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A review by noveldeelights
The Lost Child by Emily Gunnis
The Lost Child is a story that seamlessly switches between events in the present and the past, all the while touching on some extremely tough topics like postnatal depression or psychosis, war neurosis and domestic abuse.
On a cold November morning, new mother Jessica takes her desperately ill newborn baby and goes on the run. Why would Jessica leave the hospital and deny her baby much needed help? Iris, a journalist, is sent to cover the story and soon discovers the trail leads to a devastating event in the life of her own mother, Rebecca. Rebecca was thirteen years old when her abusive father beat her mother to death and then killed himself. There’s more to the story than that though. But how does the past affect the present? And will Jessica be found before it’s too late?
I’m sure I’m not the only one whose concentration levels have hit rock-bottom considering our current circumstances so I have to admit that the various points of view and the switching back between the past and the present was a little hard for me to deal with at first. Luckily, I was soon able to keep better track of things as the various threads and connections between the characters started to unravel, and to appreciate the clever and beautiful way Emily Gunnis plotted this story which spans fifty years.
The chapters set in the past were especially harrowing. Times were different but it’s quite surreal to realise that those times weren’t exactly that long ago. A time when an abused woman had nowhere to turn to; that it was expected from her to stand by her husband, no matter what. A time when men could somehow just drop their wives off at an asylum for whatever reason and that these wives could be held there indefinitely. A time when little was known about postnatal psychosis and how to help the mothers who suffered from it. Traveling through the years allows Emily Gunnis to really bring these differences to light.
The Lost Child is an emotional novel. Watching mothers deal with that extraordinary conviction that their child is somehow in danger really pulls at the heartstrings. More than anything though, it is an immensely thought-provoking account of all the horrible things women were forced to endure throughout the ages. And let’s not forget, there’s a family secret to discover! A complex, multilayered and often heartbreaking story about trying to protect the ones you love which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of this genre and of the author herself. I look forward to seeing what Emily Gunnis comes up with next.
On a cold November morning, new mother Jessica takes her desperately ill newborn baby and goes on the run. Why would Jessica leave the hospital and deny her baby much needed help? Iris, a journalist, is sent to cover the story and soon discovers the trail leads to a devastating event in the life of her own mother, Rebecca. Rebecca was thirteen years old when her abusive father beat her mother to death and then killed himself. There’s more to the story than that though. But how does the past affect the present? And will Jessica be found before it’s too late?
I’m sure I’m not the only one whose concentration levels have hit rock-bottom considering our current circumstances so I have to admit that the various points of view and the switching back between the past and the present was a little hard for me to deal with at first. Luckily, I was soon able to keep better track of things as the various threads and connections between the characters started to unravel, and to appreciate the clever and beautiful way Emily Gunnis plotted this story which spans fifty years.
The chapters set in the past were especially harrowing. Times were different but it’s quite surreal to realise that those times weren’t exactly that long ago. A time when an abused woman had nowhere to turn to; that it was expected from her to stand by her husband, no matter what. A time when men could somehow just drop their wives off at an asylum for whatever reason and that these wives could be held there indefinitely. A time when little was known about postnatal psychosis and how to help the mothers who suffered from it. Traveling through the years allows Emily Gunnis to really bring these differences to light.
The Lost Child is an emotional novel. Watching mothers deal with that extraordinary conviction that their child is somehow in danger really pulls at the heartstrings. More than anything though, it is an immensely thought-provoking account of all the horrible things women were forced to endure throughout the ages. And let’s not forget, there’s a family secret to discover! A complex, multilayered and often heartbreaking story about trying to protect the ones you love which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of this genre and of the author herself. I look forward to seeing what Emily Gunnis comes up with next.