Touching story which sheds a little light on the struggles of surrogacy, for all involved. Also touches upon how sometimes what we didn't think we wanted, we really do.

Suzette is brillant at her job. She adores her husband. But, she doesn't want to have kids as she's afraid they'll inherit her own mother's mental weakness. Yet, she finally agrees to go along with her husband, Hyland, as he seeks to find a surrogate mother.

The surrogate mother, Dorrie, seems eager to help this couple. Her main motivation is money to escape a life of near poverty. But, she then has second thoughts while pregnant with the child.

The author does a wonderful job of telling the story from all parties eyes, including the daughter of Hyland and Dorrie. And, how we are all connected even if there is not the genetics to 'back it up.

I tried to like this book, but found the characters too shallow and self-involved. Even though the story did not move forward in a compelling manor (too many time jumps) I continued reading in an effort to care about any of the characters. In the end, I did not even sense any maternal bond between Suzette and Eloise, so the book's conclusion seemed contrived.

I give this 4.5/5 hearts.

I received a good news yesterday but it wasn't exactly what I wanted. I am grateful but I just wished it was more. Well, beggars can't be choosers but I have waited for this news to come for so long. It felt like forever and I was shocked and a bit sad when it came. I was dumbfounded and couldn't believe it. It was like almost but not quite. Long story short, I said yes. I took it hoping there is a reason why this is what was given to me. Hopefully, far greater things than I ever imagined will come from it. Nothing is finalized yet and maybe, if I keep praying hard for it, it will be just as I have terribly wanted. I actually wish I could have a do-over. Rewind the events that happened yesterday and I will handle the situation differently so the outcome would be exactly as I have longed for. Life...oftentimes you will have to make lemonade out of lemons not the margaritas you crave.

This book is quite similar to what I have experienced yesterday. Sorry for the outburst. I just want to take that out of my chest. I can actually fill the whole post of my ramblings. Anyway, this book is about some decisions or events that we have no control of. Events that just went out of our hands and we are watching them unfold with our eyes open, too shocked and paralyzed to do anything about it. Exactly what I lived through yesterday. This book is about women. The pains and the strength needed to withstand the pains only women experience. This is also about motherhood. The pains and joy of motherhood. Of the hardships of trying to fulfill that calling.

The Nearness of You is a story of three women --Suzette, Dorothy and Eloise. Suzette a successful heart surgeon who doesn't want to have a baby because she doesn't want to pass on the mental illness her mother had to her children. Dorothy, the surrogate mother who volunteered to carry Suzette's and Hyland's fertilized embryo. Eloise, Suzette and Hyland's daughter who was delivered by Dorothy. These three women's lives are more entangled than they thought they were. Dorothy's connection to Suzette and Eloise did not stop until she gave birth and give up the kid, it went farther and deeper than that which what this whole story is.

Stepping into the shoes of each of the three characters, I found that each person's convictions are valid and very reasonable. Suzette's fears are not unfounded and baseless. Being a medical practitioner and a brilliant one at that, she doubtlessly knows that her fears could very likely happen. She needed to put an end to the cycle of mental illness in her family by bearing the sacrifice. Dorothy, out of her desperation and the need to escape her current life, signed up to be a surrogate mother. Little did she know that she signed up way far more than she was paid for. And Eloise, the tie that bind between the two other women that could never be severed. It was Eloise that will eventually bring healing and closure to all the unresolved business between Suzette and Dorothy. All these women and the rest of the lives involved in their circle will finally live the rest of their good lives with a better understanding of what happened and will move onward to the future with large smiles.

I really love women's literature. Stories of strong and invincible women. Strong and resilient women who follow their hearts and come out greater for the heartbreaking decisions they had to face in their lives. I too want to be inspired by these women. That maybe I could gain wisdom from their difficult experiences. I too have my own struggles, like every other person in this planet and we all could use all the help we can get.

