The Choices We Make

Brown's second novel (after Come Away with Me) attempts to explore the complexities of modern parenthood and friendship. Hannah and Kate have been best friends since childhood, but one major difference stands between them. Hannah and her husband have suffered infertility for many years, while Kate is a happy mother of two girls. Kate and her husband have stood by Hannah and offered support through the entire process. Seeing Hannah uncomfortable with the idea of adoption or modern surrogacy prompts Kate to make a selfless proposal that shocks them both: she offers to carry Hannah's child. This decision will change the course of their lives, hopes, and dreams forever. Brown presents the writing in a first-person narrative, switching mostly chapter to chapter between Hannah and Kate. While frequent, overly predictable foreshadowing is widespread, the full dramatic climax does not take root until the final few chapters.