NOT MY DAUGHTER:REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
NOT MY DAUGHTER
BY BARBARA DELINSKY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When Susan Tate's 17-year-old daughter, Lily, announces she is pregnant, Susan is stunned. A single mother, she has struggled to do everything right. She sees the pregnancy as an unimaginable tragedy both for Lily and herself.

Then comes word of two more pregnancies among high school seniors who happen to be Lily's best friends - and the town turns to talk of a pact. But criticism of the girls quickly becomes criticism of their mothers, especially of Susan, who holds a visible position in town. As principal of the high school, she is considered a role model of hard work and core values. Now her detractors accuse her of being a lax mother, perhaps not worthy of the job of shepherding impressionable students. Susan is still struggling with the personal implications of her daughter's pregnancy, when she hears calls for her resignation.

But what of her close friendship with the two other moms? Are they any less at fault than she is? The friendships suffer - but shouldn't loyalty trump community pressure? And what of a fourth friend, who has power enough to minimize the fallout but whose own daughter has a murky tie to the pact?

Set in a small Maine town that cherishes responsibility, Not My Daughter raises many issues, not the least of which is the age-old question: What does it take to be a good mother?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

BARBARA DELINSKY is the author of more than seventeen bestselling novels with over twenty million copies in print. She has been published in twenty-five languages worldwide. Barbara lives with her family in New England.

Barbara Delinsky can be found online here: Website: http://www.barbaradelinsky.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bdelinsky Twitter: http://twitter.com/BarbaraDelinsky

REVIEW:

Barbara Delinsky has once again written a wonderfully, relevant, fascinating story that could have been torn from today's headlines. This is the story of teenage girls making a pact to all get pregnant at the same time and effects their decision has on an entire town. It takes place in fictional Zaganack, Maine, which is a small company town with many family ties and much community spirit and loyalty...or so it is thought. When the well-liked high school principal's daughter Lily tells her mom she is pregnant, single mother Susan is beyond shock. A respected, loving mother with a good relationship with her daughter, Susan doesn't know how this could have happened.

Lily goes on to explain that after caring for some babies over the summer, she and her 3 best friends--Mary Kate, Jess, and Abby--all decided that they would get pregnant together because they could be better mothers to cute little babies of their own. When Lily tells her mother that Mary Kate and Jess are also already pregnant, Susan knows that this is far greater a problem as she will be questioned about her leadership at the high school. But initially, Susan's concern is only for her daughter. As Susan had chosen not to marry Lily's father, it is a difficult position for her to work from. Lily's father, Rick, however has remained part of their lives, and so Susan lets Rick know and he supports her and in fact becomes more involved than ever.

The mothers of all 4 girls not only are Susan's good friends, but also in a side business together. When the news gets out, the character of each of these women as well as THEIR relationships begins to be questioned. How could they have let this happen? Susan especially finds herself having to defend her role as a mother and principal, especially since she is a single mom. The "friendly, close-knit" community soon takes sides, mostly against Susan.

What happens to Lily and the girls and their babies? Do they choose to have and keep their babies? How involved will the fathers be? Will Susan lose her job as well as her friendships? Each mother and daughter must now step back and look at their own relationship and the future of each of their lives.

Barbara Delinsky has written a can't put down, powerful story filled with real life, well-developed characters. I couldn't find a part I didn't like from the descriptive setting that allowed you to visualize Zaganack, Maine, to the friendships and heartache each mother and daughter felt. Their conversations rang true and the emotions the story invokes are heart felt. I highly recommend Barbara Delinsky's NOT MY DAUGHTER!

IF YOU MISSED MY "INTERVIEW/PHONE CHAT" WITH BARBARA DELINKSY, A FEW MONTHS AGO, CHECK IT OUT HERE. SHE IS A WONDERFUL LADY!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO JUDY AND THE PEOPLE
AT RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING,
I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS FABULOUS
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT
YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN !

THE RULES:

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING (THERE IS SO MUCH TO LOOK AT!) FROM AUTHOR BARBARA DELINSKY'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+5 MORE ENTRIES: FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK BY CLICKING ON THE WIDGET IN THE LEFT HAND COLUMN...PLEASE ENTER THE SAME COMMENT 5 TIMES IF YOU DO THIS AS IT MAKES IT EASIER TO COUNT (TRY CUT AND PASTE AS IT MAKES IT GO FASTER)...THANKS!

DEADLINE FOR ENTERING IS
6 PM, EST, FEBRUARY 21