4.0 (1 rating)
My Only Child
‘OH MY GOD!... I opened it and my heart already started breaking. It broke more and more until I found myself with one million pieces of it… Made my heart bleed, my eyes well up and my bin fill up with wet tissues, but I ended with my heart full of warmth, my eyes crying happy tears and a big smile on my face. An amazingly beautiful story that I could not put down.’ B for Bookreview, 5 stars There he is, my baby boy. His eyes are closed, his tiny rosebud mouth is pursed in sleep. My eyes well up as I catch a whiff of his newborn skin and I swallow back a wave of emotion. I should feel happy, I should feel grateful, but all I can think about is everything I just lost… It’s a miracle when Katherine’s baby boy is born healthy. But his twin sister doesn’t survive, and when she is told she can’t carry any more children she is desperate to adopt a sibling for her son. But her husband Davis won’t agree. What if Katherine can’t cope with another child? What if this breaks their marriage apart? If Katherine fights for the second child she has always dreamed of, will she lose the family she already has? An unforgettable and heart-wrenching page-turner about fighting for those we love. Readers of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Kate Hewitt will remember this story forever. What readers are saying about My Only Child: ‘One of the best books I''ve read in a while… I read this one in a day. An emotional read that left me crying at the end… Can a mother ever get over the loss of a baby, and do we even want to? A powerful book that will stay with you long after you read the last page.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Heartbreaking and equally heart-warming… Vickery is fast becoming a favourite of mine and this book is another knock out of the park for me… leads me through a rollercoaster of emotions… there was not a dry eye in the house as I read this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘WOW!! Raw, emotional, heartbreaking & honest! This is a one-of-a-kind read! Haven''t read anything by Sam Vickery before this, but you can be sure I will be looking for latest! This is a must read!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘I''ve loved Sam''s previous books for the raw emotion contained within the pages and this book is no different. You jump start into the action from page one.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘With each chapter another layer is revealed meaning this really keeps you on your toes… Emotive writing that is thought provoking and relatable.’ Supermum, 5 stars ‘So special… Sam Vickery did an amazing job writing this story… shows us the difficulty of moving forward, figuring out what to do, and really how to just make it through a day…
Pages: 350
ISBN: 9781800191259
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4.0
1 rating
Rachel S.
Apr 6, 2026
The book starts when a pregnant Katherine and her husband Davis are having dinner at Katherine’s mother Hazel’s house, and Katherine’s waters break. Rushed to hospital she awakes to learn she has a healthy baby boy, but she was pregnant with twins but she kept it a secret from her mother, wanting to surprise her when they were born. As if losing a child is not enough, all Katherine’s hopes and dreams of a big family are dashed when she is told that she cannot have any more children. She can’t even talk about the baby she lost, because only her and Davis know.
Added to that is the tense relationship between Katherine and Hazel that seems that it will never get better. Katherine resents her for mollycoddling her. Hazel doesn’t understand why the resentment, she was trying to do right by her daughter, to protect her. Then there is Davis who also doesn’t see eye to eye with Hazel. It is a family in turmoil.
Told in multiple perspectives, Hazel‘s from the past, her marriage, how she lives through that period of her life and also in the present, lots of secrets are lingering and they do eventually come out. Katherine’s perspective is very different, it was so sad, heart wrenching, how she deals with the loss and grief of her baby girl, coming to terms with not being able to have another biological child and her determination to add to her family.
This book did have me in tears several times throughout it. It was a tough read, perhaps because I am a mother, I don’t know. I just felt a deep sadness that did eventually life as the book went on.
It was very well written, in a true to life way, of a mother and daughter relationship that went off the rails and how they manage to rebuild it eventually. It was so emotional so grab your tissues before starting it. But be warned, just as you think it’s safe to put the tissues away, you will need them again.
Added to that is the tense relationship between Katherine and Hazel that seems that it will never get better. Katherine resents her for mollycoddling her. Hazel doesn’t understand why the resentment, she was trying to do right by her daughter, to protect her. Then there is Davis who also doesn’t see eye to eye with Hazel. It is a family in turmoil.
Told in multiple perspectives, Hazel‘s from the past, her marriage, how she lives through that period of her life and also in the present, lots of secrets are lingering and they do eventually come out. Katherine’s perspective is very different, it was so sad, heart wrenching, how she deals with the loss and grief of her baby girl, coming to terms with not being able to have another biological child and her determination to add to her family.
This book did have me in tears several times throughout it. It was a tough read, perhaps because I am a mother, I don’t know. I just felt a deep sadness that did eventually life as the book went on.
It was very well written, in a true to life way, of a mother and daughter relationship that went off the rails and how they manage to rebuild it eventually. It was so emotional so grab your tissues before starting it. But be warned, just as you think it’s safe to put the tissues away, you will need them again.