What makes a mother? Book Review

The Underside of Joy by Seré Prince Halverson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is what great women's fiction is about. The main character, Ella, is a wonderful woman who married a man whose children had been abandoned by their birth mother. Unfortunately, her husband dies unexpectedly and suddenly the "real mom" shows up and wants her kids. The courts usually favor the birth parents, but Ella is the only mom the three year old even recognizes. The older child, however, seems happy to have her birth mother back. I couldn't believe I was rooting for the stepmother in this book, but I was. The ending caught me by surprise and I appreciated that, too. My only regret is that this is the first book by this author, so now I must wait to read more.

View all my reviews

If you enjoy happy endings with a twist, check out "A Sister's Promise" or "What Happiness Looks Like."