The Other Mother: A Novel

Daphne Marist recently had a daughter, Chloe. But like a lot of mothers out there, she is suffering from some postpartum depression. At the request of her husband, she joins a new mothers group specifically for those with postpartum symptoms. There Daphne meets Laurel, who has a daughter with the same name. They form a friendship, but Daphne starts to get this feeling like she should run, so she uses Laurel’s credentials to get a job that includes room and board for six months with her daughter. She tries to ensure her husband won’t try to find her; however, she can’t help feeling like she’s not in control and that she’s being watched. Her grip on reality is slipping, and she is becoming increasingly paranoid. Her postpartum issues are certainly not helping. Is it really paranoia though, if they really are out to get you? Daphne is going to have to sort through this mess to discover who she actually is before she hurts herself or her baby.

Having experienced postpartum depression myself, I really appreciated the warning at the beginning of this book. However, this story was fantastic and not at all what you would expect when dealing with postpartum psychosis. I found myself reading and getting so nervous about what was going to happen at the end, when the ending came I was actually relieved! I couldn’t put it down. The author did such a fantastic job with the characters that I was starting to question Daphne’s story and her sanity. Even though the plot is somewhat outlandish and I had never felt anything as extreme as what the women in the book were talking about, I still found it easy to relate to them with my own fears of being a good mother. The book was very well written. This was my first Carol Goodman book, but I know that it is nowhere near my last.