realise that is only a facade.
Ruth often speaks and is praised for the way she was able to "have it all": a career, a husband and children. She was able to do that because Ruth was not a mother. She was a father.
Even as a middle-class family able to hire people to care for their children, one parent still had to make sacrifices in their career to make sure the children had someone at home, and that someone was Adam. Not only that was never addressed by anyone other than Adam himself, those sacrifices had consequences: Ruth was able to advance her career and become the breadwinner and then hold that over his head in order to justify her every disgusting act. (*More about this at the end if you don't mind spoilers).
Ruth is a manipulative, lying, abusive piece of trash and the way she was allowed to keep going without any consequences or public banishment is only possible for rich white women. The only long-lasting consequence she faces is being forced to get old, the same as everyone else. What a tragedy!! If the genders were reversed, this would be the tale of thirty years of domestic violence. As it was, she never even apologized with any remorse, only as a way to manipulate people into the place she wanted them once again.
Lauren and Dan
Lauren and Dan's marriage is a very stark contrast to the previous one. Ruth sees her husband and marriage as the same as everything else: something to be managed, lied and coddled as necessary for her to get the desired ending.
Lauren and Dan's marriage, on the other hand, is a partnership, where the other's feelings and thoughts are considered and they argue and talk about what is going on and what is bothering them.
Thanks to the people around him and also, I believe to his generation, Dan is seen more as a person and not just "the husband" and that is clear in the way Adam and Dan interact with the people around them. The only exception is when Ruth has power over the couple and is able to steer them away but even that doesn't last long.
Conclusions
If you are looking for a great story in which incredibly complex characters are taken to their very limit look no further. "Surrogate" is a great examination of what parenthood can mean to different people and the way our own childhood and parents can affect us when hurts and traumas are brushed aside and left to fester.
Thank you to Virago Press and Little, Brown Books for sending me this proof.
Rating: 4/5
*Bodily Autonomy (with spoilers)
When you write a book about pregnancy, fertility and womanhood, the theme of bodily autonomy will at least be between the lines. Susan Spindler chose not to be a coward and put it at the forefront of every discussion: abortion, fertility treatments, pregnancy, surgery...
While I'm really mad that Ruth wasn't punished at all for all the awful criminal things she did throughout this book, I was at least glad she wasn't killed in the middle of labour for the "crime" of having had an abortion when she was young. But neither that nor her awful childhood are excuses for the person she became and she should have ended alone and shunned by everyone for being a domestic abuser.
Ruth physically assaulted her husband once she found out he had had a vasectomy after she tried to get pregnant against his will, she became a surrogate without his knowledge, forged his signature and when for the first time she had to suffer consequences for her behaviour and Adam moved out of the house, she lied and maligned him to their daughters in order to isolate him and force him to return to her (after she slept with someone else).
General Impressions
This is what happens when rich people don't get therapy!
"Surrogate" is not a cute little book about a grandmother's selfless act to be a surrogate to her grandchild. It's about the complexities of womanhood and motherhood in a society that shames women for embracing their sexuality and choosing to be childless, punishes them for having children and then forgets them once they get past forty.
This book was so good and left me so angry. Every character was so wonderfully complex, flawed and taken to their very limit and then some. Even the characters I hate, I understand why they are the way they are and made the decisions they did. "Surrogate" is a very nuanced piece of fiction but I can't help but think that would be even more impactful as horror, if more difficult to market to its target audience, perhaps. I would read/listen/binge-watch the crap out of it though.
The most surprising part for me, and I think it goes to show Susan Spindler's research skills was how dirty and money-grabbing the IVF and surrogacy businesses were and the monetary and emotional devastation they leave behind them when they fail to work. That and how it's a business that aims primarily not to get sued and how backwards much of its legislation is because of that instead of their concern for the patients.
Although women are usually the ones that suffer the most physically and emotionally through the treatments, I was always looking forward to any chapter told through Adam and Dan's eyes, because it's rare to see a man at the centre of such conversation as a father rather than beside the wife as just a secondary concern or the antagonist to the story in some way.
Ruth and Adam
Ruth and Adam are the seemingly in love middle-class empty nesters. They go on dates and holidays and are supportive and involved with their children's and partners lives. It doesn't take many chapters to realise that is only a facade.
Ruth often speaks and is praised for the way she was able to "have it all": a career, a husband and children. She was able to do that because Ruth was not a mother. She was a father.
