review: the cradle by patrick somerville

I adored the story Patrick Somerville told with The Cradle. It all begins when Matthew’s pregnant wife decides she needs their baby to sleep in the same cradle she slept. That wouldn’t be too difficult if it weren’t for the fact that Marissa’s mom took off and the cradle was stolen from the house shortly after that. Marissa believes her mom was behind the theft, but she has no idea where her mom is. Matthew eventually agrees to track down the cradle, which is made a little easier when his father-in-law offers up some contact information for his ex-wife’s family. His search leads to a surprising discovery that causes Matthew to revisit painful memories of his time in foster care.

Alternating with Matthew’s story is Renee’s story, which takes place years later. With her son fighting in Iraq, Renee finally breaks down and confesses a secret--one she's kept since the Vietnam War--to her husband. Although I had to keep reminding myself, it’s not hard to put together how Matthew and Renee are connected. How the revelation is made to Renee, however, did come as a surprise. Every paragraph of this book made me want to read the next.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Back Bay Books.