The Nearness of You, by Amanda Eyre Ward
Suzette Kendall, a brilliant heart surgeon, has never wanted children; fearful of the mental illness that runs in her family. However, after 15 years of marriage, her husband, Hyland has decided he really wants a baby. They search and find Dorrie, a young and willing surrogate, who has been accepted to Rice University, but can’t attend without funds. The money from the surrogacy will allow her to attend college, but Dorrie decides she can’t give up the baby. This is a story of family, a mother’s love and sacrifice, and the lengths we will go to for our children. The Nearness of You is told from the varying perspectives of the two mothers and of the child, Eloise. Ward’s novel deals with tough, contemporary social issues: child neglect, drug use, prostitution, PTSD, suicide, and surrogacy, all the while carefully presenting both sides of the issue in measured and precise writing. Absolutely unputdownable. If you haven’t read Ward before you are missing out. I was a little surprised at the ending, but only because I wanted the story to continue. Highly recommended for fans of Jodi Picoult

This is a novel about what it means to be a mother and a daughter. After a difficult childhood with a mentally ill mother, Suzette swore she would never have children, but when after many years of marriage her husband reveals he desperately wants to have a child, they decide to use a surrogate mother, and settle on a young woman named Dorrie who has issues of her own. Then, after a big time jump, we also get the perspective of the daughter who is born as a result. I thought this book started out strong, but then became rather unbelievable and then ended abruptly. It was a sad book and well written, though I felt like it could have emotionally engaged me a bit more. 3.5 stars.

I was looking forward to reading this book and then my daughter died and I just couldn't bring myself to read it.  I was afraid it would be too heart breaking.  Giving it the same rating it has on amazon.

Suzette and Hyland seem to have it all,a good  marriage great jobs but they have no children. 

Suzette has a mental illness, and fears passing this onto her child. 

This is a book that makes you question things. It is an emotional read and while only a shortish tale it is one that is superbly told.

Ballantine Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Nearness of You.  I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Suzette Kendall never  wanted to have biological children, due to genetic risk of her child having the same mental illness of Suzette's mother.  Her husband Hyland had agreed, but years later he asked if she would be willing to consider a surrogate.  Reluctantly, Suzette agreed and the couple embarked on a journey to match with potential surrogates.  When Suzette and Hyland chose Dorrie, a single woman who dreams of a different life, will both parties have their dreams come true?  After making the decision with her head, will the tugging of Dorrie's heart change her life?

The biggest problem that I had with The Nearness of You are the sheer number of perspectives, which fractures the story and draws the plot in too many directions.  There are characters, such as Jayne, that are not strictly necessary for the plot to move forward.  The author gives tiny snippets of the characters lives, giving readers a small glimpse into the situation and the aftermath.  Although there is some background information given regarding Suzette and Hyland, it does not really help tie the story together.  In her effort to try and explain the reasons how Suzette and Hyland's childhoods shaped their future and their reactions to certain situations, the author loses the thread of the story.  The plot line regarding Eloise goes so far off the rails that it fractures the story further.  Simply put, the author tried to do too much in this book and this takes away from the compelling nature of the story.  For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Nearness of You to other readers.

Ward nailed it and the Universe brought it back when I would understand. I loved this book, but it’s an odd feeling to love something when you don’t love the characters. 

Suzette is brilliant but “cold”. Would she love a child not her own? 
Hyland was wishy-washy which is annoying. 
Dorrie goes back on her word which I find deplorable, but understandable. 
Eloise is possibly the only one I liked. 

(But, Ward does a good job helping you understand why the characters are who they are.)

It’s a story of “What is a mother?”, growth, and doing the right thing.

A complex, thought-provoking tale of surrogacy and what it takes to be a real mother. Overall, I found The Nearness of You to be a quick, enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

This book was a complete surprise for me, did not re-read the description before opening it up so i had no clue what i was diving into, coincidently a family member and I were discussing surrogacy about a week ago, her talking about the benefits of the money and me touching on the subject of you growing the baby, it being in your stomach a part of you, which you couldn't help but get attached to and then just handing it away like nothing ever happened. So this book was an eye opener for sure, had my attention from the first second i realized what it was about. Usually you pick up a book and you find yourself picking a side, either you relate with the main character or you sympathize with their situation they find themselves in, but this was a back and forth roller coaster for me. This book opens your eyes to the point where you see both sides, you understand the emotions going through each and every person in this book. You feel for Hyland and Suzette, even in some way understand a little bit of Suzettes coldness to the subject, the way it was sprang on her, but then again as you read you start to sympathize with the surrogate as well as her emotions get explained. This book grabs you by the heart and makes you start to think about your life well after the book is over, could you do it? Could you let someone else rent your body for 9 months and carry their baby for them, a completely selfless act, who wouldn't want to help someone else in that way right? But at the same time that baby inside you is also half of you, it's also yours, how do you grow something inside of you and not get attached to it, when you start to feel the fluttering, the movements inside of you, how do you tell yourself "don't get attached, I'm not keeping it", "She's not yours so don't get used to her", When it comes time do you think you could just hand her over to someone else with a good luck? Or do you panic, feeling trapped, like you have no choice but to run!? Being 7 months pregnant myself at the moment, this book REALLY had my attention, and even well after reading I'm still not sure who was in the right and who was in the wrong, who i would side with, what i would do in that situation. Surrogacy is a touchy subject these days, not a lot of people know much about it, so if you find yourself even the least bit interested in the subject this book is WELL WORTH the read! I have also read the authors "Close your eyes" recently, if you enjoy this one pick that one up next, both good emotional books! I Will be looking forward to more from this author in the future!

