In a Single Moment

by Imogen Clark

From million-copy bestselling author Imogen Clark comes a story of two families, two babies and one maddeningly hot day that will change their lives forever. It’s the hottest day of the 1976 heatwave and there’s not a breath of fresh air in the labour ward at Lincoln County Hospital. Michelle is having her fourth child, a girl, while beloved husband Dean is sipping a cold pint in the pub. Their little house is already bursting at the seams, but Michelle is sure they’ll find a way to stretch their budget and continue life as a blissfully chaotic happy family. They name their new baby Donna. In the next bed, exhausted and wearing a perfectly impractical lace-trimmed white nightgown, Sylvie has just given birth to her first child at forty and wants to sleep, while her oblivious husband Jeremy hovers and suggests he sketch this ‘perfect moment’. The midwife thinks she’ll feel more like bonding with her baby when she’s had some rest, but Sylvie isn’t so sure. She and Jeremy call their daughter Leonora. When the two little girls are taken to their respective homes, the date of their birth seems to be the only thing to connect them. But one day, years in the future, their paths will cross again when Michelle comes looking for Sylvie―because something happened that blistering hot day, something they both deserve answers to…

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Family, Contemporary, Historical, Book Club

Audio CD

First published November 9, 2023

About the author

Internationally bestselling author Imogen Clark has sold over one million books. She writes contemporary fiction about families and secrets. Her books have topped Amazon storewide charts eight times and her third book, Where the Story Starts, was shortlisted in the UK for Contemporary Romantic Novel of the year 2020.

Imogen initially qualified as a lawyer but after leaving her legal career behind to care for her four children, she returned to her first love - books. She went back to University, studying English Literature part-time whilst the children were at school. It was a short step from there to writing novels.

Imogen's great love is travel and she is always planning her next adventure. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and children.

If you'd like to connect then please visit her website at www.imogenclark.com where you can sign up to her monthly newsletter. Imogen can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as Imogen Clark Author.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been 4 stars but it really bothered me that the whole book suggests that when poor people have children they are genetically predisposed to be problematic in attitude and ability.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two mothers give birth to daughters on the same day. 

One mother gives birth to her first child,
the other mother gives birth to her fourth child.

One mother is educated and affluent,
the other mother is not.

Both mothers share the same hospital room.

From the moment the mother of four brings home her newborn daughter, she is convinced that the baby is not hers.

Were the two baby girls accidentally switched at birth in the chaotic hospital nursery?

This compelling domestic drama profiles both women and their daughters, from birth to late adolescence.

Although the mother of four continually questions whether her baby daughter is her biological child, a DNA test is never performed.   (Huh?)

The book was well-paced and character-driven.

Unlike "Playing Nice" by JP Delaney, this "Was My Baby Swapped at the Nursery?" book was void of sinister tones.

I listened to the audiobook read by Bronwen Price.   

Although Brownwen Price did a superb job with the narration, the book would have benefited from two narrators since it was told from two POVs.

This is my first Imogen Clark book and I will definitely be reading more books by this talented author.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. This book seemed soooo long! I was only a little bit into the book when I started reading reviews, and I should have quit while I was ahead. The storyline seemed intriguing though, and the audio book was well done, so I continued to listen.

I didn't hate the book, I enjoyed the characters and the chaotic life the White family lived, but this book was just too drawn out. When reading the description, the author makes you believe that the book is about the two girls switched at birth and how it's resolved, but in reality that only happens in the last 15-20% of the book! That was really frustrating for me because I wish they would have just gotten on with it.

I would also agree with the reviews that mentioned how unfair it was to assume that because the Whites we a less wealthy family, that means their children would naturally be chaotic and not very productive. That only because they carried another family's genes they were bright. Doesn't seem to be an accurate representation.

[Shelby Bowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew a book from a kindle ad would be a 5 star read? Absolutely loved everything about this book. I wasn’t sure how the author was going to end it, but I’m happy with the direction this book went.

[Leah Wolff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basically read the blurb and not much else happens :)

[Bethany Kenney · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed to just drag on and on. The narrator was great. The story just seemed so whiny at times. Like come on with it already. It wasn’t as twisty and turny since the main idea was the only main idea and you knew the whole time.

[Deborah Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe because I was adopted at birth and later met my birth mother and half brother, I found this book a compelling read on many levels. Two women give birth on the same day in neighbouring beds, two baby girls go home and grow up. But all similarities quickly end. One girl goes home to a lower middle class home which is already filled with three noisy siblings and the other to the quiet home of two artistic, well-educated and well-off parents. Their upbringings couldn't be more different, and yet there is a link between these families that must be revealed in the end. I enjoyed seeing the personalities of the four parents emerge, watching Donna and Leonora grow up, so different and yet connected by an unbreakable bond. What makes a family, who is a mother or a father for that matter? Is it nature or is it nurture? lMany children wonder what their lives would be like if they were raised by different families, here's one interpretation and a good read too.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story line and it would of been a 5 star read except I felt that it was dragged out for waaaaaaay to long.

