Somebody Else’s Daughter

by: Elizabeth Brundage

Published by: Plume

Reviewed by Beth Cummings

In her second book, Elizabeth Brundage, author of The Doctor’s Wife, has created a truly captivating story with Somebody Else’s Daughter. The plot is by turns playful then mysterious, loving then sinister–good and evil taking turns affecting the characters. It all builds to a rather surprising climax.

The book begins with a letter describing a strung-out couple. The boy has written to his infant daughter just before giving her up for adoption. He describes the baby’s mother, an addict dying of AIDS and how he loved her. He hoped she would read the letter when she was sixteen. Nate Gallagher gave his letter to the adoptive parents, Joe and Candace Golding. He also requests that they keep the baby’s name, Willa, after the writer, Willa Cather.

These parents and the girl are just a few of the very interesting characters that Brundage has put into this book. There are issues with each of their histories as well as with secrets regarding their employment and their affairs. Yet they are human–people who have learned from their past actions and take responsibility for them–in most cases.

The book is considered to be a thriller, but it takes quite a long time to develop the story into that scenario. For the first half it seems mostly a romance and to some degree a coming-of-age story. The twists and turns that happen toward the end do fit with what the characters have become – so the book is quite satisfying. I enjoyed it a great deal and highly recommend it.

Armchair Interviews says: Bundage describes herself as a “happily adopted person” and has always wanted to write about adoption.

Author’s Web site: http://www.ElizabethBrundage.com