This story will hit you right at your core. This will turn you heart into a melting puddle. Aching and disintegrating into liquid goo. What these three women have gone through could very well happen in real life. It might be that some woman in some city or small town is living through the same scenario as we speak. Like Suzette, juggling her successful career with taking care of a kid. Attending parent-teacher conferences, recitals, soccer games or cheer leading competitions, etc. Trying with her every breath to be a mother, a wife and a surgeon, along with some other roles demanded of her. Dorothy, keeping a low profile and not draw attention to herself and her family. Making the most out of a very hard and poor past to care for the people she value most. Trying to make good of the present to pay for the shortcomings she had made in the past. And Eloise, a teenager in the threshold of great possibilities yet unable to face them because something is holding her back. Something is niggling her to do something. To find answers to questions that she's scared to ask. To find the person who brought her into the light of the world. To find that connection that keeps her restless until she has rekindled it.

And then, there was also Jayne, the little girl Dorothy crossed path with who was far mature and stronger than her measly young age. She also had a difficult and sad life. She and Dorothy found friendship, strength and family in each other.

I love this story. I give this 4.5/5 hearts. All these strong women are worthy of emulation. They had been through a lot and they came out of the dark holes of their past with courage and strength they thought they never had. My only wish was that there should have been more in the ending. I wished it showed how the rest of the characters were after the meeting and the revelation. I wanted to see Eloise reconnected with one of the important person in her life. I wanted to know how it turned out knowing there's another part of her that is alive and living.

After this story, I want to know more of Amanda Eyre Ward. I want to know what other stories she has to tell. I will have to start hunting her books. Nice meeting you Miss Ward. What a great story.


Don't be the change, be the dollar.
- Amanda Eyre Ward, The Nearness of You -



Thanks again, Netgalley for the copy of this book.

The Nearness of You by Amanda Eyre Ward explores what it means to be a mother. Does nature or nurture make a mom? Suzette is afraid to give birth to a child due to genetic issues. Her husband, Hyland, decides he wants a child and suggests they use a surrogate. This is when Dorrie enters their lives. A very young Dorrie becomes a surrogate for Suzette and Hyland. She is implanted with embryos that are a combination of her and Hyland's genes.

The novel skips large portions of time and we are introduced to a teenage Eloise. Eloise is tormented wondering about her birth mother. This story at its core is the story of Eloise and her journey to learning what comprises a mother.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book was decent but it didn't really stand out for me. It was an interesting story and really delved into the character's feelings. But it seemed very unrealistic to me that people of Hyland and Suzette's stature and wealth would have been unable to track Dorrie down after she disappeared. It also seemed like a very sudden and rash decision to send Eloise to boarding school when up until that point she was a model child. I can see this being a popular book club book for the discussions is raises about what makes a mother.

I was hooked from the first scene. Having been a surrogate myself, some of the emotions and thoughts hit close to home. What an interesting and fascinating story!

I enjoyed this book! I liked the way family relationships were portrayed throughout the book. And I liked how the author displayed mental illnesses and drug addictions in an honest and graphic manner. This story is about Hyland and Suzette’s marriage. They decide to use a surrogate to have a baby. The surrogate they choose is Dorrie. What follows this decision is a whirlwind chain of events involving all of the characters in the story. So many things happened throughout the story that I did not expect. The story explores relationships between people, most importantly the relationship between a parent and a child. And how our parents affect our lives and our future. Suzette is a heart surgeon. I found the fragility of heart surgery to be a tie in to the fragility of the relationship between a parent and child. I felt that the characters are fully developed, although there is still so much we learn about them. The baby and Dorrie’s story are told in the first person, everyone else’s in the third person. This book would be great for a book club to read. The relationships and events would be very good topics of conversation.

Amanda Eyre Ward’s book THE SAME SKY was my favorite book of 2015. Its themes of immigration and poverty gave the reader plenty to think about regarding their views and judgments. In her newest, THE NEARNESS OF YOU, readers try to understand a pediatric heart surgeon who didn't really want to have children and definitely doesn’t want to become pregnant. Suzette ultimately agrees to surrogacy when her husband, Hyland, nearing forty, decides that he desperately wants a child. They’ve chosen Dorrie, a young woman looking for a chance to get away from her own mother, go to college, and start a new life. Then, on the date of her sonogram appointment, Dorrie disappears leaving an apology note. Suzette must wrestle with the fact that maybe she really did want the baby, how to comfort her husband who is devastated, and stay focused to complete some of the most meticulous surgeries.

