Brilliant, overachieving Abigail is a thirty-something associate at a New York City law firm, with partnership aspirations. Her German-Jewish mother has recently succumbed to cancer, and now her father is living in Florida with his new girlfriend.
We learn, from the first page, that Abigail is six months’ pregnant and unmarried. So, we are led to think that Tim, the good-looking stranger who helps her up after she trips in a ditch in the street will be a perfect candidate to make her an “honest woman.” Or so it seems…
While this book initially has the makings of romance fiction, it quickly becomes more complex. An assignment takes Abigail to a tropical island toward the end of her pregnancy, when most women are restricted from flying. One would think Abigail is unwise to take this trip, but it nevertheless charts the course for most of the events that follow, including the introduction of characters who end up playing major roles in her life.
Truth is, this Phi Beta Kappa forgets her pill and has unprotected sex. When Abigail realizes she packed last month’s used prescription card, will doing “fifty jumping jacks” the next morning really prevent conception? Seriously?
Will Abigail end up with Tim, the man who went from pothole helper to friend, to love interest, to labor coach? Or with Richard, the father of her little girl Chloe, who Abigail attempts to dismiss from her life because of a major misunderstanding and misinterpretation of a single phone call?
Then there’s the pressure to become partner in a corrupt law firm that poor, driven Abigail endures daily.
Abigail’s story seems nearly identical to that of Sex and the City’s Miranda Hobbes, the driven law associate toiling toward partnership, who had an “oops” moment with unitesticle Steve. Other colorful characters abound, such as crotchety Evelyn MacAdam and the mystical Arlie Rajani, Chloe’s nanny — who, although uneducated like her boss Abigail, shows wisdom with her prescient advice. How could Abigail/Miranda have survived without her clever Arlie/Magda?
Great with Child is often predictable, but do be prepared to expect the unexpected. Touches of legalese, along with gorgeous prose, entice the reader into each scene.
