This is an interesting novel from two aspects. First, the premise that seems futuristic but maybe not so much so. Golden Oaks" is a resort where women who need money become surrogates, stay during their pregnancy, where all is provided, food is regulated and intended parents who pay dearly choose what the baby hears. The second is the characters. There is Jane, a young mother, who is jobless and needs to support herself and her daughter. (Ate, Jane's aunt, a baby nurse, persuaded her to try Golden Oakes.) Reagan is a premium host whose goal is a need to help others. Wealthy and educated, she refuses to take money from her father. The cynical Lisa is in her third pregnancy for the same parents. She criticizes the exploiting of women who need money and shares her comments with the others. Finally, meet Mae, the ambitious director, once poor herself, who monitors the young mothers. She will do whatever she needs to do to climb the corporate ladder. Each tells her own story and readers see into their hearts and minds.
This well written book moves quickly and flows from one character to another and one situation to another easily giving the reader time to identifiy with women caught in situations over which they have little or no control. There isn't a day that Jane doesn't miss her daughter but she can see her only online and has no control over what happens to her. Lisa has mesmerized her âparents,â for whom she is carrying their third child, to do almost anything for her. Reagan discovers that the mother of her child is a fake. The actual mother is controlling and not interested in her as a person.
So many issues are brought to the forefront including reproductive rights, exploitation, class, race and more. Is it ethical to exploit those who need money for such purposes? Should the extremely wealthy be able to âpurchaseâ a child? Should someone be able to dictate that the mother be highly intelligent and the sperm from doctors, lawyers or other esteemed individuals? All in all this is a good tale. Kudos to the creative author.