Even as a middle-class family able to hire people to care for their children, one parent still had to make sacrifices in their career to make sure the children had someone at home, and that someone was Adam. Not only that was never addressed by anyone other than Adam himself, those sacrifices had consequences: Ruth was able to advance her career and become the breadwinner and then hold that over his head in order to justify her every disgusting act. (*More about this at the end if you don't mind spoilers).
Ruth is a manipulative, lying, abusive piece of trash and the way she was allowed to keep going without any consequences or public banishment is only possible for rich white women. The only long-lasting consequence she faces is being forced to get old, the same as everyone else. What a tragedy!! If the genders were reversed, this would be the tale of thirty years of domestic violence. As it was, she never even apologized with any remorse, only as a way to manipulate people into the place she wanted them once again.
Lauren and Dan
Lauren and Dan's marriage is a very stark contrast to the previous one. Ruth sees her husband and marriage as the same as everything else: something to be managed, lied and coddled as necessary for her to get the desired ending.
Lauren and Dan's marriage, on the other hand, is a partnership, where the other's feelings and thoughts are considered and they argue and talk about what is going on and what is bothering them.
Thanks to the people around him and also, I believe to his generation, Dan is seen more as a person and not just "the husband" and that is clear in the way Adam and Dan interact with the people around them. The only exception is when Ruth has power over the couple and is able to steer them away but even that doesn't last long.
Conclusions
If you are looking for a great story in which incredibly complex characters are taken to their very limit look no further. "Surrogate" is a great examination of what parenthood can mean to different people and the way our own childhood and parents can affect us when hurts and traumas are brushed aside and left to fester.
Thank you to Virago Press and Little, Brown Books for sending me this proof.
Rating: 4/5
*Bodily Autonomy (with spoilers)
When you write a book about pregnancy, fertility and womanhood, the theme of bodily autonomy will at least be between the lines. Susan Spindler chose not to be a coward and put it at the forefront of every discussion: abortion, fertility treatments, pregnancy, surgery...
While I'm really mad that Ruth wasn't punished at all for all the awful criminal things she did throughout this book, I was at least glad she wasn't killed in the middle of labour for the "crime" of having had an abortion when she was young. But neither that nor her awful childhood are excuses for the person she became and she should have ended alone and shunned by everyone for being a domestic abuser.
Ruth physically assaulted her husband once she found out he had had a vasectomy after she tried to get pregnant against his will, she became a surrogate without his knowledge, forged his signature and when for the first time she had to suffer consequences for her behaviour and Adam moved out of the house, she lied and maligned him to their daughters in order to isolate him and force him to return to her (after she slept with someone else).
March 12, 2024
Это какой-то театр абсурда, от которого нельзя отрываться, потому что хочется узнать концовку.
В этой истории вы по очереди возненавидите всех. Рут за ее невероятный эгоизм, Адама (хотя его, пожалуйста, меньше всего. Это единственный персонаж, чью сторону я понимала и принимала) за его непостоянство, Лорен за ее ещё больший эгоизм, чем у матери, тюфяка Дена, который вообще и на мужчину не очень похож, просто какой-то слепленный образ идеального мужа, который и на футбол с пивом ходит только и исключительно с тестем и вообще не общается больше ни с кем, кроме семьи жены, и даже Алекс за ее излишнюю притворную хорошесть. Все постоянно врут, часто самим себе, ужасно тупят, ноль эмпатии (зато куча красивых слов), ноль логики (Алекс вроде как зашибает огромные деньги, но вместо того, чтобы помочь сестре хотя бы в долг, решает, что превратить 54-летнюю родную мать в суррогатную - э��о отличная идея). Спойлер - нет. И в целом герои ведут себя ну максимально нелогично, часто сами себе противоречат, как будто автор постоянно забывает, что она только что сказала.
В общем, идея отличная, исполнение откровенно мерзкое.
В этой истории вы по очереди возненавидите всех. Рут за ее невероятный эгоизм, Адама (хотя его, пожалуйста, меньше всего. Это единственный персонаж, чью сторону я понимала и принимала) за его непостоянство, Лорен за ее ещё больший эгоизм, чем у матери, тюфяка Дена, который вообще и на мужчину не очень похож, просто какой-то слепленный образ идеального мужа, который и на футбол с пивом ходит только и исключительно с тестем и вообще не общается больше ни с кем, кроме семьи жены, и даже Алекс за ее излишнюю притворную хорошесть. Все постоянно врут, часто самим себе, ужасно тупят, ноль эмпатии (зато куча красивых слов), ноль логики (Алекс вроде как зашибает огромные деньги, но вместо того, чтобы помочь сестре хотя бы в долг, решает, что превратить 54-летнюю родную мать в суррогатную - э��о отличная идея). Спойлер - нет. И в целом герои ведут себя ну максимально нелогично, часто сами себе противоречат, как будто автор постоянно забывает, что она только что сказала.
