Her Giant Octopus Moment - Hardcover

Kay Langdale

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1444736094 ISBN 13: 9781444736090

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton General, 2012

Synopsis

When a surrogate mother pretends the pregnancy has miscarried, and bears a daughter - to whom does the child belong? To her runaway birth mother, or her deceived father and his wife?

Scout, born as a result of a surrogacy arrangement, is kept by her biological mother, Joanie, who has deliberately deceived both the clinic and Scout's intended parents by claiming to have had a miscarriage. When this deception comes to light ten years later, a compelling moral dilemma unfolds as Joanie makes her situation worse in the eyes of the law and social services by going on the run.

Scout is a resourceful, anxious, perceptive child. She craves normality in the face of her mother's restlessness and unaccountability. She is loyal to her mother, and loves her deeply, despite being aware of her inconsistencies.

Will the Family Court make the right decision for this vulnerable and determined little girl?

About this title

Review:

HER GIANT OCTOPUS MOMENT is, to put it at its simplest, an "issue" novel - but how well she does it . . . readable, poignant, the novel demonstrates that there are no easy answers or pat formulas, and the author's skill is to woo the reader into empathising with conflicting viewpoints. (The Sunday Times)

'Thought-provoking' ***** (Woman's Own)

This is both a comic and poignant read told via quirky prose, and is impossible to put down (Image)

The sympathetic understanding of her characters, the even-handed exposition of different types of mothering and the beauty of her crystal-clear prose all come together to make this a must read. (Red)

Sweet and sad and funny and thought-provoking (U magazine)

A poignant, at times funny, at times saddening book about morals and motherhood (Tatler Ireland)

HER GIANT OCTOPUS MOMENT is the brilliant new novel from Kay Langdale exploring the morality and legality of modern parenting and the surrogate . . . impressively plausible and realistic . . . truly heartbreaking and yet life-affirming at the same time. A thoroughly enjoyable and light-hearted, engaging read. (welovethisbook.com)

This distressing topic has been adapted by the author into a gripping, heart-rendering story. The characters are portrayed skilfully, especially Scout, who is a wonderful child . . . I couldn't wait to find out the ending; all too soon it came. An extremely exciting and emotional read that kept me gripped. (New Books)

Book Description:

Funny and poignant exploration of motherhood and surrogacy

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton General
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1444736094
• ISBN 13: 9781444736090
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320