Other People’s Children

Hoffmann’s riveting debut is a high-stakes exploration of how far people will go to protect their family. Despite three miscarriages and failed adoption attempts, Gail Durbin remains determined to become a mother. Her husband, Jon, though supportive, is less sure about parenthood. After being abandoned by his own father and neglected by his mentally unstable mother, Jon is terrified of becoming a terrible parent himself. Then, Carli, a poor, pregnant 18-year-old, chooses Jon and Gail as the prospective adoptive parents of her unborn child. Once baby Maya arrives, Jon realizes that caring for Maya will give him a chance to be a successful father; Gail feels complete and hopeful for the first time in years; Carli grapples with what her future will look like without her daughter as she struggles to attend community college and eke out an existence more promising than living with her abusive mother; and Carli’s mother, Marla, resorts to callous, violent tactics to get the Durbins to return her granddaughter. What results is a nail-biting examination of socioeconomic disparity and loyalty as Maya’s future hangs precariously in the balance. Hoffmann’s believable characters don’t disappoint, and his engrossing look at fraught issues piques. This sharp tale of heartache, loss, and redemption resonates. (Apr.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review misspelled the author's last name. It also incorrectly referred to him as a woman in one instance.