The Herd

 By:Emily Edwards 

Location: FIC EDW

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

You should never judge how someone chooses to raise their child.

Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They're the best of friends, and godmothers to each other's daughters - because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority.

But what if their choice could harm your own child?

Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child's birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined . . .

Review by Aisha

‘Elizabeth and Bryony have been friends since university, although polar opposites in many ways the friends have one thing in common - they both regard the safety of their children to be their highest priority.

Until they come to realise that the way in which they ensure this safety could totally tear them apart.’

This book! 👏🏻 Achingly thought provoking and blisteringly relevant - even if you didn’t enjoy it, there’s no denying that it got you thinking. The story of two very different points of view has been told with great compassion and sensitivity. It’s really hard to work out which way the author feels about the topic and as a result the novel is so well balanced and fairly portrays the opinions of those who vaccinate and those who don’t.

As a parent, I of course count my children’s safety as number one priority and as a result found parts of this book to be very upsetting; my heart ached for the families and I found myself totally gripped and invested in the story. A fascinating and timely read, excellently executed, one that is sure to get book clubs up and down the country ferociously discussing it.