The Surrogate Mother
By Freida McFadden
Published by Poisoned Pen Press
ISBN-10: 1464228604, ISBN-13: 978-1464228605
Buy this book from Amazon UK
'The Surrogate Mother' by Freida McFadden was originally self-published in 2018. It was rereleased in 2025, possibly in anticipation of the movie The Housemaid, which is based on another novel by the same author. Having seen the book on bestseller lists recently, I resolved to take the plunge.
The plot will be familiar to anyone who has read or watched psychological thrillers – Single White Female and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle both come to mind – where one woman attempts to oust another from her home, job and marriage. I don't think this is much of a spoiler, as the original cover carried the tagline: 'You want a baby… she wants your life.'
Abby and her husband Sam have had several unsuccessful rounds of IVF, and after their planned adoption falls through, Abby's assistant Monica – who bears a striking resemblance to her – offers to act as their surrogate. In return, the couple agree to fund Monica's postgraduate degree.
Abby and Sam are financially well-off (Abby, in particular, has a trust fund), but surrogacy does not appear to have been seriously considered before Monica's suggestion. Even then, they don't explore other options – which would be open to them as wealthy Americans – such as gestational surrogacy with an egg donor and screened surrogate.
A legal agreement is drawn up, and Monica quickly becomes pregnant through artificial insemination using Sam's sperm. Everything is handled through a clinic, in one of the few parts of the story where decisions seem to have been made rationally.
The story is told from Abby's perspective, so the reader is aware of her thoughts and what she knows at any given time. Abby is supposed to be intelligent and successful, but as a reader, I found it very difficult to believe that she would overlook so many blatant clues as to what was going on, especially as the novel progresses.
Even before Monica becomes pregnant, Abby notices some inconsistencies in her story, but brushes these doubts aside. This feels ill-advised, but plausible given how much she wants to be a mother, and how she feels this is her only option.
Early in the pregnancy, Abby begins to suspect Monica is flirting with Sam. Monica has gone from dressing 'like a nun' to full-on femme fatale mode every time she meets up with him. At the same time, things also start going mysteriously wrong at work: missed meetings, diary clashes and lost presentations.
Yet Abby fails to connect the events or notice that Monica is sabotaging her at work to make sure she misses medical appointments related to the pregnancy. She tells herself she's being paranoid, but a couple of screenshots of her calendar could have resolved her doubts either way.
Monica also displays an increasing attachment to the baby, including wanting to keep the sonogram pictures and not correcting medical staff who assume Sam is her husband.
As the pregnancy progresses, Monica's gaslighting and manipulation become so outlandish that it is impossible to suspend disbelief. It is preposterous that Abby wouldn't notice that Monica was spiking her coffee with methamphetamine, for example.
By this point, I would definitely have put the book aside if I hadn't agreed to write a review for BioNews. I understand that to reach the dénouement, Monica has to (almost?) succeed, but getting there via Abby's wilful blindness and apparent stupidity makes the whole reading experience frustrating. I will, however, refrain from spoiling the ending in case you haven't been put off reading the book!
The plot certainly plays on fears that parents considering surrogacy may experience. Having someone else carry something as precious as your child must require an enormous amount of trust, and I'm sure feelings of paranoia can creep in alongside anxiety, gratitude and joy.
What is less believable is why a beautiful and brilliant (if unbalanced) 23-year-old is so desperate to ensnare a maths lecturer nearing 40, even if he is quite handsome. Monica's intelligence, planning and ruthlessness are such that she could certainly have set her sights on much loftier goals if she chose.
Pregnancy is a great plot choice for a thriller – the nine-month timescale sets a natural 'ticking clock' for the action, and the couple's desire for a child means the stakes are high. However, for me at least, the character writing in this book is too weak to be redeemed. It simply isn't very entertaining watching a protagonist make terrible decisions for 300-plus pages. Your time could be better spent elsewhere!
Buy The Surrogate Mother from Amazon UK.
Sources and References
Related Articles
Book Review: Swallows
Swallows offers an imperfect portrayal of surrogacy but a thoughtful take on class, power imbalance and gender roles, according to BioNews editor Jen Willows...