В общем, идея отличная, исполнение откровенно мерзкое.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2021
Ruth is post-menopausal and feeling somewhat invisible in this new stage of life. Daughter Lauren yearns for a baby but has reached an impasse, surrogacy now being the only option. When Ruth finds out that with certain treatment she would be able to step into a surrogate’s shoes, she’s full steam ahead. It doesn’t take long for Lauren’s early gratitude to give way to envy and a battle of wills to commence between mother and daughter. Could what ought to be the greatest gift, be set to tear the family apart…?
This was certainly an unique concept and I confess to having been taken aback at its premise of surrogacy after menopause. There was clearly lots of research done, as I later marvelled at the real life occurrences of similar circumstances. That hurdle cleared, I found the story equal parts fascinating & disturbing. Ruth is a woman on a mission propelled by her desire to feel needed and get a last chance at motherhood. It’s a recipe for disaster as she allows the lines to become blurred between the charitable purpose of her role and her fantasies. The deceit that accompanies Ruth on her journey is nothing short of jaw-dropping & how she rationalises her bad behaviours to herself and others very much hints at her immaturity despite her lived age. The first few chapters are very focused upon Lauren and Dan’s uphill struggle and continued experience of loss so you can really ache for them as a couple. Once the surrogacy arrangements starts, Lauren becomes a lot less likeable, lacking a backbone and the ability to converse without the accompaniment of a whiny tone. I was certainly given pause for thought on many occasions & was keen to see how the story was brought to a close, certain that life would unlikely end up rosy given the rollercoaster ride experienced.
This book calls for much examination of moral compass and dilemma in ways that a reader is unlikely to have experienced themselves. What books have you debated long after you finished reading them?
This was certainly an unique concept and I confess to having been taken aback at its premise of surrogacy after menopause. There was clearly lots of research done, as I later marvelled at the real life occurrences of similar circumstances. That hurdle cleared, I found the story equal parts fascinating & disturbing. Ruth is a woman on a mission propelled by her desire to feel needed and get a last chance at motherhood. It’s a recipe for disaster as she allows the lines to become blurred between the charitable purpose of her role and her fantasies. The deceit that accompanies Ruth on her journey is nothing short of jaw-dropping & how she rationalises her bad behaviours to herself and others very much hints at her immaturity despite her lived age. The first few chapters are very focused upon Lauren and Dan’s uphill struggle and continued experience of loss so you can really ache for them as a couple. Once the surrogacy arrangements starts, Lauren becomes a lot less likeable, lacking a backbone and the ability to converse without the accompaniment of a whiny tone. I was certainly given pause for thought on many occasions & was keen to see how the story was brought to a close, certain that life would unlikely end up rosy given the rollercoaster ride experienced.
This book calls for much examination of moral compass and dilemma in ways that a reader is unlikely to have experienced themselves. What books have you debated long after you finished reading them?
April 17, 2021
A really good read but I appreciate it wouldn’t be for everyone.
Whilst the scenario is different from my own it was still an intriguing insight into surrogacy from a different angle.
After 9 failed IVF attempts my daughter was conceived from my husband’s sperm, a donor egg & a different carrier in America (we’re from Australia) so it was certainly a roller coaster ride being on the other side of the world but the result was worth it.
This story follows the same path of a young English couple who have ‘lost’ 7 babies and as a result the daughters career driven mother chooses to be a surrogate to realise her daughters dream of becoming a mother.
Yes, Ruth is strong willed & driven in her desire to help her daughter & often goes about things in the wrong way & makes some questionable choices that leaves her marriage in tatters.
The daughter, Lauren, in my opinion is a selfish, entitled & quite often ungrateful daughter who only sees the end result, a baby, & considers no one else’s feelings. Yes, the ability to not be able to ‘carry’ your own child is devastating but to treat not only your mother but husband, sister & father so terribly didn’t sit well with me, at all. She was more than happy for her mother to risk her life to carry a child for her but her attitude & list of rules was deplorable.
