Review: An Accidental Mother

Summary: After her divorce, Kate Kindred decided that she would live her life without children. But then she fell in love with Jim, a handsome, caring man who had custody of his two-year-old son, Michael. And she fell in love with the boy, too. During the six years they all lived together, Kate learned the deep joys of motherhood—that was the gift that Michael gave her. But when her relationship with Jim ended, he denied her any contact with Michael. 

And her heart was broken.

An Accidental Mother beautifully describes the joys of mothering a young boy through complicated times. With sweet simple anecdotes and complex emotions, Kate Kindred marks every page with tears, including those that the most loving laughter can bring to any parent. -- Unbridled Books

It's been awhile since I've reviewed a book from Unbridled, and that's very unfortunate because I always know I'm in for a treat when I sit down with one of their books. Seriously, check out their upcoming releases and tell me that there's not a few you want to read! So I figured it was about time to read one and I chose AN ACCIDENTAL MOTHER by Katherine Anne Kindred.

AN ACCIDENTAL MOTHER tells the real-life story of Kate, a divorced (and childless) woman who falls in love with Jim. Jim is a father of two young children and he has custody of his son Michael. So when Kate decides to move in with Jim, she is suddenly thrown into full-fledged motherhood. She immediately falls in love with Michael (and his sister) and discovers that she's pretty happy in the role of mother. Kate takes on all things which define motherhood -- both the good and the bad. In no time at all, she bonds with Michael in a very special way, and it's apparent that they are both extremely attached to each other. (If you have any doubts, just check out his artwork which appears throughout the book.)

And that's pretty much how it was for Kate and Michael for six years -- almost Michael's entire life. Kate was truly the only "mother" he every knew. (His own mother abandoned him when he was young.) However, when Kate and Jim's relationship ends, Kate discovers that she not only loses Jim, but she also loses Michael. Since Kate was never allowed to formally adopt Michael, she has no legal rights to see him. Needless to say, Kate is devastated.

AN ACCIDENTAL MOTHER is a beautiful story about a woman's love for a child, and it most definitely touched my heart. Since I am a mother to a young boy, I could relate to (and even laugh at) Kate's stories about Michael, and I am pretty sure that many mothers will feel the exact same way. So much of this book was just about the simple, everyday events that occur between a mother and child, and I think the author captured these feelings perfectly. In so many ways, I think this book was a beautiful tribute to the relationship between a mother and child.

However, Kate's story doesn't have a happy ending and that absolutely broke my heart. In fact, I found parts of this book to be very difficult to read. I can't imagine being a child's mother for six years and then watching him walk out of my life. And while I could relate to Kate's loss, my heart also broke for Michael -- he's only a little boy. First, he was neglected by his birth mom and then he lost Kate too. How much should a young child have to go through? None of this was his fault, yet he suffered so much. He was just an innocent victim of two adult's relationship woes.....

I don't think you have to be a mother to appreciate this book, but it might affect you a bit more if you are one. THE ACCIDENTAL MOTHER is a heartfelt book about love and loss, and it's guaranteed to touch you and make you think about what constitutes "parental rights."

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book.