Not My Daughter

By: Barbara Delinsky

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

A pregnancy pact between three teenaged girls puts their mothers' love to the ultimate test in this explosive new novel from Barbara Delinsky, “a first-rate storyteller who creates characters as familiar as your neighbors.” (Boston Globe)



When Susan Tate's seventeen-year-old daughter, Lily, announces she is pregnant, Susan is stunned. A single mother, she has struggled to do everything right. She sees the pregnancy as an unimaginable tragedy for both Lily and herself.



Then comes word of two more pregnancies among high school juniors who happen to be Lily's best friends-and the town turns to talk of a pact. As fingers start pointing, the most ardent criticism is directed at Susan. As principal of the high school, she has always been held up as a role model of hard work and core values. Now her detractors accuse her of being a lax mother, perhaps not worthy of the job of shepherding impressionable students. As Susan struggles with the implications of her daughter's pregnancy, her job, financial independence, and long-fought-for dreams are all at risk.



The emotional ties between mothers and daughters are stretched to breaking in this emotionally wrenching story of love and forgiveness. Once again, Barbara Delinsky has given us a powerful novel, one that asks a central question: What does it take to be a good mother?

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR NOT MY DAUGHTER

"A topical tale that resonates with timeless emotion." —People, 3 1/2 stars

"Delinsky proves once again why she's a perennial bestseller with this thought-provoking tale.... Timely, fresh, and true-to-life." —Publishers Weekly

"Emotionally intelligent... Delinsky has a knack for exploring the battlefields of contemporary life." —Kirkus



PRAISE FOR BARBARA DELINSKY'S PREVIOUS NOVELS

“Engrossing reading.” —People

“The author seamlessly resolves relationship issues . . . with absorbing storytelling–a winning combination.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Delinsky is a first-rate storyteller who creates believable, sympathetic characters who seem as familiar as your neighbors.”
—The Boston Globe

Dates, but good

Susan, once a teen mother, now principal of the local high school, never thought her daughter Lily would be part of a pregnancy pact at age seventeen. The whole town seems to blame Susan, her job now in jeopardy. Meanwhile Lily and her two friends are blissfully unaware that parenting is hard work.

NOT MY DAUGHTER feels dated, at least I hope it is. I enjoyed reading Barbara Delinsky’s novel, but was angered by the misogyny in the town. Pregnancy pacts have happened, and they are tragic for all involved. Delinsky did a great job portraying the innocence and naïveté of the teenagers. The parents all seemed to have the same angered reaction. I was surprised no mom or dad pushed abortion or adoption as legitimate choices for their daughters, which would have added more depth to the story.

As pleasurable as NOT MY DAUGHTER was to read, I have a hard time recommending this predictable, dated story. It’s not a bad book, but not great either.

Food for thought.

Everyone has faults. How you deal with your own and others are key to character.

interesting distraction

I like Delinsky's style and, for the most part, the character's she creates. she approaches this unusual topic from many angles and offers an unbalanced understanding of several POVs. the story seems to make light of an actual end result of the girls' decision, I think. The conclusion doesn't offer a fair 'end game' reality that these silly girls created for themselves - and their kids.

Enjoyable Audio

This audible rendition of “Not My Daughter” held my interest from beginning to end. I was able to identify with the storyline, having been pregnant as a teenager. This book brought back painful memories and lingering questions about the baby I birthed and his life. He remains in my heart forever.

Moving story

I had to read this as part of training for teaching teens about childbirth and being there as labor support for them. I found that this story did a marvelous job of getting into the very real emotions families deal with when a teen is pregnant. I found myself wanting to yell at the parents in the book, feeling empathy towards the girls and wanting to get started on educating teens in my community.