New Book Alert: Birthrights by Carly Rheilan; Intricate Thriller About Motherhood and Obsession

 

New Book Alert: Birthrights by Carly Rheilan; Intricate Thriller About Motherhood and Obsession 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Birthrights by Carly Rheilan is a memorable and intricate thriller about obsessions and the lengths people will go through to have a baby.

Dr. Ana Griffin is looking forward to the upcoming birth of her little bundle of joy. She enjoys the compliments that she is getting about her pregnancy belly. She likes that she is able to continue giving lectures such as her criticism of psychiatric medicine so she could be seen as a powerhouse mama who has it all. She decorates her home with a nursery, toys, and baby decor. She wants to be a mother so badly that she is counting the days until the time. Unfortunately there is something wrong with this scenario as one of her patients, David witnesses. Ana is attacked and as her assailant draws a knife on her abdomen, the knife goes through nothing but air.

It turns out Ana isn't pregnant at all. In fact she can't have children. She has created an intricate web of lies to cover up her deception including wearing a fake pregnancy belly and hiring and practically imprisoning a Slovakian  woman, Otka, so Ana can claim and raise her baby as her own. 

Birthrights is captivating in how Ana's motivations are revealed and how she weaves her plan involving others. We peer into her lonely childhood as she protects her younger brother, Teddy from abusive and neglectful parents. This glimpse into Ana's past shows someone whose obsession came from a certain place where she was unloved and unappreciated. Even though she has achieved professional success in psychiatry, it isn't enough for her. Her maternal instincts aren't just kicking in. They are practically knocking her over.

Rheilan goes into great detail about how Ana plans to take and raise the baby for herself. She is desperate because all other avenues towards motherhood including birth, adoption, and surrogacy are closed to her. Ana uses everyone around her to achieve her goal of motherhood. She keeps Otka and her husband, Janos well paid and has them living outside of London so they don't encounter anyone that she knows. When she shares news of her "pregnancy" with colleagues, it's information about Otka's pregnancy that she has. All of the details are under a separate name so they don't trace the paper trail to her. 

Also since technically, Otka is aware that Ana is going to have the baby once she delivers and is even getting paid for it, the legal ramifications would be extremely hard to pursue or press charges. Ana is certainly guilty of faking a pregnancy, medical fraud, and entrapment but Otka is also an accessory in a foreign country in which she barely speaks the language. Certainly the money puts her in a better position than she was in before. Otka knows if she goes to the police then she will also be in trouble. Ana is a schemer that is so confident that nothing will get past her. She believes that she is several steps above everyone else.

There are many suggestions that Ana's desires for motherhood lie more towards narcissism than a genuine love for a child. She wants someone that can love her unconditionally and will never leave her.

Once Ana's plan is unraveled beginning with the stabbing, her more violent nature comes out. She uses various people including a pair of patients, one of whom is obsessed with her, an admiring colleague, her competitive supervisor, and others to cover her tracks or to maintain her deception of impending motherhood. Once her elaborate scheme begins to fall apart, her more violent tendencies are unleashed and she is willing to throw anyone under the bus, except of course for her upcoming baby. 

Birthrights is an engaging book about how one woman's obsession goes so far that she ruins many lives  including her own and ironically the baby that she longs to have.