I am pleased to be welcoming Marilyn Cohen de Villiers to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her book, The Heart Warrior’s Mother.

Kerry-Anne Aarons is over the moon. She and her husband, Imran Patel, are about to become the parents of a baby daughter, and give their son, Leo, an adored little sister.  It wasn’t planned, but Kerry knows that Lily’s arrival will complete the perfect little family she has always wanted. She, Imran and their two children are going to live happily ever after…

Then life intervenes.

Lily is born with a serious congenital heart defect and Kerry’s battle to save her daughter commences. It’s a battle that takes her from the operating theatres and Intensive Care Units of local hospitals to the High Court of South Africa. It’s a battle that strains her relationships with her friends, her parents, and – ultimately – her husband.  It’s a battle she is determined to win.

But how much will Kerry have to sacrifice to give Lily the future she deserves? 

“A true, cross-generational story of the eternal link between love and pain… the greater the love, the more inevitable the pain. Marilyn Cohen de Villiers once again – with amazing skill – depicts the common humanity that transcends differing cultures.”

James Mitchell – former Book Editor, The Star, Johannesburg

A  percentage of the proceeds of this novel will be donated to the Children’s Cardiac Foundation of Africa, an organisation that funds lifesaving heart surgery for children across the continent.

*****

This was not an easy book to read. It took me through a large rollercoaster of emotions and, I feel that, if you’ve lost a child, whether it be to miscarriage or illness post birth, be prepared as this novel deals with some very difficult issues. 

It however does this with extreme sensitivity and knowledge. There was a feeling that the author had really researched her subject matter and this adds a lot to the novel. To also know that this was based on a true story makes it all the more heart breaking. 

From the beginning, you really do feel for Kerry and Imran – to have to see a child going through so much from birth. I turned every page hoping that things would turn around – that everything will be ok. 

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