Books

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

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With her trademark humour and tender insight Jennifer Weiner, author of the bestselling Fly Away Home and In Her Shoes, which was made into a film starring Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, returns with the heartfelt story of four women from very different walks of life.

Drawn together — in some cases reluctantly — by one woman’s quest to become a mother, they build a bond that will last forever, and show that motherhood comes in a variety of styles.

Jules is a Princeton senior with a full scholarship, acquaintances instead of friends and a family she’s ashamed to invite to parents’ weekend. With the income she’ll receive from donating her eggs she can save her father from addiction.

Annie married her high school sweetheart and became the mother of two boys. After years of surviving on one income, she thinks she’s found a way to recover a sense of purpose and bring in some extra cash.

India has changed everything about herself – her name, her face, her past. Married to Marcus, a wealthy older man, she decides a baby will ensure a happy ending. When nature fails India turns to Jules and Annie.

But each of their plans is thrown into disarray when Marcus’ daughter Bettina, intent on protecting her father, becomes convinced that his new wife is not what she seems…

This timely tale interweaves themes of class and entitlement, surrogacy and donorship, the rights of a parent and the measure of motherhood.

Through her unforgettable, true-to-life characters, Weiner deftly reflects how the family we build around us – from strangers we meet along life’s path – is often the family we are closest to.

To read a chapter from Then Came You click here.

For the Reading Group Guide for Then Came You click here.

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