Pretty Baby

Got sucked into this story quickly and thought (at first) it was going to be really good. Then, it just went into a downward spiral. It seemed to me that Heidi just became a stone cold nut out of nowhere. I ended up having no sympathy for her and felt bad for Chris. I didn’t feel bad for Willow (I must be a terrible person) and Zoe was a brat, too. I thought I was mad at seeing “ochre bruise” too many times but mad is mild compared to the annoyance I felt at seeing the word scream or screaming. 93 times at my count.

A poignant and heart wrenching story written from three points of view. Heidi, a compassionate and dedicated professional (her husband refers to her as a bleeding heart) who works with refugees seeking asylum, Chris her hard-working and somewhat philosophical husband and Willow, the girl with the baby.

Heidi’s story is complex and poignant and we learn early on the reasons why her heart goes out to the girl at the train station, whose clothes are too big and who carries a wailing baby. Heidi studies the girl and the baby and she can’t help seeing the tragic comparisons in her own life, but she fails to see the truth in Willow’s. You want to shake Heidi a few times though the book because although she takes Willow and the baby in, she appears to be completely oblivious to the needs of Zoe, her own daughter. Zoe is going through that typical pre-teen crisis, zero communication which if it happens at all is limited to one-word sentences, confirming how incredibly stupid her mother is.

Chris also feels ignore by his wife and there is an office distraction which leads to a passive flirtation. His character arc is slow to build because most of his chapters question Heidi’s behavior rather than address it without concrete proof that anything could possibly be the matter. About the half-way mark, he decides to do some research of his own, after all, Heidi is demonstrating irrational feelings towards the baby, almost to the point of possessiveness.

Heidi, on the other hand, sees the baby through compassionate eyes. Ruby needs help. She has infections and needs to see a doctor. But things don’t stop there. Deeper layers form deeper fractures as each life is examined from past to the present day. We don’t know Willow’s past and what has brought her to the Wood’s home. Why she won’t breastfeed her baby and yet the infant is in clearly the habit of suckling. Willow’s story is so heartrending and unpredictable, a humility born out of fear and false teachings, you never know what will happen and how things will enfold as she tells her story to a social worker, someone who seems to think Willow’s story is a lie.

While Chris watches almost from the sidelines, gathering what information he can through a PI and through his own internet searches, Heidi’s story begins to unravel, her tragic past almost as desperate as Willow’s.

To say this book is beautifully written would be an understatement. It’s pure magic. Not often do I find a book that has that certain something and makes me want to read until the early hours. I was hooked. Desperate to know the truth about all parties because you care deeply for Heidi and for Willow. This book will be one of many I will enjoy by this fabulous author for years to come.

Thank you to the author and to the publisher for providing such a fabulous story which I hastily made bought for my book collection.

The storylines was a bit of a stretch and the husband was clueless, but a good fast-paced read.

Another stunner from Kubica, who has mastered the art of letting you think you know what’s going on up until she reveals the truth you should have seen all along. This may be my favorite of hers — I was genuinely surprised to realize what I should have, and didn’t, question about these characters as I breathlessly followed their stories. Beautifully done.

This is a book that is hard to put down!

I thought I had it all figured out…I was wrong! Page turner