Even when Ruth’s life was in danger Lauren could only think about her ‘child’. It was obvious she was jealous of her mother for having the child & the feeling I got was that the divide between mother & daughter would always be there between them ultimately because of the sacrifice Ruth had made but her daughters bitterness overrode everything.
In hindsight it would’ve been easier if Ruth had not chosen to be her daughters surrogate as it left relationships strained between family members.
An interesting read that makes you think about the choices we make, often in order to help others & what the ramifications often are by making those choices.
Whilst the scenario is different from my own it was still an intriguing insight into surrogacy from a different angle.
After 9 failed IVF attempts my daughter was conceived from my husband’s sperm, a donor egg & a different carrier in America (we’re from Australia) so it was certainly a roller coaster ride being on the other side of the world but the result was worth it.
This story follows the same path of a young English couple who have ‘lost’ 7 babies and as a result the daughters career driven mother chooses to be a surrogate to realise her daughters dream of becoming a mother.
Yes, Ruth is strong willed & driven in her desire to help her daughter & often goes about things in the wrong way & makes some questionable choices that leaves her marriage in tatters.
The daughter, Lauren, in my opinion is a selfish, entitled & quite often ungrateful daughter who only sees the end result, a baby, & considers no one else’s feelings. Yes, the ability to not be able to ‘carry’ your own child is devastating but to treat not only your mother but husband, sister & father so terribly didn’t sit well with me, at all. She was more than happy for her mother to risk her life to carry a child for her but her attitude & list of rules was deplorable.
Even when Ruth’s life was in danger Lauren could only think about her ‘child’. It was obvious she was jealous of her mother for having the child & the feeling I got was that the divide between mother & daughter would always be there between them ultimately because of the sacrifice Ruth had made but her daughters bitterness overrode everything.
In hindsight it would’ve been easier if Ruth had not chosen to be her daughters surrogate as it left relationships strained between family members.
An interesting read that makes you think about the choices we make, often in order to help others & what the ramifications often are by making those choices.
April 26, 2021
Who would have thought that a book with the title ‘Surrogate’ could be a thriller? Gripping and a page-turner, the reader is constantly on tenterhooks wondering what will happen next.
Susan Spindler’s first novel, published only a few weeks ago on April 1st, 2021 has already captured the attention of thousands of readers.
A mother, Ruth, decides at the age of 54 to act as a surrogate for her daughter who, after many attempts, is told by the doctors never to get pregnant again. Ruth’s decision is received with mixed feelings, but, because of her age, it is the last chance for Ruth to go through with the process. She is absolutely determined not to let anyone throw obstacles in her way and this sets up the plot full of unexpected twists.
Surrogate surprised me with its rich narrative, gripping plot, and Tolstoy-like characters. For weeks after reading the book I found myself reflecting on the protagonists – no one is flawless, and each one can shock. Although some have criticised the more detailed medical discussions in the early chapters, they made me understand the complications that could arise in Ruth’s decision. I find myself in great empathy with her.
Susan Spindler’s first novel, published only a few weeks ago on April 1st, 2021 has already captured the attention of thousands of readers.
A mother, Ruth, decides at the age of 54 to act as a surrogate for her daughter who, after many attempts, is told by the doctors never to get pregnant again. Ruth’s decision is received with mixed feelings, but, because of her age, it is the last chance for Ruth to go through with the process. She is absolutely determined not to let anyone throw obstacles in her way and this sets up the plot full of unexpected twists.
Surrogate surprised me with its rich narrative, gripping plot, and Tolstoy-like characters. For weeks after reading the book I found myself reflecting on the protagonists – no one is flawless, and each one can shock. Although some have criticised the more detailed medical discussions in the early chapters, they made me understand the complications that could arise in Ruth’s decision. I find myself in great empathy with her.
April 16, 2021
A bold, taboo-breaking book which is also a pacy page-turner. Susan Spindler in her first novel Surrogate takes on many themes: mother-daughter relationships; family lies and secrets; post-menopausal sexuality among them.
Ruth Furnival is in her mid-fifties, a successful TV producer and mum, wife… but so far not a grandmother. Her daughter Lauren has had successive miscarriages. With care and thought, Ruth decides to offer her own body as the vessel for her daughter’s baby. In doing so, she ponders about the invisibility of post-menopausal women, which is something not often debated but which many older women share. How did we suddenly become the unseen ones, blotted out by grey hair and sagging bodies? And do we really need constant validation of our being, never mind our sexuality?
