The Mother's Promise

December 15, 2016
When a devoted single mom discovers she has ovarian cancer, her own health is the least of her worries. What will happen to her daughter? Alice's parents died before Zoe was born, and her brother, Paul, a practicing alcoholic, has not been much help. Raising her daughter alone has been tough but rewarding, and Alice even managed to start her own business helping the elderly with their daily activities. With no father figure in sight, Zoe has come to rely heavily on Alice, particularly since she began exhibiting signs of social anxiety disorder on the first day of kindergarten. Now 15, Zoe has only one friend at school. But Emily pushes Zoe to go on a double date, and Zoe's panic attack leaves her utterly alone. Luckily for Zoe, a few new fans lurk in the wings, including a mysterious new school psychologist and Harry, the erstwhile football player who has suddenly begun paying attention to her. Meanwhile Alice has begun to realize the magnitude of her predicament, so she, too, needs help. Enter Kate and Sonja. Kate, Alice's nurse, is recently married, having gained not only a loving husband, but also his son and daughter. Desperate to have a baby of her own, she's on her third round of in vitro fertilization, but another miscarriage has her marriage on rocky terrain. Sonja, Alice's social worker, has a seemingly perfect marriage to a psychologist, but Sonja is beginning to worry that her husband's rough sexual behavior might actually amount to rape. Hepworth intertwines these women's stories, taking the notion that it takes a village to raise a child another step: it takes a village to raise each woman up over her own tribulations. Saccharine at times, the tale's threads knot up a bit too easily and implausibly. A sentimental parable about the power of motherhood, friendship, and love.

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December 1, 2016

Single mother Alice Stanhope has always understood the fears of her daughter; when Zoe's schoolmates make fun of her, Alice is there. At 15, Zoe tries to face her social anxiety disorder but crumbles when her best friend asks her to double date and she's unable to face the group at the movie theater. Then, Alice is diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer and realizes she is entirely alone except for her relationship with Zoe. Two strangers, Kate and Sonja, step up and help. Hospital nurse Kate is desperate to have a baby. Social worker Sonja's intervention causes a crisis. Although needy themselves, these two women may be Alice's only answer to protecting Zoe. Hepworth's (The Things We Keep) latest is a difficult novel of women struggling with fear and loss. As Alice battles cancer and struggles with possibly breaking a promise always to be there for her daughter, the various characters also deal with miscarriages and loss, marriage difficulties, rape, spousal abuse, and Crohn's disease. VERDICT This bittersweet, emotionally intense novel is recommended for readers who appreciate issue-driven stories by Jodi Picoult and Lisa Genova. [See Prepub Alert, 8/22/16.]--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2016
Readers should get ready for a good, ugly cry after reading Hepworth's latest (after The Things We Keep, 2015). Alice's cancer diagnosis sends her into a panic, not because of her uncertain prognosis but because her 15-year-old daughter, Zoe, has a paralyzing social-anxiety disorder that makes her dependent on Alice. With no father in the picture, Zoe will be stranded if Alice isn't there to care for her. Alice can't even bring herself to tell Zoe she's sick. Kate, Alice's nurse, and Sonja, a social worker from the hospital, want to help, but they're keeping secrets of their own, and only when everyone's secrets are revealed will they be able to help one another. Part tearjerker, part celebration of mothers, this story tugs at the heartstrings, guaranteeing that readers will smile through the tears. Narration by all four women contributes to the character development, yet Hepworth keeps up a quick pace that turns the story into a page-turner. All the pieces masterfully come together at the end to create a beautiful novel of courage and love in the face of sorrow.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)