Hyland and Suzette are two professionals who have a comfortable marriage and rely on routine. Everything was fine until Hyland upset the apple cart and decided he really did want to be a father. Suzette goes along with the idea even though it gives her a lot of anxiety during the process of choosing a surrogate. The author takes each chapter and gives us the perspective of individual characters, taking us inside their minds and revealing what they are really thinking. Even though I was drawn into the story, I didn't particularly like any of the characters which made it hard to feel connected to their struggles. Some of the chapters felt like whining to me and Suzette's story seemed to focus more on the details of her surgeries rather than her relationship with her husband. Dorrie's character had potential, but I found most of her decisions to be unrealistic and frustrating.

When there is a twist and the storyline takes a new direction, I found I had a bit more interest in the story. Suzette is no longer able to control her and Hyland's monotonous life and she has to start showing some emotions. She begins to have trouble concentrating during her surgeries and life has complications that she can't seem to handle. As each of the characters is forced to make a decision, the reader realizes that one choice can impact the course of your whole life. For these three main characters and the child they bring into this world, life will never be the same.

Even though this story wasn't as emotionally heartbreaking as her previous novel, Eyre Ward still showcases her character-driven writing and talents for giving the characters their own voice. From the disgusting motel that Dorrie lives in. to the stark operating room that Suzette thrives in, readers can visualize the scenes and feel part of the story. But, there may be a disappointment in the predictability of the plot. While nearing the end of the book, I realized that it was going to have to be a rushed ending to fit it all in and it was. On its own, it's a fine story, but when comparing it to the author's others, it falls a little flat.

Favorite Quotes:

"You meet kind people, and you return their kindness.
That's what friendship is. You take care of someone and they become yours."

"You never know when you will be forced
to make the decision that will define your days."

Amanda Eyre Ward provides an interesting look into the world of surrogate parenting through 3 different perspectives. The characters have depth and early on, I became sympathetic to their circumstances, but they could be so unlikeable at times.

Reading this book made me more aware and sympathetic to issues that may crop up in surrogacy. Overall, a good story line and well thought out.

When Suzette and Hyland Kendall first got together, they agreed that they’d never have children. Suzette’s mother is bipolar with psychotic episodes, robbing Suzette of a childhood and predisposing her for her own mental illness. It’s a genetic trait Suzette doesn’t want to pass on. Her husband, Hyland, lost his parents and sister in a tragic car accident when he was eleven and hasn’t given up on trying to change his wife’s mind. After all, why wouldn’t a woman want to become a mother? Finally, the couple agrees on surrogacy: Hyland’s sperm, the surrogate’s egg, and the surrogate would carry the baby.

After a few false starts, they finally find what they believe is the perfect surrogate: Dorrie, a 21-year-old who needs the $35,000 surrogacy fee to follow her collegiate dreams. For architect Hyland and world-renowned heart surgeon Suzette, money is no object and they spare no expense. But when Dorrie doesn’t show up to the first sonogram, the Kendall’s fear the worst.

Dorrie finds herself in New Orleans, living in a house forgotten after Katrina with a 12-year-old runaway as her only company. Years after the baby is born, we re-visit the prologue where two women and a man stand beside a girl in a hospital room with a nurse asking, “Who is her mother?”

With twists and turns reminiscent of Gone Girl and “Grey’s Anatomy,” The Nearness of You is a lyrical, literary journey exploring the bonds of family and what it means to be a mother. Further, Ward raises the question of who should become a mother, if they had the choice, and whether or not it’s a woman’s job to become a mother.

The Nearness of You by Amanda Eyre Ward is a quick read that will leave you pondering the fates of the main characters long after you've finished reading it. Suzette is a heart surgeon with a very high stress career. Having long ago decided with her husband that they would not have children her husband then surprises her by announcing that he actually would like to become a father. They ultimately decide to go the route of surrogacy which then leads them on a long journey that doesn't quite take the path that they had envisioned. Told through varying narratives this tale has you re-imagining the idea of family. Enjoy!

