From Goodreads: A memorable and moving page-turner about two very different women, each yearning to create a family of her own
What if the thing you most longed for was resting on a two week wait? From the author of the international bestselling One Moment, One Morning, comes a moving portrait about what it truly means to be a family. After a health scare, Brighton-based Lou is forced to confront the fact that her time to have a baby is running out. She can’t imagine a future without children, but her partner doesn’t seem to feel the same way, and she’s not sure whether she could go it alone. Meanwhile, in Yorkshire, Cath is longing to start a family with her husband, Rich. No one would be happier to have children than Rich, but Cath is infertile. Could these strangers help one another?
The Two Week Wait* by Sarah Rayner is a novel that is likely to evoke a range of emotions depending on different readers’ experiences. And by readers I mean women, because that is most certainly the target audience. For those who don’t know, the two week wait is a reference to the amount of time it takes to find out if you are pregnant. Could a man read this novel and enjoy it? Probably. However, while there is some male perspective in the book, it is primarily a book about infertility and the desire for motherhood.
Despite how common infertility seems to be, it is not a topic often discussed. There are likely many reasons for this, but I suspect in large part it is due to how sensitive and heartbreaking a topic it is. Parenthood is the defining aspect in the lives of many adults, but what if you want nothing more than to be a mother and it just doesn’t (or can’t biologically) happen? This novel covers that territory.
Rayner handles this topic with aplomb. It is a very emotional read, but not over the top or cliché. When you realize Cath and Lou could be any number of women you know, the novel becomes a bit more devastating. This is not an issue I’ve personally dealt with, but I found the novel gripping nonetheless.
The Two Week Wait is a compassionate, kind, and engrossing look at a topic that is rarely publicly discussed. If you enjoy women’s fiction or good contemporary fiction (with a feminine focus), this novel is for you. It’s an emotional journey you won’t soon forget.
*I received a review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The novel doesn’t focus much on food, but my favorite reference was to takeaway curry (and doesn’t takeaway sounds better than take out?). My favorite curry is chicken pineapple curry, but I couldn’t find a good recipe for it. Instead I give you Thai Pumpkin and Chicken Curry.
flannel and folklore 
You’re right, infertility is rarely discussed and I think it’s because it is simply too heartbreaking. On the rare times that women have spoken about it to me I’ve felt utterly helpless – what do you say to someone who is having trouble conceiving when you’ve had four babies in four years?
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I know, I always feel inadequate in those situations. Sometimes I feel like it’s choosing between wrong, more wrong, and most wrong.
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I have several friends who have struggled/are struggling with infertility, and it’s definitely a taboo topic in a lot of ways. I’m interested to read this book and see how the author handles it. Great review!
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I think it’s definitely good to read for people on the outside of it, I imagine it would be tough for anyone going through it.
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Love the look of that curry! It really is a sad subject I agree!
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Doesn’t it? It definitely is a sad subject, but it is nice to see it discussed so compassionately. The author handles it in a realistic way (which also means realistic endings).
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