Title: The Hidden Child

Author: Louise Fein

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 2nd September 2021

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

From the outside, Eleanor and Edward Hamilton have the perfect life, but they’re harbouring a secret that threatens to fracture their entire world. 

London, 1929. 

Eleanor Hamilton is a dutiful mother, a caring sister and an adoring wife to a celebrated war hero. Her husband, Edward, is a pioneer in the eugenics movement. The Hamiltons are on the social rise, and it looks as though their future is bright.

When Mabel, their young daughter, begins to develop debilitating seizures, they have to face an uncomfortable truth: Mabel has epilepsy – one of the ‘undesirable’ conditions that Edward campaigns against.

Forced to hide their daughter away so as to not jeopardise Edward’s life’s work, the couple must confront the truth of their past – and the secrets that have been buried.

Will Eleanor and Edward be able to fight for their family? Or will the truth destroy them?

Review:

I read People Like Us a few years back and thought it was exceptional so my expectations for The Hidden Child were sky high, and happily I can confirm those expectations were not only met, but exceeded. The Hidden Child is heart wrenching, thought provoking and devastatingly powerful. I was gripped from beginning to end by story of a family caught in a heartbreaking situation.

I knew of the frankly despicable eugenics movement which grew in popularity in the early 20th century and was a cornerstone of the Nazi party’s ideology. I wasn’t aware, however, that it had such support by so called ‘scientists’ here in the UK. The Hidden Child shows exactly how detrimental and devastatingly harmful the views of people who truly believed that anyone who was seen as less than a prime human specimen should be removed from society. It is an indefensible position and consequently makes it very difficult to understand or empathise with Edward in particular, as he desperately tries to hide his daughter away to protect his reputation as a leader in the eugenics movement. What is so remarkable about Louise Fein’s writing is her ability to make everyone in her books feel so real, like living breathing people full of nuance and layers. Whilst she doesn’t shy away from showing the trauma caused by viewing people as ‘defective’, she manages to make the reader care so much about the fate of this family, despite Edward’s damaging opinions. My heart broke for Eleanor, whose entire viewpoint is challenged by her unbreakable bond with and love for Mabel. The Hidden Child is a beautifully crafted, intelligent and powerfully moving story about the horrors of pseudoscience, a mother’s love and the importance of doing what is right. A very easy five stars.

★★★★★

Buy the book:

Waterstones | Blackwell’s | Amazon