The seed for Patti Callahan Henry's new novel, And Then I Found You, is based on the real-life story of the author's younger sister who made the difficult decision to give birth to a child and then let her be adopted by another family. Thus And Then I Found You, although fiction, is close to Henry's heart.
The book focuses on Katie and Jack, who were childhood friends and then teenage sweethearts. After college, they were separated by circumstances, but a weekend get-together left Katie pregnant just months before Jack married another woman. Katie decided to keep the baby and let a (anonymous) childless couple adopt the girl that Katie had named Luna.
For thirteen years, Katie and Jack led separate lives, never seeing each other but exchanging a letter once a year on Luna's birthday. Then, as Katie struggled to commit fully to her boyfriend, she decided to see Jack and make a final clean break from any lingering feelings. But things didn't go as planned, and Katie's past and present collided, changing her life forever.
There is no question that Henry captures the conflicted emotions and lasting worries and doubts that many people have after deciding to let another family raise their child. Regardless, And Then I Found You wasn't a good match for me. Even keeping in mind that the novel is based on truth and even though I was sympathetic to Katie and the choices she made regarding her daughter, I found it difficult to fully invest in the book.
The problem is entirely with me, and I'm sure that pretty much every one else who reads And Then I Found You will be drawn to Katie, hoping she finds happiness and healing. I've been trying to pinpoint what bothered me about the book, and I think it is mostly with Katie's constant mixed emotions and inability to pick a path and accept that choice. She wants it all, even when it's clear that's impossible. She had a way of blaming others for the consequences of her own actions, and that made it hard for me to like her.
I read Patti Callahan Henry's novel as part of the She Reads book club. If you head on over the She Reads site, you'll find links to other reviews (almost all positive) and a chance to win a copy of the book so you can make up your own mind.
Buy And Then I Found You at an Indie or at bookstore near you. This link leads to an affiliate program.
St. Martin's Press, 2013
ISBN-13: 9780312610760
Rating: C
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy).
Source:
http://www.bethfishreads.com/2013/04/review-and-then-i-found-you-by-patti.html