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B-Mother
Hillary Birdsong’s idyllic New England childhood is brought to a sudden halt by the death of her beloved older brother. Brokenhearted and emotionally abandoned by her mother, Hillary consoles herself with city boy Miles, and at sixteen finds herself pregnant and a shame to her family. With few choices available to her—her parents won’t help her raise the child and the baby’s father doesn’t offer any support—she gives her baby boy up for adoption. Hillary endures the next eighteen years anticipating the day her natural-born son can legally contact her.
A touching portrait of a broken family, the effects of an adolescent’s life-altering decision, and survival after the ravages of devastating loss, B-Mother is an exquisitely realized drama featuring a cast of characters you won’t soon forget.
A touching portrait of a broken family, the effects of an adolescent’s life-altering decision, and survival after the ravages of devastating loss, B-Mother is an exquisitely realized drama featuring a cast of characters you won’t soon forget.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published February 5, 2007
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108 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 2, 2019
I read this in two days, the book doesn't go very deep into any of the characters really but the writing is beautiful. The scenes where she gives the baby up are painful and the aftermath of her waiting to hear from her son is not what I expected but I enjoyed it anyway. More like 3.5 stars.
September 3, 2007
This book is nicely written, but I had to put it down for awhile when it got to the part where the protagonist had to physically relinquish her baby to his adoptive parents. The author did an excellent job of conveying the anguish, but it was almost more than I could stand. I crept into my son's room and stared at him for awhile until I felt better, then returned to the book. This is a good book, but don't read it if you're feeling emotionally fragile at the time!
February 19, 2008
A really, really good book about what the birth mother goes through in the process of adoption and waiting until her baby is 18 and able to contact her. Set in the 70's when girls were pretty much forced to give up their babies because it was a disgrace to their family, it followed the emotions of one girl and how she was never really the same, a piece of her was missing. Great book!
September 30, 2017
Ci sono quasi tutti gli ingredienti perché questo libro ti rivolti come un calzino, soprattutto se sei donna, ed è un vero peccato che ne manchi completamente uno: la profondità. Pochissima analisi della protagonista, totalmente assente la caratterizzazione dei personaggi di contorno, che finiscono per ridursi a macchiette buono/cattivo. Un autentico peccato.
March 31, 2023
I enjoyed it. As a mom, I felt I could connect although I didn't go through what Hillary went through. It was heartfelt and had me in tears. I enjoyed every character. Shell def is a good best friend!
June 6, 2018
I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Full of emotion and love. I just can't explain how much I loved this book.
October 9, 2018
This book had gorgeous writing that made it impossible to put down. I was so invested in the protagonist’s situation and was rewarded with a rich, emotionally complex, and nuanced story.
April 10, 2016
A teenage girl, Hillary, gets pregnant to her summer boyfriend. He wants her to get rid of it. Her parents refuse to help, and send her off to a home for unwed mothers. Hillary gives her baby boy Tom up for adoption, with the condition that she is sent a letter each year on his birthday. Hillary goes back to her hometown, finishes high school and college. She ends up in a coastal town, waiting out the years til her son is eighteen and he can contact her.
This book was a bit slow to gain my interest. About a quarter in, I started to get into it, but then it just seemed to trail on and felt kind of lacklustre. Looking back after I finished the book, it felt superficial. The characters weren't very fleshed out, I couldn't get a clear picture of what they were like. The majority of the book the main character seems to spend in limbo, no career or serious relationship, her only purpose is to wait for the yearly letter from the adoptive mother of her son, and the eventual contact from her son when he is eighteen. The side-story of the death of Hillary's older brother, and the moment she finds out the true details is an anti-climax. I didn't feel any emotion to the revelation.
When Hillary and her son Tom do make contact, it's kind of a let-down. There is no detailed conversation/explanation between the two of them, they just fumble their way into a relationship - Hillary because it has been her only desire for the past eighteen years, and Tom out of curiosity/sense of obligation toward his birth mother.
The premise of the book was interesting, but ultimately it was an average read.
This book was a bit slow to gain my interest. About a quarter in, I started to get into it, but then it just seemed to trail on and felt kind of lacklustre. Looking back after I finished the book, it felt superficial. The characters weren't very fleshed out, I couldn't get a clear picture of what they were like. The majority of the book the main character seems to spend in limbo, no career or serious relationship, her only purpose is to wait for the yearly letter from the adoptive mother of her son, and the eventual contact from her son when he is eighteen. The side-story of the death of Hillary's older brother, and the moment she finds out the true details is an anti-climax. I didn't feel any emotion to the revelation.
