Fertility Issues and More
(NOTE: Some of the links in this blog are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase on Amazon. Thank you for supporting my writing in this manner. More details here.)
*****
I like books by Anna Quindlen and this one is no exception. It is the story of Polly Goodman Bailey and her many concerns in life.
First and foremost, she and her husband, Mark Bailey, have been struggling with fertility issues for four years. He is a large-animal vet at the Bronx Zoo. He has inseminated many an animal at the zoo, but this is an entirely new challenge for him.
Polly is also the daughter of Jack and Mary Goodman. In an almost stereotypical way, she adores her dad and does not get along with her mom. Complicating these issues are the facts that her dad is declining cognitively and lives in a facility while the mom is a judge. As Polly’s friend who is a therapist says, “Well, that’s an interesting wrinkle, therapeutically. A judge.”
And speaking of friends, there is a friends group, a book club, where the agreed upon game plan is to pick a book, and get together because of the book, but never to read the book.
In that group of friends one special friend stands out, Sarah. A side story about her is very compelling. As is this question she sometimes asks Polly when Polly is talking about a problem, “Do you want ears or mouth?” No, Sarah is not the therapist in the group, just a dear friend who understands sometimes we want someone to listen and other times we want someone to give advice.
Another good listener for Polly is her brother, Garrison.
I should also mention that Polly teaches English at a high school, so folks who love to read will enjoy being “in class” with Polly as she talks about Jane Austen, etc. And everyone will share her concern over a couple of the students.
And if all of this is not enough, Polly takes a DNA test as a lark and is shocked to hear from a young woman named Talia Burton, who seems to be a relative.
All of these elements made for a compelling novel and I loved it!
But then something odd happened. The next book I picked up to read had a very similar story. Specifically, in both books a woman had fertility problems. Both women adored their dads and were conflicted over their moms. In both cases, the dads had a major illness. And in both books a previous marriage or love interest adds a key element to the book. In Quindlen’s book, it’s Polly’s first husband, Benedict, who impacts the story, in the other book, it’s the return of a long-lost boyfriend.
The name of the second book is Once and Again by Rebecca Serle. And though it shares these common features, it stands alone in that Rebecca Serle writes Magical Realism. The female lead in this book is Lauren and she – and the other women in her family – have a magic ticket that allows them one do-over in life. They can turn back the hands of time to erase some part of their history that is troubling.
Both books were very good, but reading them back to back scrambled my brain and therefor spoiled my enjoyment of both. It is hard to keep straight and remember which elements were in which book. So please do consider reading these novels – but not one after the other!
*****
Click here to learn more about More Than Enough on Amazon
*****
Click here to join the Book Lovers Club. I post about three dozen book reviews a year. If you would like to receive them as I write them, please join the Club.
*****
If you like my writing, I hope you will check out my new book, Chai on Life. It contains 36 slice-of-life stories ranging in topics from belly fat to Billy Joel. It is available wherever books are sold and on Amazon. There is even a companion journal for you to write the stories of your life.
Chai on Life is available in 3 formats: Hard Back, Kindle, and AudioBook.
*****
And one last thing! Amazon has named me an Influencer (!!!!) and invited me to open a Storefront. You will find lots of my favorite things there including fun gifts for people who love to read. Check it out!
Leave a Reply