Spindler handles these difficult but fascinating topics with engaging care as we follow Ruth’s memories of her younger self, her marriage to Adam and her daughters Lauren and Alex.
But then the story rapidly shifts away from the comfort of flapjack warmly baking in the family’s Hammersmith kitchen to the cold precision of the stages of surrogacy: preparation for pregnancy with hormones to reawaken Ruth’s womb and reproductive ability; the moment of the insertion of the fertilised embryo – Lauren and her husband Dan’s; and then a momentous journey with twists and unexpected turns.
This is not an easy story to tell because it requires Ruth to examine her own motives in wanting to bear her daughter’s child – is it simply altruism, or are there other triggers from her past that bring her to this? As she makes the journey, Ruth has glimpses of her younger self which colour her views on her surrogacy, her daughters – especially Lauren; her work, and her relationship with Adam. Spindler keeps a firm hand on the story but never loses the pace. Fiction it may be, but there are many bells that will chime with women (and men) of all ages. TW
Ruth Furnival is in her mid-fifties, a successful TV producer and mum, wife… but so far not a grandmother. Her daughter Lauren has had successive miscarriages. With care and thought, Ruth decides to offer her own body as the vessel for her daughter’s baby. In doing so, she ponders about the invisibility of post-menopausal women, which is something not often debated but which many older women share. How did we suddenly become the unseen ones, blotted out by grey hair and sagging bodies? And do we really need constant validation of our being, never mind our sexuality?
Spindler handles these difficult but fascinating topics with engaging care as we follow Ruth’s memories of her younger self, her marriage to Adam and her daughters Lauren and Alex.
But then the story rapidly shifts away from the comfort of flapjack warmly baking in the family’s Hammersmith kitchen to the cold precision of the stages of surrogacy: preparation for pregnancy with hormones to reawaken Ruth’s womb and reproductive ability; the moment of the insertion of the fertilised embryo – Lauren and her husband Dan’s; and then a momentous journey with twists and unexpected turns.
This is not an easy story to tell because it requires Ruth to examine her own motives in wanting to bear her daughter’s child – is it simply altruism, or are there other triggers from her past that bring her to this? As she makes the journey, Ruth has glimpses of her younger self which colour her views on her surrogacy, her daughters – especially Lauren; her work, and her relationship with Adam. Spindler keeps a firm hand on the story but never loses the pace. Fiction it may be, but there are many bells that will chime with women (and men) of all ages. TW
May 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, it was very gripping and kept you guessing right until the end. The characters and settings were vivid and I can see this as a movie, however the characters were selfish, self obsessed and impossible to like. I listened to this on Audible and wished I had read it on a hard copy. The narration was by Juliet Stevenson, who, whilst having a great voice, gave one of the characters a Yorkshire accent even though he was from Birmingham ! This irritated me. Definitely better to get a hard copy of this title.
June 9, 2021
Forensic, compelling account of one family's foray into surrogacy. When menopausal mum Ruth offers to carry a baby for daughter Lauren, will it end in tears? Packed with enough emotional punch to keep you guessing until the very end. A real page-turner, but also offers some absorbing insights into the reproductive cycle and its impact on the various stages of a woman's life.
May 15, 2024
What starts off as a good deed is so much more complex… this book is so well written, loved the characters and could really get a sense of each of their feelings, points of view and reactions… a real page turner!! One of the best books I have read.
August 17, 2021
Read in two days - very much a page turner! Felt quite predictable and didn’t really like any of the characters but enjoyed reading
December 31, 2025
3.5! couldn’t imagine having a baby or volunteering to have a baby for someone else at 21 let alone 54
April 17, 2021
Surrogate was a fascinating yet uncomfortable read. When Ruth’s daughter Lauren, finds she is unable to have a child after many rounds of IVF and multiple miscarriages, Ruth wonders if she can be a surrogate for her and her husband Dan. Finding at 54 she is at the very upper age limit of being able to be a surrogate in the UK, her and Lauren rush to find a consultant who is willing to do the procedure, keeping it a secret from her husband fearing he would not allow it.
