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The Hidden Child
The Hidden Child: A Novel | Louise Fein
10 posts | 8 read | 3 to read
In this new historical novel by the author of Daughter of the Reich, Londoners Eleanor and Edward Hamilton have wealth, status, and a happy marriage--but the 1929 financial crash is looming, and they're harboring a terrible, shameful secret. How far are they willing to go to protect their charmed life--even if it means abandoning their child to a horrific fate? Eleanor Hamilton is happily married and mother to a beautiful four-year-old girl, Mabel. Her wealthy husband, Edward, a celebrated war hero, is a leading light in the burgeoning Eugenics movement--the very ideas that will soon be embraced by Hitler--and is increasingly important in designing education policy for Great Britain. But when Edward and Eleanor's otherwise perfectly healthy daughter develops debilitating epileptic seizures, their world fractures. Mabel's shameful illness must be hidden or Edward's life's work will be in jeopardy and the family's honor will be shattered. When Eleanor discovers Edward has been keeping secrets, she calls into question everything she believed about genetic inferiority, and her previous unshakeable faith in her husband disintegrates. Alarmed, distressed, and no longer able to bear the family's burden, she takes matters into her own hands. Inspired by the author's personal experience, The Hidden Child illuminates the moral and ethical issues of an era shaped by xenophobia, prejudice, fear, and well-intentioned yet flawed science. Vividly rendered, deeply affecting, and impeccably researched, Louise Fein's new historical novel is a sweeping story and a richly drawn portrait of a family torn apart by shame, deceit, and dangerous ideals.
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review
JillR
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Mehso-so

Edward is a leading scientist in the eugenics movement and believes many should be sterilised to stop them breeding. When his young daughter is diagnosed with epilepsy he immediately blames his wife‘s “bad genes.” This could have been an incredibly interesting fictionalised take of this time but I didn‘t feel it was quite well handled enough to really explore the nuances and take it out of being routine family-saga historical fiction 👇

JillR It was also interminably long, I feel like I‘ve been reading it for about 3-years. The final third/ending very slightly redeemed it, although at the same time was predictable. 3mo
TrishB Won‘t be running to find this! 3mo
JillR @trishb no, I wouldn‘t recommend it! Disappointing as the premise was interesting… 3mo
26 likes3 comments
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Kelican17
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Pickpick

👍🏻👍🏻 book dump 1/5

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Gladly
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Pickpick

It took a while for this book to really grab me but finally I couldn't put it down . The author did an awesome job illustrating the horrible notion of eugenics that supposedly smart men thought was a good idea. Another reason women need to stand for their right to make their own decisions. Women were expected to support this garbage.

sprainedbrain I just started a book that is dealing with eugenics in that same approximate time period. So far I‘m already mad. 2y
Gladly Right?!?! I'll have to find that one too 2y
DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy!! 🎉📚🎉 Hope you enjoy it here! 2y
Gladly Thanks! still learning to navigate it 2y
10 likes4 comments
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SilversReviews
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Secrets….Edward Hamilton has one and now he and his wife have one.

A very good read…hope you add it to your TBR.

FULL POST: https://tinyurl.com/yc5d66dp

@louisefeinauthor

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SilversReviews
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THANK YOU @williammorrowbooks and @goodreads

Reviewed the e-book on my blog on October 19:

https://tinyurl.com/bddhmn7j

34 likes1 stack add
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Lsmoore43
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This is a very difficult book to read in parts. It's about things that happened during the twenties and in parts used children as subjects. I hated that. Set in England. I hated reading about these things, but it was real. It should not be hidden. It should be talked about. Let's not do this again. I sometimes wonder if it is happening or if there are people who are doing these things still. Or that want too. I sure hope not.
4/5 stars

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SilversReviews
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Pickpick

HAPPY PUB DAY!!

Secrets….Edward Hamilton has one and now he and his wife have one.

The book is well written and well researched with many ethical issues being addressed as well.

Historical fiction fans as well as women‘s fiction fans will enjoy this book. 4/5

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/ed2y65wx

@louisefeinauthor
#louisefein
#thehiddenchild
@williammorrowbooks

review
robinb
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Mehso-so

Londoners Edward and Eleanor Hamilton, along with their two children, live a happy and affluent life. Their vivacious 4 yo daughter Mabel is suddenly stricken with seizures and is diagnosed with epilepsy. What follows is the family‘s dilemma of how to deal with her “unfitness” especially as Edward is a prominent leader in the Eugenics Movement (1920s). This review was harder than my usual to write because the story operates on two levels: the 🔻

robinb fictional story of a family trying to both care for their daughter while also protecting their public image (especially Edward); and the very real stigma attached to “otherness” during this time in history. I found the nonfiction part interesting and heartbreaking while I had a couple of issues with the story overall. The story (at 480 pages) was overlong and with the depressing subject matter a challenge for me to get through. 🔻 3y
robinb Of course I had issues with a father who was more concerned about hiding his “defective” child to protect the prestige of his job and to cover his own secrets from the past. But Eleanor was also back and forth on her desire to protect Mabel rather than save her from the questionable treatments/institutions of the day. I also doubted the abrupt change of attitude at the end to wrap up quickly on a more positive note. 🔻 3y
robinb While I applaud and commend the author for tackling a very real and painful issue (especially as it affects her own family), I was left somewhat unsatisfied with the story. As a side note, the story is told alternating between Edward and Eleanor, but there are several instances of an “epilepsy” monologue that I found weird and disturbing. (edited) 3y
See All 9 Comments
Tamra The premise sounds like a good one though. Too bad the execution fell short. (edited) 3y
robinb Yes, it is. And it was an insightful and thought-provoking look at that time period and how they thought about their “undesirables” in society. But she focused (almost ad nauseum) on the snobbishness and entitlement of the upper class. I know it supported the “superiority” of their class, but I felt like it was beating me on the head on every page. It left me weary and exhausted. (edited) 3y
sblbooks This is a book about the Eugenics program that I really enjoyed. Have you read it? 3y
robinb @sblbooks I have not. Thanks! Stacked! 👍 3y
robinb As a PS. I enjoyed a previous book from this author. 3y
sblbooks You're welcome! I hope you enjoy it. 3y
43 likes9 comments
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robinb
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This book is so depressing and anger-inducing that I find myself putting it down often. 😔😡 At only 38% in, it‘s going to be a test of endurance.

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TheBookHippie
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Fascinating story within stories featuring Eugenics, medicine, lots of truth in this one.

Comes out October 19