Longing for Motherhood • The Two Week Wait

The Two Week Wait by Sarah Rayner
Publisher: Picador
Publication Date: February 2, 2012
Source/Format: Publisher (Thanks!) || Paperback

[I received this from the publisher. This in no way affects my review.]

After a health scare, Brighton-based Lou is forced to confront the fact that her time to have a baby is running out. She can’t imagine a future without children, but her partner doesn’t seem to feel the same way, and she’s not sure whether she could go it alone. 

Meanwhile, up in Yorkshire, Cath is longing to start a family with her husband, Rich. No one would be happier to have a child than Rich, but Cath is infertile. Could these strangers help one another out? 

Ever since I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be a mother and raise a family. I thought the process was straightforward enough, but as I got older, I realized it was possible for many complications to get in the way - infertility, a lack of a partner, medical conditions just being some of the few I can name. The Two Week Wait is a beautifully written tale. Sarah Rayner takes us through the twists and turns with remarkable skill and just the right touch of emotion.

The Characters

I very much admire Lou's character. Throughout the novel, she demonstrates a whole lot of patience, bravery, kindness, and love. She was stubborn enough to stick to her guns when it came to having a child, and wise enough to recognize the wisdom of going after what she wanted, even if caused a few ripples in her life. This straightforward doggedness in going after what she wanted is essentially what makes her character that much more lovable to me.

Cath is a character that I really loved. I feel like I'm a lot like her in my determination to have a family, my propensity for "nesting" and the dreamy, emotional personality. She does pull a few crazy, obsessive stunts in this book, but somehow, I find her mood swings understandable. There are many times that I find myself empathizing with her (and often to the point of tears in my eyes).

The Story

This story just took my breath away. The reality of the struggle that Sarah Rayner presents in her story ignited a strong emotional response. I honestly found that, while I was reading, my emotions were going all over the place - there were moments of happiness, deep sorrow, bitterness, rage. To have a story play on my emotions like that... well, I can honestly say that I think it's an incredible ability for a writer to have.

Using two women's different, but parallel stories to tell this particular tale was genius to me. Weaving both together made for a more interesting novel. I never felt like jumping from one to the other was confusing, as their stories are definitely easy to distinguish. The lapse in time, though often clarified later on, was a little confusing.

I would rather not go into detail about the plot in order not to spoil it, but I thought Sarah Rayner did a wonderful job with her storytelling. Everything that occurred felt real to me, in the sense that it could happen to me or someone I know. I felt like I became much more aware of a few things after reading the novel.

Personally, I say you should...

Read this novel if you're interested in checking out adult books this year. It's a compelling, emotional read - and I absolutely loved it. The Two Week Wait will definitely strike a particular emotional chord in your heart.