Someone Else's Child

Written by Kylie Orr

Narrated by Cecelia Ramsdale

A gripping contemporary novel from a magnificent new talent that tackles the almost unbreakable loyalty of female friendships, the generosity of community and the lengths we will go to save a child.

Ren will do anything for her best friend, Anna. The news that Anna's daughter Charlotte has terminal brain cancer sends them on a desperate hunt for a cure and their only hope lies in an expensive European drug trial.

Ren jumps on board Anna's fundraising efforts, willing to put everything on the line - her reputation in their close-knit community and all the money she can beg or borrow - to secure Charlotte's place. When the local charity drive quickly becomes a nationwide campaign, townspeople start asking questions about the trial. Questions Ren can't answer.

The more she uncovers, the more Ren realises the truth is darker than she could ever imagine. Are there any lines that won't be crossed in their fight for Charlotte?

PRAISE:

'An unputdownable, one-sitting read.' - Better Reading

'What is a life worth? Who decides? Someone Else's Child kept me up late at night reading to find those answers. A ticking time bomb of a mystery that asks how far would you go to get what you need.' - R.W.R McDonald, Australian author of The Nancys

'Someone Else's Child is a captivating story. In the age of GoFundMe, it raises some very timely questions about friendship, ethics and loyalty.' - Eliza Henry-Jones, author of In The Quiet

'Kylie Orr shines the spotlight on distorted female friendships in a tightly written novel that will have you turning pages past bedtime.' - Fiona Lowe, bestselling Australian author of A Family of Strangers

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781460742235

Kylie Orr

Kylie Orr (she/her) is a Melbourne-based writer who once kicked a winning goal in a charity football match and has never let her family hear the end of it. Over the past fifteen years, her feature articles have been published in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Life and across News Ltd. Kylie's novels explore the darker side of humanity and question what we understand about ourselves. Her debut novel Someone Else's Child was longlisted in the Richell Prize, the MsLexia International Novel Competition and awarded the Dymocks & Fiona McIntosh Commercial Fiction Masterclass scholarship. She lives cliffside on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. She shares the space with her four children, just the one husband and a cat called Alfie who has surprised everyone by taking up space in her camera roll and on her reading chair. Website: kylieorr.com Instagram: @kylieorr_writer

Reviews for Someone Else's Child

[shelleyraec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Debut author Kylie Orr explores friendship, betrayal, and trauma in Someone Else’s Child.With traditional approaches failing to treat eight-year-old Charlotte’s brain tumour, everyone agrees that securing her a place in an overseas clinical trial that offers help is essential, despite the exorbitant costs involved. While Lottie’s heartbroken father Jeremy continues to work to support the family, and her devoted mother Anna, takes sole responsibility for her care, Ren, Lottie’s loving godmother, does what she can to help them all cope with the strain, and is an eager supporter of the fundraising efforts.As the story unfolds from Ren’s perspective, it’s clear she admires Anna, though they are quite different from one another. Orr’s skilful portrayal of their dynamic, which is integral to the plot, is very believable. In their nine years of friendship, Ren has never had reason to suspect Anna capable of deceit or cruelty. If Anna is lately occasionally sharp and demanding, Ren readily accepts the stress and exhaustion of the circumstances as an excuse. While she may not always agree with her friend’s decisions, Ren tells herself she is not a mother, and she trusts that Anna knows what is best for her daughter.Orr stirs a range of strong emotions as the story progresses, from sadness and compassion, to dread and anger, but there is nuance to be found too. Though there is no surprise in regards to the direction the main plot takes, there is growing tension as Ren begins to suspect something is wrong which eventually builds to a dramatic confrontation. I like that Orr also briefly explored the aftermath of events, with an epilogue set three years later.Subplots also add texture to the characters and enhance the story, in particular Ren’s struggle, as a Respite Coordinator for the town council, to find help for a young single mother of disabled son at the end of her rope.Well-written, with complex characterisation, and an emotive plot, Someone Else’s Child is a strong debut. I couldn’t help but consider how I, compared to Ren, would reaction at various points, suggesting this would be a great choice for a book club.