A good read on the subject matter.  Engaging and can be read quickly

Suzette and Hyland have been married fifteen years and and had decided against children, when her husband changes his mind and suggests a surrogate life changes for all three of them.

I really enjoy the work of Amanda Eyre Ward.  This book was much deeper than I expected, unsure of where a book about surrogacy would lead. Motherhood is of course a complicated journey, and of course Suzette's mother had tainted her images for all her life. Everything we experience becomes part of how we grow and become adults and spouses and perhaps parents. Full review to come, but I enjoyed this book very much.

The blurb entrigued me - the story kept me glued to the pages and Amanda Eyre Ward found herself a new reader!

This is a story about a couple, Hyland and Suzette who have been married for fifteen great, but childless years. Suzette, wary of passing on a mental illness to a child borne from her, decides against having children. Hyland, longing for a child suggested an alternative way for him and Suzette to have a child. The best chance for conception, Hyland thought, was traditional surrogacy. Enter Dorrie, the surrogate. She agreed to do it for money, which meant a bigger & better life. 

Overall, this was a good read.  The topic of surrogacy can be tough, yet delicate.  Amanda Wyre Ward balances these two intricately. 

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

While the cover of the book is pretty, I chose to read this book, The Nearness of You by Amanda Eyre Ward, because I had read one of Ms. Ward's previous books, The Same Sky, back in June of 2015 (see review HERE) and I enjoyed it.

The story of The Nearness of You is deals with Suzette, who is a heart surgeon living in Houston, TX with her architect husband, Hyland. When Suzette and Hyland got married they had both agreed that they did not want to have any children. Now, fifteen years later they are nearing their 40's, and Hyland has surprisingly changed his mind and now wants a child. Unfortunately, Suzette's family has had a history of mental illness and she's concerned about her genetics and passing this disease down to any children she might bear.

They agree to go with a surrogate, and they have it all figured out: Hyland would sire a child and would medically impregnate a younger woman to carry the baby to term.  That way Suzette could keep working, so to her, this arrangement is a "win/win" deal. They decide on Dorrie, who is a 21 year old, inexperienced woman who has never been married and has never had a child, but wants to use the surrogate fees to go to college. While there are some red flags in this arrangement but they move forward with Dorrie . Hyland and Dorrie begin to bond, and Suzette realizes she must get on board with the idea.

Soon Dorrie makes some decisions that will affect everyone in this new "trio" of characters. The story is told from a shifting rotation of the perspectives of Dorrie, Suzette and Hyland.  When it comes time for the baby to be born, it turn out that Dorrie has become attached to the baby that she is carrying and she flees.  She makes friends with a young destitute woman and runs off and has the baby.

Dorrie's life is not simple either as she is struggling with an emotional battle with her very strict and religious mother. The author shares Dorrie's life and how her life is an emotional turmoil just like Suzette's seems to be.

The characters in The Nearness of You are complex and sometimes infuriating, but somehow are also honest and truthful. The story continues to unfold from one of hopeful promise into one dark turn after another. The story shows readers just how frail our families can be and how strong motherhood really is.  I won't lie - this is one of those books that has you crying near the end, but in a good way.

I received an advanced readers digital copy of this book from NetGalley and  Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in exchange for my honest review and unbiased opinion. Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine!

Loved this book
Didn't want it to end
Highly recommended

A beautiful story revolving around the difficult choices in motherhood, told in a wonderfully paced, honest way. Such a charming novel that peaked my interest and kept it within its' grasp during the story. I loved the surprises and perfectly written characters!

I loved everything about this book! It was hard to put down and I read it in one sitting.

The Nearness of You was a confusing read for me. I enjoyed the author's character development and the way she wrote emotions so deep and so clearly. But the storyline went from undearing to slightly unbelievable. I did not enjoy the ending and was deeply disappointed in the way it did not come to a close. I would be interested in reading some of her other works because I genuinely enjoyed her writing voice.

I enjoyed this book - it's quite different from my usual reading material and i really got into the story and empathised with all the characters.

This was a great book! It tells the story of Suzette and Hyland, a couple who agreed not to have children, but then reverse that decision. When they decide to use a surrogate, events spiral out of their control. 

I thought this book had great characters and an engrossing storyline. Loved it!