Written in the Stars (Mothers and Daughters Collection) by Angela Christina Archer – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Written in the Stars by Angela Christina Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

‘Written in the Stars’ is an emotional, heartwarming and at times heartbreaking story about adoption and finding birth parents. I was hooked from start to finish and was definitely taken on an emotional rollercoaster whilst reading this novel. In 1950 single unwed pregnant daughters would be sent to live in ‘houses of shame’ as they where commonly known. Here the women would stay until they had given birth and then their babies would be given up in closed adoptions. Following this the women would have to go on with their lives as though nothing had happened. This is what happens to seventeen year old Betty Hamilton in this story after letters to the “love of her life” Charlie go unanswered. After the baby is adopted Betty is forced to return to her parents house and make a new life for herself.

Years later and Marlena discovers that she was in fact adopted, something she had never imagined, after her father becomes ill and she can’t help him. Her adopted parents then tell her that they adopted her when she was just a few hours old from an unknown woman from the Dartmouth Home for Wayward Girls. Marlena decides to look for her biological parents and in doing so uncovers the secrets behind their love, her birth and what happened to them both following her adoption. Marlena hopes that she will be able to meet them but is she already to late. This was a gripping read and I felt connected to both Betty and Marlena which made me feel engaged with their story. I definitely recommend this book but also recommend having a box of tissues near by whilst reading it.

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