[Meegy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a book with a storyline like this one, I was waiting for the hammer to fall. The big horrible thing. This was such a well written book, and made me feel all the feelings. Highly recommend.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much rehashing of the same information/ideas throughout the book. Stereotypically predictable characters.

[Sophia Ventura · Rating 3 out of 5]

good plot but like ? could have done way more with it

[Marianne Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was debating whether to give 4 or 5 stars. Enjoyed the book (first book I’ve read by this author) Ending was a little strange

[Lynsey Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing ‘what if’ story. The ache of a mother knowing something isn’t right. No one believes her. Until it all unravels and then what do you do? You could really feel the confusion Michelle was experiencing. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute chick lit book very similar to Jojo Moyes….British, family drama, humorous, nice ending. 3.5

[Annmarie Sabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good read. The book makes you think about nature vs. nurture and how our upbringings may/may not shape us. It also made me wonder how I would feel in this potential switched at birth situation. There wasn’t anything earth shattering or shocking about the book, and some of it felt repetitive and dragged on so that’s why it’s a 3 for me.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
quite liked this one for something that was a kindle ad! good plot (if not a little too long for what it was), even better ending :) i really liked how the author would use different sorts of vocab and structure based on each character’s social standing and education level. taking off half a star only because i can’t stand super short chapters like this why does a 380 page book need to have 70 chapters PLS STOP if it was a paper book it would be even worse
would read more from the author though as long as she doesn’t carry on that habit ;)

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a single moment by Imogen Clark

This really happened but this story is fiction.

What if?

On a hot day in 1976 Michelle gives birth to her 4th child, a little baby girl. Donna is the baby's name.

In the same room new mother Sylvie has her baby daughter, Leonora.

Michelle is comfortable with motherhood since she has four children now, while first time relcutant mother Sylvie, is struggling.

Part of the book focuses on Michelle and her family. Her husband Dean is not really present much. She notices that Donna is different, she is calm and happy while her other 3 children were louder and fussier as babies.
Michelle just can't shake a nagging feeling about Donna. She brings it up and the professionals just dismiss it.

Dean doesn't necessarily belive Michelle either.

I really felt for Michelle with her struggles and doubts.

I wasn't aware that this actually happened it is not total fiction, but the fictionalized story was compelling and gripping.

To think this could and did happen is unsettling.

I won't really say what the "secret thing" is but it kept me reading until the book was finished.

People who like family stories, dramas and emotional reads will enjoy this book.

The author is a favorite of mine as well.

so 4*** highly recommended.

---I acquired the book via Kindle Unlimited.

[Abi Foxhall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very predictable with zero twists or turns

[Sorcha Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

The climax comes in the last 30 pages or less. It’s a story of nothing in my opinion.

[ruthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)

There’s something about quiet books that still manage to crack your heart wide open—In a Single Moment is exactly that kind of read. It doesn’t scream; it simmers. And somewhere around the 80% mark, I realized how deeply this story had nestled into me.

This novel explores the ripple effects of a single, life-altering event—and how it can unveil not just past regrets, but deep-rooted truths about identity, belonging, and family legacy. It’s about what we inherit from our parents, and what we choose to carry or cast off. But more importantly, it’s about the lives we could have lived—those alternate timelines we quietly grieve without ever acknowledging.

There’s a specific passage about a girl who, despite the lack of access to prestigious education, still managed to thrive with her A levels. And your reaction hit me in the gut: “Thinking what could have been with different parents… Had I been her daughter, would I have not been so sick now?” That right there? That is the emotional epicenter of this book. It’s not about plot twists or dramatic reveals—it’s about the small, quiet devastations we carry. The what-ifs. The near-misses. The yearning for a life we were never given a chance to live.

Another line that stood out was, “For her, the sense of belonging that they all seemed to share had been missing.” That pervasive loneliness—being surrounded by others but always slightly out of sync—is one of the book’s most profound emotional themes. And it’s written with such subtlety that you don’t even notice how much it’s hurting you until you’re sitting in that silence too.

Imogen Clark does a fantastic job layering grief, longing, and self-discovery across generations of women. She avoids melodrama in favor of emotional realism. It’s almost therapeutic the way she allows characters to sit in their discomfort, to process things slowly, and not always neatly. There’s healing in the mess, and this book gives it room.

