The Children Act

Ian McEwan

Sep 2014 · Sold by Anchor

About this ebook

A brilliant, emotionally wrenching novel from the Booker Prize winner and bestselling author of Atonement about a leading High Court judge who must resolve an urgent case—as well as her crumbling marriage.

Fiona Maye is a leading High Court judge who presides over cases in the family division. She is renowned for her fierce intelligence, exactitude, and sensitivity. But her professional success belies private sorrow and domestic strife. There is the lingering regret of her childlessness, and now her marriage of thirty years is in crisis.

At the same time, she is called on to try an urgent case: Adam, a beautiful seventeen-year-old boy, is refusing for religious reasons the medical treatment that could save his life, and his devout parents echo his wishes. Time is running out. Should the secular court overrule sincerely expressed faith? In the course of reaching a decision, Fiona visits Adam in the hospital—an encounter that stirs long-buried feelings in her and powerful new emotions in the boy. Her judgment has momentous consequences for them both.

Don’t miss Ian McEwan’s new novel, Lessons.

Ratings and reviews

I was overall very satisfied with the book. Although it may not be in my usual genre of choice, I found it to be a great reading experience. I particularly appreciated how the author made the complex British legal system easily understandable for someone with little to no legal knowledge. I enjoyed Fiona's character development and found her arc to be well done. On the other hand, I felt that Jack's character lacked purpose and was merely used to drive the plot forward, which detracted slightly from my overall enjoyment. Nonetheless, the portrayal of Adam was well done, capturing the complex and conflicting emotions of a teenager on the cusp of adulthood. The ending was particularly impactful, heart-wrenching, and meaningful, with the story coming full circle to drive home its themes and messages.

A family court judge has to decide on a case that will determine whether a 17 year old child lives or dies,at a time when her husband makes an unusual demand that jeopardizes their marriage.A book that explores law, religious beliefs, and unrequited love, all in a concise style.This was my first McEwan book and it was a pleasure.

Loved it!

About the author

IAN MCEWAN is the critically acclaimed author of seventeen novels and two short story collections. His first published work, a collection of short stories, First Love, Last Rites, won the Somerset Maugham Award. His novels include The Child in Time, which won the 1987 Whitbread Novel of the Year Award; The Cement Garden; Enduring Love; Amsterdam, which won the 1998 Booker Prize; Atonement; Saturday; On Chesil Beach; Solar; Sweet Tooth; The Children Act; Nutshell; and Machines Like Me, which was a number-one bestseller. Atonement, Enduring Love, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach have all been adapted for the big screen.