"Fine contemporary tale with a gender bender twist"
Ten years ago, knowing she had no one to turn to for
assistance, a pregnant Hope Tanner escaped from her
polygamous hometown Superior, Utah. She gave birth across
the border at The Birth Place clinic in Enchantment, New
Mexico. The Birth Place's head Lydia Kane arranged the
adoption of her baby that Hope never touched once the
child left the womb. Over the years she never forgot her
loss though she knows she did the right thing for the sake
of the infant. Hope helps her pregnant sister Faith escape Superior by
taking her to The Birth Place, a place that gave her a
haven during her darkest moments. Feeling good about
seeing people who have her hope when she needed it, Hope
realizes how much she cares about these folks. However,
administrator Parker Reynolds acts displeased and almost
belligerent when he sees Hope, making her wonder who his
son Dalton is. The fifth novel in the Birth Place series (all by
different authors) is a solid contemporary tale with a
gender bender twist. Usually the lead female hides the
child from the unknowing father, but in this case the
adopted dad tries to conceal the lad from his biological
mother. The story line is character driven as the widower
Parker and the mother of his son Hope fall in love. The
secondary cast from his son and in-laws, to the clinic's
staff and her sister add depth to the understanding of the
motives especially the fears of the prime couple making
for a fine time for readers.
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted October 25, 2003
SummaryTen years ago, Hope Tanner escaped from the polygamist
colony where she was born and raised. She was only sixteen
at the time, and pregnant, but she managed to find refuge
in Enchantment, New Mexico, where Lydia Kane, owner of The
Birth Place, took her in.
Hope had her baby in Enchantment, and put the child up for
adoption, then spent the next several, difficult years
getting an education, learning to appreciate her new
freedom, and finally working as an obstetrics nurse. At
twenty-seven, the last thing she wants is go back to
Superior and face down the people from her past,
especially her father and the man she refused to
marry—her own uncle. But she has a sister who wants
out, and she's determined to help her...
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