It’s not perfect—there are occasional pacing lulls and some dialogue that felt more like scaffolding than story—but overall, it’s an intimate exploration of the long game of personal healing. You walk away from it not necessarily feeling better, but feeling seen.

If you’ve ever looked back on your childhood and wondered how much of your pain could have been avoided—if you’d been raised differently, loved differently, believed in more—then In a Single Moment will resonate like a quiet echo in your bones.

🕊️ Recommended for: introspective readers, adult children of emotionally absent households, lovers of generational storytelling, and anyone currently reckoning with the version of themselves they might have been in a safer world.

[Jilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. I got hooked and had to read it in one go. I loved the characters and the story is just so poignant. LOVED it.

****************************

It’s the hottest day of the 1976 heatwave and there’s not a breath of fresh air in the labour ward at Lincoln County Hospital. Michelle is having her fourth child, a girl, while beloved husband Dean is sipping a cold pint in the pub. Their little house is already bursting at the seams, but Michelle is sure they’ll find a way to stretch their budget and continue life as a blissfully chaotic happy family. They name their new baby Donna.

In the next bed, exhausted and wearing a perfectly impractical lace-trimmed white nightgown, Sylvie has just given birth to her first child at forty and wants to sleep, while her oblivious husband Jeremy hovers and suggests he sketch this ‘perfect moment’. The midwife thinks she’ll feel more like bonding with her baby when she’s had some rest, but Sylvie isn’t so sure. She and Jeremy call their daughter Leonora.

When the two little girls are taken to their respective homes, the date of their birth seems to be the only thing to connect them. But one day, years in the future, their paths will cross again when Michelle comes looking for Sylvie—because something happened that blistering hot day, something they both deserve answers to…

[Maddie Gaskin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many interesting thoughts on maternal mental health and the nature vs nurture aspect of parenting. I found this intriguing and thought provoking. The story line is fairly simple, but the way commentary on post-partum and child rearing is woven into the story line is incredible. My only problem is that the way the families are set up and portrayed leans into the stereotypes that affluent families are predisposed to have smart, quiet, and respectful kids while poor families are genetically destined to have difficult children. Likely this is another way to highlight the nature vs nurture debate, but it felt best into me.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have been a solid 4 star read for me, but the ending, particularly the last two chapters, left me disappointed. It felt rushed, and I just wanted a little more.

That said, I really enjoyed the story. It was full of complicated human emotions, and the author did a really good job portraying each character in a realistic and believable way. Especially for the time period that the story is based.

And I felt that the pacing was good for this story, allowing the story to unfold naturally. Giving us everything through all the POV’s.

[Amanda Sexton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was chosen for my book club, and it was an interesting read. The premise caught my attention right away, but the middle dragged a bit for me.

I liked how the author set up the voices of her characters, they reflected their views on the plot….and I liked how not all of the main characters were given a voice, as it led to tension at the end. The conclusion was slightly predictable, but it was still good, and I liked the last chapter the best.

There wasn’t much that was objectionable. I would probably read other books by this author.

[Jessicawallbank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this but I’m only giving it 3 stars because the archetypes annoyed me. Every character was stereotyped and I didn’t enjoy the whole children of poorer people being genetically more stupid and problematic but it did make the baby swap narrative more interesting when you got to know the two girls as they were growing up. The plot literally writes itself all you have to do it read the blurb and know what’s happening. But one thing I will take away is it has unlocked a new fear in me.

[Valerie Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Imogen Clark books. Her books are always based on family dynamics which always makes for an interesting story. This one was based on a possible hospital baby swap and what the implications can be if it occurs. I love the author’s characters in this book. They all have a uniqueness about them that gives different points of view to each character showing the reader that there are many ways to handle such a tragedy.

[Pernilla Lindholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book that was easy to read and had a big heart. It’s about two families who had babies on the same day. One of the mothers is sure there has been a mix-up at the hospital and that the mothers brought the wrong girls home, but the staff doesn’t believe her. Was it a swap? And how can you find out without harming your child?

[Melanie Edens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting treatment of the “nature vs nurture” conundrum. I loved both of the daughters in question, but was a little perplexed by some of the kids’ (siblings from the working class family) behavior because it was so extremely over the top.
Overall I liked the resolution, and the audiobook is excellent.

[Amanda Winsor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did not leave you guessing. The reader knew from the start what likely was the final reveal. It was a quick read with no surprises. I enjoyed it for its simplicity and to think again on nature vs nurture.

[Gillian Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting

I liked the plot and the characters were realistic enough . A bit repetitive in places, (Michelle’s worries , Sylvia’s hand wringing about her bad mothering) A little obvious sometimes but held my attention till the end.
All together an entertaining few nights reading