When Hillary and her son Tom do make contact, it's kind of a let-down. There is no detailed conversation/explanation between the two of them, they just fumble their way into a relationship - Hillary because it has been her only desire for the past eighteen years, and Tom out of curiosity/sense of obligation toward his birth mother.
The premise of the book was interesting, but ultimately it was an average read.
April 11, 2011
i LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!! I have a 4 month old daughter an this book literally made me tear up. an everytime it got to a sad part i had to put it down an look at her and think about how I would feel if I had to give her up for adoption. I too am a young mother prenant at 19 20 by delievery an I loved my pregnancy. The author was able to describe so well all the things that this girl was going through. DEFINITE read!!!
April 21, 2008
Amazing story about a teen girl who becomes pregnant and decides to give her beloved baby up for adoption. This book actually made me cry the characters and emotions were so well developed. The story was so realistic I couldn’t help but wonder if the author had a similar experience. A fantastic first book.
August 12, 2008
This is a great read with strong characters and a broad story arc. The domestic adoption experience from the birth mother's perspective is rendered in perfect detail however painful it must be. The story flows seamlessly into the later years of the once-teen b-mother. Highly recommended as a Great Read!
June 24, 2011
A seemingly honest portrayal of the pain that comes from bad decisions, especially youth sex. Really enjoyed first half and appreciated that it didn't sugarcoat the effects, but stopped reading in the middle when the main character wasn't learning from her mistakes and kept slipping further off the deep end.
September 24, 2007
One of the best novels I've ever read about the birth parent experience. I couldn't put it down.
For the rest of my review, please visit adoptionblogs.
For the rest of my review, please visit adoptionblogs.
October 22, 2007
I picked out this book randomly from the library shelves, and actually really enjoyed it. It's about adoption! I thought it was a pretty good portrail of a birth mother and adoptive parents and their experiences with the process of adoption.
November 13, 2007
A rare view of what it could be like to give up a child for adoption, when you find yourself 16 and pregnant. The mindset of the young woman in this novel is amazing. It leaves bits and pieces, but overall is a good read.
January 15, 2008
This story follows a pregnant teenager as she gives her baby up for adoption. Sure, it sounds like a tear-jerker, but it's really not. Pretty well-written but the story spans about 18 years even though it seems as though it feels as though time never elapses. OK but I wouldn't run out to get it.
June 24, 2011
Wow, this was hard to read. The author does an excellent job of writing a portrait of grief so real that is smacks you in the face. I felt like the end was trite... ok very trite... which is the only reason this is not five stars.
April 3, 2015
Hmmm. Interesting story and I truly felt for the main character, frustrating to watch her life dribble by as she waited, waited, waited. Didn't find other characters were so easy to relate to. A good read but only that.
July 24, 2007
Looks like a skinny little book but is actually quite good. Very touching story for anyone who has children of their own. Some parts brought me near tears.
October 1, 2007
It seems like it was well written, but I couldn't finish it.
January 19, 2008
This is a beautifully written story about a 16-year-old girl's decision to place her baby for adoption. It's a very touching and eye-opening book, and an easy read as well.
March 12, 2008
It was pretty good - kind of depressing for most of it.
June 26, 2008
As a mother this is a heart wrenching read, I cried at least 3 times. A good read if you want to reconfirm how much you love being a mom.
March 24, 2009
While the plot of this book was actually decent, it wasn't even close to worth it to wade through all the language and sexuality that it contained. Not worth your time.
March 27, 2010
what life is like after giving up your child for adoption and what it was like to go into a home for unwed mothers to spare your family the shame that goes with it
April 20, 2011
Emotionally unrelenting, which is actually a good thing.
May 27, 2012
Really good story. I sympathize with anyone who would have to go through the same thing.
August 7, 2014
The character of Hillary was frustrating at times, but overall I really liked this book. a very interesting view of adoption from the birth mother's perspective.
March 10, 2016
Wonderfully written story of a teenager in the 70s who gives up her child for adoption, and then spends her life always wondering about him. Not treacly, not controversial, very touching.
January 17, 2012
Fabulous.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews