A mother always knows best. Doesn’t she?
What if your choice for your child could harm someone else’s?
Every mother faces impossible choices. Vaccination is one of the hardest. For single mum Kate O’Hara, there was no decision to make. Her daughter Rosie is one of a small percentage of Irish children who can’t be vaccinated against measles. All Kate can do is hope that her little girl is safe.
For mummy blogger Madeleine Cooper, it was a leap of faith she wasn't prepared to take when she and her husband declined controversial measles jabs for their daughter Clara. All she can do is pray that it’s the right decision.
But when classmates Clara and Rosie both become sick will Kate pay for Madeleine’s choice?
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I have always been a fan of Melissa Hill's books right since she first published Something You Should Know back in 2003. Each book always has a big twist towards the end, one that you would never have seen coming and that keeps you gripped until you turn the very last page. Her last few books, nice as they were just seemed to run to the same formula and I hate saying it but I felt they became just a bit stale and predictable. This new book Keep You Safe takes the author in a totally different direction from anything she has written before. The cover alone would suggest that gone are the sweet pastel covers with a woman on the cover to be replaced with a more darker picture with the tag line 'A mother knows best doesn't she?'
Melissa Hill has written of a controversial topic very relevant to the society we live in today, in particular it is at the forefront of new mother's minds. The question dominating this book is - to vaccinate or not? To many the answer is clear cut and this debate never comes into question. Rather is it another task in the first few weeks and months of a baby's life to make the trip to the doctor for the routine vaccinations. These people vaccinate their child with no hesitation. Others are rigid in their opinion that vaccination is a big, firm no. But what happens when you aren't allowed either option or a chance to think about which side of the debate your opinion lies on?
Single mum Kate O'Hara's daughter Rosie is one of a small number of Irish children who can't be vaccinated due to the fact she is severely allergic to some of the chemicals that make up the vaccine. Kate only hopes her little girl will be safe. Blogger Madeleine Cooper on the other hand stood firm with her husband and did not vaccinate her two children. She has her own beliefs and is determined never to waver from them. Running a successful blog based on her experiences as a mother gives her the platform to voice her views and share helpful hints regarding rearing children. Both women are poles apart in their stance regarding vaccination. So what happens when both girls fall ill with disastrous repercussions for one. Just who is to blame? Who made the right decision? Can we rely solely on herd immunity? Will one mother feel the guilt for the decision she made? Is the risk of not vaccinating just too great? Should we applaud those who goes against the grain and stick to what they believe is right? So many questions arise within the first few chapters and more come flooding into your mind the further you delve into the story.
Keep You Safe is simply unputdownable and I am loving the new direction Melissa Hill has taken with her writing. Not once did I feel the author came down on any own side, instead a very well rounded view was presented. All sides of the story were covered. Each character was allowed to voice their opinion and at the same time they had realistic worthwhile reasons for their choices. I didn't at any stage feel the author was ramming a certain stance down our throats and the reader was allowed to make up their own mind with regard to the story of Rosie. I'd have to say that my own opinion was fairly cemented in one direction before I began reading this book and I thought I would not be wavered from this.
Yet over the course of the book I was going back and forth almost as much as the tide of public opinion facing both Madeleine and Kate once a court case comes to fruition. Having finished the book I think my opinion remains the same but I did really feel sympathy for both female characters and could understand their positions. To be honest I think as with many things in life there is no clear cut, dead right choice. In the end it probably boils down to personal responsibility and the willingness to stand firm in your beliefs and face the consequences if any arise. Melissa Hill presented the two sides of this story in an unbiased way laying out the results for both sets of families allowing the reader to come to their own decision. There was empathy throughout but at the same time I enjoyed the no nonsense attitude to motherhood employed by Madeleine and also the strong front Kate presented when her life was literally falling apart.
When we meet Kate she is a character who has already been through so much. She had lost her husband to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and is now a single mother working as a nurse whilst at the same time wanting to be there for her daughter Rosie at every available opportunity. As mentioned before Rosie had not been able to have the vaccine and this means Kate is always on edge keeping a sharp eye on Rosie. Kate had not been given a choice and now more than ever she feels it is her job to keep Rosie safe.
Madeleine seems to have it all, she has two beautiful young children and her blog is going from strength to strength and she has numerous television appearances under her belt. Initially I felt because Madeleine had purposely chosen not to vaccinate either of her children that she was one of these hippy types who would rather let nature take its course than have any man made item influence their child's health. I thought it was selfish and irresponsible that she was putting the lives of her own children and those of others at risk unnecessarily. It was only as the story developed that I realised there are two sides to every story, it's only whether you agree with both, one or none.
Clara, Madeleine’s daughter is sent home from school one day not feeling great. Madeleine knew Clara had been slightly under the weather but she had a TV appearance she needed to go to so Clara was sent to school. It's only when Kate notices Rosie is not well and a rash is all over her body that measles is diagnosed and before she knows it Madeleine finds that Clara too has measles. This is where the debate really begins? Should Madeline have sent her daughter to school knowing she was under the weather and therefore exposing other children to illness? Yet one thinks how on earth could she have known it was measles.
Being a teacher myself, I see children sent to school and you know by taking one look at them that they are not well and would have been better off at home and not spreading their germs everywhere. But parents sometimes have no choice if they have no one to mind them and cannot take time off from their work. OK a cold or a sniffle one can manage in school but a vomiting bug or something more serious thae yes there is no way they should be in school. The fact of the matter in this case was how could Madeleine really have known how seriously ill her daughter was, combined with that how would she have known the eventual outcome for both young girls.
I don't blame either woman for their actions and I certainly believe Kate was right at the time in the major decision she was faced with. Even though that choice meant everything she had was put on the line and public opinion could either go against her or very firmly back her up. She put friendships and loyalties on the line but at the end of the day it was all for her daughter. Her heart and soul, her ray of light although that ray had ever diminished. Kate wanted justice for what had occurred and who could really blame her? Anger plays a huge part but at the same time I think Kate was thinking long term and wanted all the best that could be provided for her daughter. Yes I did feel sympathy for the situation Madeleine and her family found themselves facing but on the other hand I was angry at her for the choice she had made as it had affected a little girls life so much and she in some ways she seemed to get away scot free. On reflection I wouldn't have wanted to be in either Kate or Madeleine's position.
One character who I have not mentioned is Lucy. She was friends with both Kate and Madeleine as they all have children in the same class. She was the person who was most torn in two with conflicting and divided loyalties. Lucy provided a great support system to the women when needed most and there was one particular scene near to the end where she spoke so eloquently and with such passion that you knew she too was a remarkable woman.
Keep You Safe without question is the best thing Melissa Hill has written in a long time. It really was that just one more chapter kind of book and before you know it you had a hundred or more pages read so eager were to discover the outcome. Cliché though it may sound this book is ideal for a book club as there is so much to debate and every one has their own opinions on vaccinations. The ending and the last few chapters were brilliant and yes Melissa Hill did shock me but it was so cleverly done. The research throughout for this book was impeccable and I never felt the story was becoming bogged down in medical or law terminology instead the way it was written the story flowed so well and presented you with a gauntlet of emotions with the turn of each page. I really hope Melissa writes more books in this vein in the future because it certainly has put her back on my list of go to authors. If there is one book you read in the next weeks do make sure it is Keep You Safe. Pure and simple it is just brilliant.
Many thanks to Harper Collins Ireland for sending me a copy of Keep You Safe to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
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