Review: This Was A Fun Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 25, 2014
Un-Expected was a surprise for me - Ms. Worrall is an author I haven't run across before.It's a story about second chances. Lovers in college, Harry walked out on Micah on graduation day, after three years together - with nothing but a curt dismissal. Micah spent the last six years trying to forget the man who broke his heart.Micah returns to his family home, a small village, and reacts with horror when the new neighbor across the lane turns out to be - you guessed it - Harry! As it turns out, Harry had a good reason to abandon Micah and he tells Micah about the years of abuse he and his mother suffered at the hands of his politically powerful, sadistic, notoriously homophobic father.And the rest is the story of how the two give each other a second chance. Micah is a midwife and Harry's mum is pregnant, so there's all kinds of possibilities there. And then, of course, they ultimately have to deal with the horrific father.The writing is excellent throughout. Lots of light, humorous badinage, distinct voices, a wonderful evocation of the rural village and its many nosy, but loyal, inhabitants. What is most unique about this book is the descriptions of the midwife's job. The story takes place in England, whose medical system is radically different from ours in the U.S. (in many ways, better), and Micah works at a private "Birthing Center". The midwives are both men and women, and they're all nurses with advanced degrees. There are several exciting and moving births in addition to the renewal of the love between the main characters, which all add poignancy to the story. My only complaint is that it was a bit too short for my taste.Nonetheless, I recommend this book highly, for a light, and sometimes moving, story of two gentle men and their second chance.