Advance Praise for Hold My Girl
“Charlene Carr pulls off an extraordinary emotional tightrope walk with these imperfect characters and the impossible situation they’re thrust into. Each fresh twist had me shifting my sympathies until the very end. Hold My Girl is a beautiful, unflinching examination of what it means to be a mother.”
— Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
“For fans of Ashley Audrain’s THE PUSH and Celeste Ng’s LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, this breathtakingly taut story will pin you to your seat. Charlene Carr plumbs the deepest secrets of motherhood with an unflinching eye, while delivering a poignant exploration of how much our hearts can carry. Sure to inspire engrossing book club discussions, this novel will stay with you long after you read the last word.”
— Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky
“In Hold My Girl, Charlene Carr unflinchingly pulls the reader into the broken hearts and spiraling minds of two mothers who are thrust into an unimaginable situation. With poignant insight and – at times – unsettling accuracy, Carr has crafted not only a compelling, intensely propulsive page turner, but a deeply emotional exploration into the very essence of what it means to be a mother. I was spellbound from start to finish.”
— Heather Marshall, author of the #1 instant bestseller Looking For Jane
“Hold My Girl is an emotionally complex, absolute triumph of a novel that raises thought-provoking questions about what it means to be a mother, a wife, and a friend. Charlene Carr writes fearlessly and brilliantly from the heart about motherly love, loss, and difficult moral choices. Her characters are so real, you ache for them as they struggle to do the right thing in impossible circumstances. I was riveted from the first page and couldn’t stop reading. I needed to know how this beautiful, heart-wrenching book would end. It’s an absolute must-read.”
— Julianne MacLean, USA Today bestselling author of A Curve in the Road
“Hold My Girl is a pulsating page turner of a novel which will forever change how you think about motherhood, biology and family. I tore through the pages of this gorgeous gripping story of who gets to be a mother, and how instinct, love and longing will either break us, or transform us—an incredible book!”
— Christy Ann Conlin, author of Heave, Watermark and The Speed of Mercy
HOLD MY GIRL deftly explores the tribulations of motherhood through a compelling narrative that portrays both sides of a headline-making controversy about biology, motherhood, and race. Thoughtful, tense, and affecting, Charlene Carr has skillfully crafted a page-turning story with compassion at its centre.
— Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
“Hold My Girl is a deeply resonant story of loss, infertility, and the complexities of motherhood. Filled with the ache of longing familiar to those who have hoped for a child, Hold My Girl captures the painful experience of infertility and the lengths many of us go to become mothers. For those who have experienced the loss of a baby or those who have endured the trials of IVF, you will see yourself reflected in both Katherine and Tess. For readers who haven’t, you will find renewed compassion and empathy for those in your life who have. I’ve been waiting for a book like this to land on my nightstand, and I am grateful it finally exists. I couldn’t have loved it more.”
— Joanne Gallant, author of A Womb in the Shape of a Heart
“A compelling and thought-provoking read. In HOLD MY GIRL, Charlene Carr dares to ask What if? when there are no easy answers. This is a page-turner of a story that explores motherhood, vulnerability, and colourism in the age of assisted fertility. Congratulations to Charlene on turning a real-life thought into a fictional scenario to such great effect!”
— Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
“A tender exploration of secrets, loss, and motherhood, and the lengths the heart will go to protect what it has found. A moving case study of what it means to truly move with empathy, grace, and compassion within those gray unspoken spaces of our lives.”
— Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, international bestselling author of In Every Mirror She’s Black
“What would you do if the child you birthed is not biologically yours and the other mother wants her back? Hold My Girl poses that very question in this breathtaking, gut-wrencher of a page-turner. Charlene Carr deftly crafts this story of motherhood, identity, and family ties with unflinching honesty. With every twist and turn that unfolds, you’ll be left emotionally invested in and sympathizing with both Katherine and Tess, two flawed characters as real as the rest of us. This is a story that’ll stick with you long after you finish reading.”
— Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post & Amazon Charts Bestselling Author
“A future classic of fertility noir.”
— Leah Hazard, Sunday Times bestselling author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife’s Story
“In HOLD MY GIRL, Carr does a remarkable job exploring an emotionally fraught topic in a way that is both deeply thought-provoking while also relatable. In the vein of Jodi Picoult, she weaves a tale where there is empathy for both sides of the story, forcing the reader to put themselves in the characters’ shoes and ask the question: what would I do? A poignant look at motherhood, identity and what it means to be a family, HOLD MY GIRL will linger with you long after you close the pages.”
— Kalyn Fogarty, author of What We Carry
“A tense, captivating book that will both set your heart racing and wrench it apart.”
— Ronali Collings, author of Love & Other Dramas
“Charlene Carr’s poignant novel, Hold My Girl, holds nothing back in the story of two mothers and one daughter. A story that is both every mother’s dream and every mother’s nightmare, Carr bares the soul of her characters in ways few writers can as she exposes their darkest secrets and desires. An emotional and thought-provoking read I will not soon forget.”
— Barbara Conrey, USA Today bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodbye
“A page turner of a novel that will break your heart.”
— Julie Ma, author of Richard + Judy’s ‘Search For a Bestseller’ winner Happy Families
“[A] tender and absorbing novel with engaging characters that twists the heart. It’s unafraid to address difficult issues that go to the core of what makes us human.”
— Rachel Hore, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Beautiful Spy
“An unforgettable story about two strong women thrown into an impossible situation. Carr, a compelling storyteller at the top of her game, begins with a narrative that could come straight from the news and effortlessly mixes in aspects of race, culture, class, and mental health to add irresistible tension and complexity. I found myself both moved by the characters and spurred to examine my own assumptions and biases, as the story moves gracefully toward its surprising yet inevitable conclusion.”
— Barbara Josselsohn, Best-selling author of The Lilac House and The Cranberry Inn
