"Remedies"

Remedies, by Kate Ledger.

No one ever warned you how hard it was going to be, having children. And you could never guess how much destruction they would do to you, inadvertently, or with your own abetment. You could never imagine how desperately you would want to protect yourself.

Remedies tells the story of Simon and Emily Bear - of their failing marriage; their child, Jamie; the child that they lost, Caleb; and of infidelity. Simon, a doctor, is on the verge of a major medical breakthrough, and he ignores Emily and Jamie, inadvertently. Emily, meanwhile, is having an affair with an old flame, which Simon doesn't even realize since he is so busy with his medical practice. The novel shows a family dissolving, slowly, piece by piece, and its done in great detail and at its own pace.

This is Ledger's first novel, and although it was lengthy, it was very good. She describes each facet of the Bear family's lives in such detail that it kept me wanting to read more and more. The ending was not what I expected, but it was one that, when thinking about it, I did agree works for the novel.

3.5 stars out of 5.