"Thoughtful, tense, and affecting." —Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
"Hold My Girl is a beautiful, unflinching examination of what it means to be a mother." —Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
Two women. Two eggs. One life-changing switch.
Katherine finally has it all. She's spent her entire life striving for perfection—obsessing over her spotless home, maintaining her pristine reputation, building her perfect family—and her hard work has finally paid off. After seven difficult years of trying (and failing) to conceive, Katherine gives birth to Rose, her IVF miracle child, and at last has the one thing she's wanted most of all. But one thing isn't quite perfect. Rose's pale skin doesn't match Katherine's complexion, and an irritating doubt begins to grow in Katherine's mind.
Tess never got the happy ending she wanted. She underwent IVF at the same clinic as Katherine, but after finally conceiving, Tess's daughter was stillborn. Now, nearly one year later, she's approaching rock bottom. Consumed by her grief and without hope for the future, Tess is divorced, broke, and stuck in a dead-end job beneath her skillset.
But shortly before Rose's first birthday, Katherine and Tess get a call from the fertility clinic: Their eggs were switched.
As Katherine's carefully planned life begins to crumble around her, Tess finally sees the glimmer of hope she needed to get her life back on track. Motherhood has always been their dream, and neither woman is prepared to share that claim over Rose. It will take a tense custody battle to decide who deserves to be Rose's mother, but it will also push them to the brink.
With themes of racial identity, loss, and betrayal, Hold My Girl is an emotional novel that will leave you contemplating: What makes a mother?
Genre: General Fiction
"Hold My Girl is a beautiful, unflinching examination of what it means to be a mother." —Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
Two women. Two eggs. One life-changing switch.
Katherine finally has it all. She's spent her entire life striving for perfection—obsessing over her spotless home, maintaining her pristine reputation, building her perfect family—and her hard work has finally paid off. After seven difficult years of trying (and failing) to conceive, Katherine gives birth to Rose, her IVF miracle child, and at last has the one thing she's wanted most of all. But one thing isn't quite perfect. Rose's pale skin doesn't match Katherine's complexion, and an irritating doubt begins to grow in Katherine's mind.
Tess never got the happy ending she wanted. She underwent IVF at the same clinic as Katherine, but after finally conceiving, Tess's daughter was stillborn. Now, nearly one year later, she's approaching rock bottom. Consumed by her grief and without hope for the future, Tess is divorced, broke, and stuck in a dead-end job beneath her skillset.
But shortly before Rose's first birthday, Katherine and Tess get a call from the fertility clinic: Their eggs were switched.
As Katherine's carefully planned life begins to crumble around her, Tess finally sees the glimmer of hope she needed to get her life back on track. Motherhood has always been their dream, and neither woman is prepared to share that claim over Rose. It will take a tense custody battle to decide who deserves to be Rose's mother, but it will also push them to the brink.
With themes of racial identity, loss, and betrayal, Hold My Girl is an emotional novel that will leave you contemplating: What makes a mother?
Genre: General Fiction
Praise for this book
"A tender exploration of secrets, loss, and motherhood, and the lengths the heart will go to protect what it has found. A moving case study of what it means to truly move with empathy, grace, and compassion within those gray unspoken spaces of our lives." - Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström
"In Hold My Girl, Carr does a remarkable job exploring an emotionally fraught topic in a way that is both deeply thought-provoking while also relatable. In the vein of Jodi Picoult, she weaves a tale where there is empathy for both sides of the story, forcing the reader to put themselves in the characters' shoes and ask the question: What would I do? A poignant look at motherhood, identity and what it means to be a family, Hold My Girl will linger with you long after you close the pages." - Kalyn Fogarty
"A tender and absorbing novel with engaging characters that twists the heart. It's unafraid to address difficult issues that go to the core of what makes us human." - Rachel Hore
"An unforgettable story about two strong women thrown into an impossible situation. Carr, a compelling storyteller at the top of her game, begins with a narrative that could come straight from the news and effortlessly mixes in aspects of race, culture, class, and mental health to add irresistible tension and complexity. I found myself both moved by the characters and spurred to examine my own assumptions and biases, as the story moves gracefully toward its surprising yet inevitable conclusion." - Barbara Josselsohn
