There is no one way to make a family, and Dear Thing is a compelling and raw insight into the world of surrogacy.
The “thing” is the child that Claire has been trying to have for years with her husband Ben. With the perfect marriage, the nice home and a satisfying teaching career, it’s the one
thing that will complete her life.
Thing is also the child that, one drunken night, Romily promises to carry for her best friend Ben – Claire’s husband.
The two women lead very different lives. Romily is a solo mother living in a small apartment that she shares with her precocious daughter Posie. She’s messy, works hard at her
museum job and has little time for anything else.
After offering to be a surrogate mother, Romily becomes pregnant on their first attempt, thrusting their lives onto a journey for which they were grossly unprepared.
Underlying the generous offer and grateful acceptance lies an undercurrent of toxicity. Claire feels inadequate and jealous towards Romily, who is capable of giving her husband
the one thing she can’t – a baby.
Romily discovers being pregnant for a second time leads to buried feelings, and when Posie’s father shows up at Romily’s work, she is forced to confront her choices and make room for him.
She also discovers intense feelings for the growing baby – and his father. Dear Thing is a well-written and powerful novel that shows how multifaceted the word ‘family’ ultimately is.
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