Suzette Kendall is a workaholic heart surgeon. Husband, Hyland Kendall is an unhappy architect. Both agreed not to have children, because Suzette has terrible memories of growing up with a severely mentally ill mother. She won't take any chances with her genes. But Hyland lost his parents and sister in a car accident when he was 11 and has never given up his secret desire to have children.
In Amanda Eyre Ward's new novel, THE NEARNESS of YOU (Ballantine), Hyland is able to get Suzette to agree to hiring a surrogate and that's when they meet Dorothy "Dorrie" Muscarello. 21-year-old, Dorrie plans to use the $35,000 fee to escape her sad existence and job feeding penguins at Sea-O-Rama and pursue a college education. Once pregnant, Dorrie realizes she doesn't want to give the baby up to the Kendall's and she skips town.
Twists, turns, a jump in time and soon readers find themselves bedside with a nearly-dead teenage lying in a hospital with two women and a man standing by her bed.
 “Which of you is her mother?” asks the nurse, but nobody seems to be able to answer the question.
The narrative alternates between character's perspectives, as Ward brilliantly explores the meanings of motherhood from the first hello to the possibility of saying good-bye. THE NEARNESS of YOU explores the connections we form, the families we create and the love we hold most dear.

So here’s the deal. I almost didn’t make it past the first chapter. I even tweeted that I was fully prepared for this book to piss me off all the way through.

The premise of this book is that Suzette doesn’t want children. Her mother has a mental illness so bad that she is hospitalized (we never meet her), and Suzette also suffers from “issues.” Those issues are vague, but referred to throughout the book, and she’s deathly afraid of anyone close to her getting sick too. She was very clear on the first date with Hyland that she was not going to have children. They made a decision, she was firm on it, he seemed happy.

But after 15 years of marriage, he suddenly decided that he wanted a baby, and pretty much gaslights her into thinking she wants one too. So they get a surrogate. And then he spends the rest of the book making her feel HORRIBLE for being a successful pediatric surgeon with a busy schedule–even though she has ALWAYS BEEN a successful pediatric surgeon with a busy schedule.

This is my absolute worst nightmare–and my husband knows this–that he will suddenly decide 15 years into our marriage that he wants children. It is the cruelest thing a person could do, in my opinion–worse than cheating–to go against something so fundamental in your marriage foundation.

I know, I’m ranting, but this is all just to say that it soured my opinion of the book from the first chapter–and it only went downhill from there. I did finish it, and had that big nope in the beginning not happened…I don’t know, there were a few other things that made me go ehhhhhhhhh…

The story certainly has hooks, and I could see people liking this. But it has way more problems than good things.

Love the romance, drama and just about everything this book has to offer. Such a great read!!

Suzette and Hyland Kendall have been childless for 15 years. Suzette's childhood was less than stellar and she has no desire to pass on the genetics that were responsible for her mother's mental illness that eventually landed her in a mental institution. Suzette agrees to using a surrogate to carry a child with Hyland's genes. It's a whirlwind of emotions and choices but the finally find the "right" candidate.

Dorrie is young and goes into the surrogacy naively but the tides change and she realizes she can't give up the child. She disappears without a trace, leaving Suzette and Hyland heartbroken and searching for their child until a seemingly ordinary day, when a knock on the door changes their lives once again.

This book is full of emotions and the characters narrate their own stories. They each have their own voice and their passages are easy to follow. I related to Suzette on so many levels but I suspect many will hate her or not understand her because they can't possible understand or get past her not want children. I found myself engrossed in this novel and left wanting more.

Be warned that the start of the book is the "end" of the book and many readers my not like the ending but I LOVED it. I can say this is her best book to date and I just might pick up some of her other books that I have yet to read.

Storyteller, Amanda Eyre Ward returns following (2015) The Same Sky with another thought-provoking and gripping tale of four wounded characters in THE NEARNESS OF YOU. (Beautiful cover ).

What does it take to be a real mother? With highly charged topics, Ward delves deeply into the emotions of the human psyche and what it takes to be a family. A surrogate young girl goes missing, disrupting the lives of all that are near and dear to the unborn child.

Set in Houston, Texas –Hyland and Suzette Kendell are married and celebrating their anniversary. It is the year, 2000 and the couple have been married for fifteen years and approaching forty years of age.

Suzette is a successful heart surgeon and Hyland an architect. He came from a horrific childhood and he would love to have children and a family. His parents had been killed in a car accident when he was eleven and grew up in the foster care system. He now works from home and desperately wants a family.

However, workaholic Suzette had been upfront from the beginning, she did not want children. Her mom was mentally ill and in an institution. She most likely would always remain there until she died.

Her father had died years earlier and her mom went a little crazy- erratic and paranoid, causing serious trauma for Suzette during her childhood. She too was sick in college; however, controls it with her meds. They continue to keep her mother in a nice facility and sometimes she tells herself her mom is really dead.

