HUSH LITTLE BABY, JOANNA BARNARD

Digging into the parental guilt that is heaped upon all new parents, HUSH LITTLE BABY is that needling little voice in your head telling you that you're not doing it right, and that someone else could probably do it better.  Sally's character alternates between maternal confidence and maternal guilt; we're never quite sure if she is genuinely apathetic, guilty, or simply exhausted.  The speed at which her child is taken from her is frightening, and the lack of real support she has shown to her is heartbreaking. This novel does much to illustrate that success is often just a facade, and that family members living in the same household can actually have little clue what the others are going through.

The world truly can come to a stop when a new little person enters the world and for mothers the expectations placed upon them, often by themselves as well as by others, are doomed not to be met.  The poking and prodding into Sally's wellbeing is an insidious beast, eroding Sally's self confidence and ability to see clearly.  We're truly invested in seeing this family come out the other side.   Much to take home from this immersive book where no one trusts anyone else enough to tell the truth.