cover image Tamara's Child

Tamara's Child

B.K. Mayo. Fir Valley Press (www.firvalleypress.com), $14.95 trade paper (407p) ISBN 978-0-9815884-7-6

In Mayo's heavy-handed novel, Tamara Ames is a scared and very pregnant 16-year-old. Abandoned by the baby's father, Tamara is told to leave home by her mother and has only one family member to whom she can turn: her stepbrother, Gary. A sleazy criminal, Gary makes Tamara uncomfortable, but she's run out of options. And it's only a matter of time before Tamara meets a doctor who happens to know an older, wealthy couple who desperately want a baby. Working in concert with Gary, the doctor steals Tamara's child to give to the couple, and though the plan succeeds, Tamara later recognizes her baby and attempts to steal it back, but not before deciding how much she values her child's happiness. While the book's subject matter is charged, there's nothing in the text that's surprising or unique. All of the characters are stereotypical, leading to disengagement from the very beginning.