Suzette does not want to pass this sickness to children. She wants it to end here. She could not be the easy, breezy, fertile wife Hyland might have wanted; however, she would not be made to feel that she was lacking.

They are now ready for surrogacy. Hyland would sire a child. He was delighted with the opportunity of becoming a father. He would medically impregnate someone younger who would carry the baby to term. Suzette could keep working without interruption. It was a win-win. Or so she thought.

Suzette panicked and was scared, similar to PTSD, due to her own childhood dramas. They find what they think is the perfect candidate and was going to pay her $35,000 to cover the cost. However, the gal backs out due to Suzette being busy with work. She was not going to apologize for doing her job.

In the meantime, Suzette deals with life and death daily. Giving life after ending life with tragedy at the hospital. She cared deeply for her patients and she connected better with the babies than the adults. Each was a reminder.

Months pass and there is another candidate. This girl was much younger and inexperienced. She had never been married and never had a child, like the first candidate.

As a last resort, they decide on Dorrie (age 21). She gets pregnant quickly. We hear from different POVs. She worked at Sea-o-Rama feeding penguins. She wanted to escape her life and get off Galveston Island. She could finally move away from her mother and her dull disappointment—away from the stories about her deadbeat dad. It meant a bigger life: college, and a chance to succeed. When she had seen the ad, she knew this was the only way to attain money for college. A way out.

However, could she lease her body, and then hand over her child? She would trade nine months of her life. She earned less than $10.00 hour at her current job. The gift of life. It was love versus money. Which would win out in the end? Could she go through with it? Or escape?

She could drive away from Texas and make a life on Grand Isle, Louisiana. She needed to escape her own sad mom’s depression and alcoholism. However, without money, how would she live and support herself and her unborn child? How will Suzette and Hyland go on knowing their child was out there somewhere?

Dorrie is a dreamer and wants to wrap herself around books and living in a seaside cottage. She dreams of a life with her baby. She is immature and not thinking of how. She cannot live in a motel with no money, especially when this couple had money and would have the cops or PIs after her.

On the run, she meets another lonely girl, Jayne taking care of her own disturbed junkie prostitute mom. Another young girl, trying to escape her surroundings for a better life. Will they find solace in one another? Jayne is intrigued by the girl in room 29. They hit the road together.

Later when an illness arrives, and more problems, things change. However, there are still some secrets which are not revealed until the end.

The author takes us on a hauntingly beautiful emotional heartfelt journey. Told with compassion - from tragedy, pain, loss, and love. What it means to be a mother. A family. When matters of the heart are conflicted. From “The Nearness of You" an old Ella Fitzgerald song, to a desperate search for a mother.

Can a woman who fixes hearts mend one close to her own? Fast forward fifteen years later.

Every character is searching for a mother’s love and acceptance. Guilt. A yearning for atonement. Courage. Your heart goes out to all the flawed characters (they do make some poor choices); a situation when there seems there is no easy way out. Someone will be hurt. What it takes to be a family. They are not always the traditional ones.

I loved the quote: “The mother is the one who stays in the room.” (no matter how difficult, when she wants to run and hide).

I read two moving and beautiful books in a row about motherhood. They come in all shapes and sizes each with their own set of struggles. Highly recommend both: Amanda Eyre Ward’s THE NEARNESS OF YOU and Sally Hepworth’s The Mother's Promise.

A special thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

JDCMustReadBooks

Thanks for my copy but I'm passing on this one. I don't like to review books unless I can be enthusiastic, and this book wasn't to my taste.

I enjoyed this book and the manner in which motherhood is explored from two very different angles. At the end, I'm. It sure I was as satisfied as I would have liked to have been, however I am not disappointed. I guess I could say it left me pondering what the future holds for everyone involved. Sequel, no. I don't think so. I think it is best left to the reader to decide how the characters move forward.

Any mother should read this book. I looked forward to reading as the deep personalities of all of the players evolved. From the filth of dirty hotels to posh New England boarding schools, your heart will cry for poor Eloise. Great read from NetGalley, thank you..

Interesting treatment of a situation that's becoming more and more common - surrogacy. Who is the 'real' mother? The characters were sympathetic and the story intriguing. There were even a few surprise twists in the story. An entertaining read.