A Hidden Fate - by Carol Efron (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A poignant novel of love under fire about a woman who must find the courage to face an uncertain future--and an impossible choice.

Baltimore, 1986. Julia and Matt are newlyweds, in love and eager to begin graduate school. Julia longs to leave behind haunting memories of her mother's devastating decline in Maryland, but she unexpectedly learns the truth her father has hidden: Her mother died of a fatal genetic illness. Julia now faces a 50 percent chance of inheriting the same fate, and every child she longs to have will carry the same risk.

When an unplanned pregnancy rocks their careful plans, Julia and Matt face agonizing uncertainty and impossible choices. Desires and convictions pull them toward starkly different paths, each possibly leading to misery.

As the couple struggles to protect the fragile, fierce love that first bound them together, they face the cost of secrets and the ache of betrayal--but they also discover the hope of forgiveness.

Review Quotes

"Efron's thoughtful, emotionally charged novel explores genetic inheritance, family secrets, and the impossible moral questions that arise when the future is only partly known. . . . readers drawn to medically informed family dramas will appreciate the care, empathy, and moral complexity here."--BookLife Reviews

"Sensitive and emotional, A Hidden Fate explores the life of a young married couple as they struggle with the threat of the wife developing a devastating illness. Efron's characters are so well drawn that the reader will feel the intensity of their relationship as they travel the tenuous journey of heartache and self-discovery."--Terry Persun, author of Cathedral of Dreams and Hear No Evil

"These stakes are enormous: A powerful, complex novel about newlyweds making agonizing choices after a frightening revelation of the wife's genetic inheritance. Efron sensitively probes the psyche of a woman struggling with herself, her husband, and others in her life over decision that will affect them all."--Ed Levy, creator of the musicals Bystander, Trifles, and Lucy/Bluebeard

"Newlyweds move to Baltimore to start graduate school, but anticipation is shattered by shocking medical news and a wife must balance maintaining hope with obtaining clarity about a possibly dark and cruel fate. With tender yet clear-eyed intelligence, Efron asks: Does one seek to learn the future when the knowledge may be devastating?"--Sandra Scofield, author of Little Ships and The Scene Book

"For many women, the longing for motherhood collides with harsh biological realities. A Hidden Fate is an engrossing, suspenseful novel following one woman's path as she confronts that collision--and the impossible choices she must make."--Monica Starkman MD, author of The End of Miracles and Psychology Today columnist

"Family secrets, the rights of parents, maternal love, and the importance of living one's life to the fullest all come into play as Julia, the protagonist in Carol Efron's intriguing novel, faces an excruciating and fateful decision."--Jerry Burger, PhD, author of Shadows of 1915

"Psychiatrist Carol Efron brings her unique experiences and perspectives to bear in crafting a family drama about closely guarded secrets and life-altering decisions. The characters in this heartbreaking tale confront Freud's dictum that 'biology is destiny' with fear, courage, and love as they grapple with the dilemmas that will one day face us all. A most compelling story."--Jason Brandt, PhD, Professor Emeritus, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

About the Author

Carol Efron is a physician and writer. She earned her MD from Johns Hopkins and served on the faculty at Johns Hopkins and Stanford before building a thriving private practice in Silicon Valley. Her medical research--much of it on Huntington's disease--has been published in leading journals. Witnessing the dilemmas posed by genetic testing inspired the questions at the heart of her debut novel. Efron has spent the past decade studying fiction craft, leading a writers' critique group, and running a fifteen-year book club. She currently resides in Menlo Park, California.