A Mother's Wish

I only read this book because it got a RITA award for 2008. I'm glad it got the award--it deserved it! Well, I don't know what books were up against it, but I do know that this was a great book. The author has a great sense of humor and everyone has their own unique "voice"--even the dog! Lovely book, I'll be reading more by this author. The story is about a young woman who years ago gave up her child for adoption. It was supposed to be an "open adoption" but she realized after 6 months that she couldn't take little piecemeal bits of her kid--it was too painful. So she made a clean break. Some years later, she feels a "push" to look in on the kid again, just to make sure he's okay. She has no intention of meddling. Unbeknownst to her, the wonderful adoptive couple she chose is one person short--the mother died the year before, and the husband and son haven't yet recovered from the grief. Of course she ends up getting involved in their struggles, even though almost every day she plans to leave--but something always gets in her way. Almost like cosmic intervention. You'll have to read the book to find out how it ends.