"Hold My Girl is an emotionally complex, absolute triumph of a novel that raises thought-provoking questions about what it means to be a mother, a wife, and a friend. Charlene Carr writes fearlessly and brilliantly from the heart about motherly love, loss, and difficult moral choices. Her characters are so real, you ache for them as they struggle to do the right thing in impossible circumstances. I was riveted from the first page and couldn't stop reading. I needed to know how this beautiful, heart-wrenching book would end. It's an absolute must-read." - Julianne MacLean
"In Hold My Girl, Charlene Carr unflinchingly pulls the reader into the broken hearts and spiralling minds of two mothers who are thrust into an unimaginable situation. With poignant insight and-at times-unsettling accuracy, Carr has crafted not only a compelling, intensely propulsive page turner, but a deeply emotional exploration into the very essence of what it means to be a mother. I was spellbound from start to finish." - Heather Marshall
"Hold My Girl is a beautiful, unflinching examination of what it means to be a mother." - Shelby Van Pelt
"For fans of Ashley Audrain's The Push and Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, this breathtakingly taut story will pin you to your seat. Charlene Carr plumbs the deepest secrets of motherhood with an unflinching eye, while delivering a poignant exploration of how much our hearts can carry. Sure to inspire engrossing book club discussions, this novel will stay with you long after you read the last word." - Marissa Stapley
"A compelling and thought-provoking read. In Hold My Girl, Charlene Carr dares to ask What if? when there are no easy answers. This is a page-turner of a story that explores motherhood, vulnerability, and colourism in the age of assisted fertility. Congratulations to Charlene on turning a real-life thought into a fictional scenario to such great effect!" - Charmaine Wilkerson
"In Hold My Girl, Carr does a remarkable job exploring an emotionally fraught topic in a way that is both deeply thought-provoking while also relatable. In the vein of Jodi Picoult, she weaves a tale where there is empathy for both sides of the story, forcing the reader to put themselves in the characters' shoes and ask the question: What would I do? A poignant look at motherhood, identity and what it means to be a family, Hold My Girl will linger with you long after you close the pages." - Kalyn Fogarty
"A tender and absorbing novel with engaging characters that twists the heart. It's unafraid to address difficult issues that go to the core of what makes us human." - Rachel Hore
"An unforgettable story about two strong women thrown into an impossible situation. Carr, a compelling storyteller at the top of her game, begins with a narrative that could come straight from the news and effortlessly mixes in aspects of race, culture, class, and mental health to add irresistible tension and complexity. I found myself both moved by the characters and spurred to examine my own assumptions and biases, as the story moves gracefully toward its surprising yet inevitable conclusion." - Barbara Josselsohn
"Hold My Girl is an emotionally complex, absolute triumph of a novel that raises thought-provoking questions about what it means to be a mother, a wife, and a friend. Charlene Carr writes fearlessly and brilliantly from the heart about motherly love, loss, and difficult moral choices. Her characters are so real, you ache for them as they struggle to do the right thing in impossible circumstances. I was riveted from the first page and couldn't stop reading. I needed to know how this beautiful, heart-wrenching book would end. It's an absolute must-read." - Julianne MacLean
"In Hold My Girl, Charlene Carr unflinchingly pulls the reader into the broken hearts and spiralling minds of two mothers who are thrust into an unimaginable situation. With poignant insight and-at times-unsettling accuracy, Carr has crafted not only a compelling, intensely propulsive page turner, but a deeply emotional exploration into the very essence of what it means to be a mother. I was spellbound from start to finish." - Heather Marshall
"Hold My Girl is a beautiful, unflinching examination of what it means to be a mother." - Shelby Van Pelt
"For fans of Ashley Audrain's The Push and Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, this breathtakingly taut story will pin you to your seat. Charlene Carr plumbs the deepest secrets of motherhood with an unflinching eye, while delivering a poignant exploration of how much our hearts can carry. Sure to inspire engrossing book club discussions, this novel will stay with you long after you read the last word." - Marissa Stapley
"A compelling and thought-provoking read. In Hold My Girl, Charlene Carr dares to ask What if? when there are no easy answers. This is a page-turner of a story that explores motherhood, vulnerability, and colourism in the age of assisted fertility. Congratulations to Charlene on turning a real-life thought into a fictional scenario to such great effect!" - Charmaine Wilkerson
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