Isn’t it the ultimate gift to be able to have a child for someone else? Ruth understandably feels pretty good about herself but soon begins to resent being made to feel like nothing more than an incubator. As the book goes on, she starts to resent her daughter and the way she feels controlled by her. And I wondered what her motives were for wanting to help Lauren. She certainly seems to enjoy the effect the hormones has on her face and body, making her look younger. Lauren on the flip side feels inadequate for not being able to have a baby and although she is overjoyed that her mum is able to carry a baby for her she can’t help the nagging feeling that something could still got wrong.
Surrogate really intrigued me. Being not that far off in age to the main character Ruth, it made me consider my feelings about how I felt about surrogacy and if it was something I could do for someone. I enjoyed being pregnant and had no problems during my pregnancies and I’d like to think it would be something I could do. But I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that I would be able to hand the baby over at the end. Would it be easier or harder to still be a part of the babies life?
An utterly addictive read, I loved Surrogate. Full of not particularly pleasant characters, my feelings regularly switched between whom I thought was being unreasonable. An impressive debut that tackles an interesting topic that I have never read about before, this is highly recommended by me!
Isn’t it the ultimate gift to be able to have a child for someone else? Ruth understandably feels pretty good about herself but soon begins to resent being made to feel like nothing more than an incubator. As the book goes on, she starts to resent her daughter and the way she feels controlled by her. And I wondered what her motives were for wanting to help Lauren. She certainly seems to enjoy the effect the hormones has on her face and body, making her look younger. Lauren on the flip side feels inadequate for not being able to have a baby and although she is overjoyed that her mum is able to carry a baby for her she can’t help the nagging feeling that something could still got wrong.
Surrogate really intrigued me. Being not that far off in age to the main character Ruth, it made me consider my feelings about how I felt about surrogacy and if it was something I could do for someone. I enjoyed being pregnant and had no problems during my pregnancies and I’d like to think it would be something I could do. But I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that I would be able to hand the baby over at the end. Would it be easier or harder to still be a part of the babies life?
An utterly addictive read, I loved Surrogate. Full of not particularly pleasant characters, my feelings regularly switched between whom I thought was being unreasonable. An impressive debut that tackles an interesting topic that I have never read about before, this is highly recommended by me!
April 24, 2021
It's been a long time since I bought a book that I really couldn't put down. As cliched as it might sound I was literally “up all night” and read it in two sittings, apart from a few hours sleep in between. For once here's a book that delivers everything the reviews promise it will.
The characters are beautifully drawn, the relationship between the main character and her husband is superb, and the plot is so true to life, there’s never that disappointing “that would never happen moment”. Its a really, really good read, pick up a copy or virtual copy now!
The characters are beautifully drawn, the relationship between the main character and her husband is superb, and the plot is so true to life, there’s never that disappointing “that would never happen moment”. Its a really, really good read, pick up a copy or virtual copy now!
April 17, 2021
I was hooked from the outset. Ruth is a compelling driven character and at times ruthless in her bid to achieve her goal to help her daughter Lauren have a child of her own. The result threatens to shatter the framework of family life as Ruth's deception with husband Adam and ambivalence towards Lauren as her own ageing body changes. Will recommend to my book club and look forward to reading more from Susan Spindler.
April 8, 2021
This utterly engrossing domestic thriller tells the story of Ruth, a 54 year old TV executive who seemingly has it all: successful, interesting career, great husband, lovely home, two wonderful daughters. But something is missing: long past menopause, Ruth realises that she is becoming invisible as she ages, and finds that she minds this. After her eldest daughter, Lauren, has another in a long line of miscarriages, Ruth makes the ultimate altruistic offer: she will be a surrogate for her daughter. But the experience also offers benefits for Ruth. It seems to put her ‘back on the map’; she finds her body blooming again, she feels sexy again, and as if she is important, relevant. For Lauren, who is desperate to be pregnant herself, this process is very difficult to witness, and things quickly start to unravel.
This is a hugely enjoyable book which I had to slow myself down to read. The writing is exceptional and very moving. It made me think about womanhood, motherhood, and consider aspects of these states I had never really given much thought of as a premenopausal woman! But it also offers insight into family relationships in general, with an interesting, unusual marriage at its centre and heartbreakingly recognisable depictions of parent-child relationships.
This is a hugely enjoyable book which I had to slow myself down to read. The writing is exceptional and very moving. It made me think about womanhood, motherhood, and consider aspects of these states I had never really given much thought of as a premenopausal woman! But it also offers insight into family relationships in general, with an interesting, unusual marriage at its centre and heartbreakingly recognisable depictions of parent-child relationships.
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