Infertility, pregnancy, miscarriage, and adoption - all these themes are touched upon in Other People's Children. The writing is smart, and the characters are multi-faceted. It was an emotional read for me because we are facing some of the same issues in my family. Pack the tissues!

I'm childless by choice and generally not affected much by plot lines such as this, but this novel absolutely ripped my heart out. More than once. Hoffman does an incredible job portraying human pain and suffering. That's what resonated with me throughout. On the surface, it's a story about a childless couple adopting from a pregnant teen. But ultimately it's about how each character deals with their pain. Some turn inward, others lash out. The ways they interacted with each other was constantly interesting.

The writing is skilled and emotional. The storyline is compelling from the start. I listened to the audiobook and liked how each narrator gave their character some personality. The only thing keeping this from being a five star read for me was that I was left wanting more.

I highly recommend this one for readers of literary fiction and women's fiction.