Somebody Else's Daughter

by Elizabeth Brundage

Book Overview

A taut, complex psychological thriller from the author of "The Doctor's Wife" Like "The Doctor's Wife" - which "The Boston Globe" called "a compelling read"-"Somebody Else's Daughter" is a literary page-turner peopled with fascinating and disturbing characters. In the idyllic Berkshires, at the prestigious Pioneer School, there are dark secrets that threaten to come to light. Willa Golding, a student, has been brought up by her adoptive parents in elegant prosperity, but they have fled a mysterious and shameful past. Her biological father, a failing writer and former drug addict, needs to see the daughter he abandoned, and so he gains a teaching position at the school. A feminist sculptor initiates a reckless affair, the Pioneer students live in a world to which adults turn a blind eye, and the headmaster's wife is busy keeping her husband's current indiscretions well hidden. Building to a breathtaking collision between two fathers-biological and adoptive, past and present- "Somebody Else's Daughter" is both a suspenseful thriller and a probing study of richly conflicted characters in emotional turmoil.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670019003
• ISBN13: 9780670019007
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Thought Provoking Thriller

I was drawn into Somebody Else's daughter from the first page. Ms. Brundage created characters who were complex, believable, and ultimately like all of us- flawed or scarred in some way. I appreciated her female characters, all different, yet representative of issues women face and how they handle them. Her descriptions were poignant and the voices were real. Elizabeth, through character development, showed us the vulnerablity and disappointment of her male characters. She beautifully gave the point of view of the father having to give up his daughter for adoption, the porn-king struggling with his identity as a provider, husband and father, and the head of school fighting his personal demons. This is a thriller that packs an emotional punch. Whether you read for a great story, or you prefer character development and thought-provoking issues- this is the read for you!

Dark, disturbing, completely gripping

This is a dark, disturbing novel that was difficult to put down. I thought Brundage tackled some heavy issues in her debut novel, The Doctor's Wife, but she took on an even more massive load in Somebody Else's Daughter. Adoption, alcoholism, drug addiction, pornography, sexual abuse, murder, AIDS, prostitution, adultery. Thanks to Brundage's skill as an author, there is a lot going on, but it doesn't overwhelm. She slowly weaves together seemingly disparate story lines and characters in a masterful way that never fails to leave me in awe of her talent as a storyteller. What I love about Brundage is how she sets up her story. She takes her time, slowly creating a sense of place and developing her characters superbly. All of this is imbued with a subtle, underlying sense of suspense. I find myself reading her opening chapters with relish, knowing that she is building, gradually and deliberately, a gripping crescendo. A distinct difference between this novel and Brundage's debut, for me, was the likability of the characters. Though The Doctor's Wife held me in its grip, I struggled to truly like any of the characters, despite the fact that they were extremely well-developed. Reading Somebody Else's Daughter, I found it easy to love several characters. Willa was conflicted and sensitive, spurning many of the elitist attitudes she had been raised in the midst of. Several of the characters - Willa's adoptive parents, Claire the feminist sculptor, Claire's pot-smoking son Teddy - were flawed but basically, in the end, good people. And Willa's biological father, Nate, well, I kind of fell in love with him ... a struggling writer with a past, he was handsome, passionate, wise, and sensitive - a perfect hero.

Wonderful Book

I really enjoyed this book. It had me hooked from the first page. There are so many suprises. This book has deep emotions, and it it just so well written. It took me only one day to read, b/c I simply could not put it down. Highly Recomended!

A Phenomenal Read!

I read Somebody Else's Daughter in one sitting last night, pulling my first all-nighter since college; I literally couldn't get to sleep without knowing what was going to happen. I found the novel thrilling, suspenseful, and incredibly well written. The detail involved in depicting each character's inner thoughts and differing assessments of various situations ws truly fantastic. I'm an avid reader and I can't remember the last time I was this wowed by a novel.

Thought Provoking Literary Novel Disguised as a Thriller

From the very first page I was completely caught up in the lives of these characters. This is a novel about several families who are challenged by frustrating times. The story revolves around a group of people who are involved with a private school in the Berkshires. Nate, a recovered heroin addict and struggling writer, returns to the town where he had given up his baby in a private adoption seventeen years before. He is an interesting and likable character who is anxious to find resolution in his life. Other characters come into his life, including his biological daughter, Willa. I don't want to say too much to give the story away, but I became a fan of this writer when I read her first book and I was very happily surprised by this one, which is just as gripping, but somehow even more intense. I highly recommend it. If you like thrillers, but also like good literary fiction,this is a combination of both. Read it!