The Ones We Choose

Julie Clark

May 2018 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Lisa Genova meets 23andMe in this “extraordinary breakthrough novel” (Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author) about the genetic and emotional ties that bind as a young boy searches for his place in this world and a mother comes to terms with her own past.

The powerful forces of science and family collide when geneticist Paige Robson finds her world in upheaval: Her eight-year-old son Miles is struggling to fit in at his new school and begins asking questions about his biological father that Paige can’t answer—until fate thrusts the anonymous donor she used into their lives.

Paige’s carefully constructed life begins to unravel as the truth of Miles’s paternity threatens to destroy everything she has grown to cherish. As Paige slowly opens herself up—by befriending an eccentric mother, confronting her own deeply buried vulnerabilities, and trying to make sense of her absent father’s unexpected return—she realizes breakthroughs aren’t only for the lab. But when tragedy strikes, Paige must face the consequences of sharing a secret only she knows.

“An absolutely dazzling, profound ruby of a novel” (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author), The Ones We Choose shows that while the science is fascinating, solving the intimate mysteries of who we are and where we come from unleashes emotions more complex than the strands of DNA that shape us.

Ratings and reviews

what a stupid arrogant ignorant woman.she might know genetics but has zero idea how to deal with people.not her kid not her 2nd not Jackie not her parents..acting like she did nothing wrong.boring not impressed had to force self to finish this snooze fest

"When you spend your life carrying anger around like a backpack, an extraordinary thing happens when you finally set it down. The world becomes brighter and easier." I absolutely loved this book from page one to the end. The way Julie Clark intertwined the story of Paige and Miles with the genetic research Paige was working on as a geneticist was seamless. I am amazed by the amount of research Julie Clark had to have done to write this book. This book grabs you by the heart strings and keeps pulling even after the story was told. You feel the anger and hurt that Paige feels from growing up with a father who is constantly absent and unreliable. You understand why this leads her to come to the decision to conceive a child without a father by using an anonymous sperm donor. You feel Paige's struggle when Miles starts to question who his father is and when Paige's father reappears in her life again. If you have ever questioned your place in your family or struggled with a family relationship, then this book is for you. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this advanced copy of the book, the opinions are my own.

Having adopted my son alone, I related to and was fascinated by this story.

About the author

Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Julie Clark grew up reading books on the beach while everyone else surfed. After attending college at University of the Pacific, and a brief stint working in the athletic department at University of California, Berkeley, she returned home to Santa Monica to teach. She now lives there with her two young sons and a golden doodle with poor impulse control. The Ones We Choose is her first novel.