Nobody's Child by Austin Boyd

“Nobody’s Child” by Austin Boyd

Wow.  Wow.  What a book!  This story will stay with me forever.  It sure gives you a LOT to think about!  This book is NOT a book to miss at ALL.  This is, in my opinion, one of the best books of 2011 so far!

This author, Austin Boyd, has written a very controversial fictional novel about a woman, Laura Ann, who undergoes several medical procedures that she gets paid for to endure, in order to make money to help pay for her father’s cancer treatments, and to help save their family farm because her father is dying of cancer.  They do not have regular medical insurance, so they incur ALL kinds of medical bills.  Everything regarding money is now up to her.  She decides to do what she did because it paid so well.  It paid and pays the bills so she underwent and undergoes these medical procedures four times to make money.  Each time she goes back, though, the money is less, when you would think it should be more.

Here we can come to an ethics argument between Us/God/Science.  When should Science stop, or do ‘we’ continue to play God ourselves just because we can?  Is this an ethical and moral thing to do?  Is it okay to sell your body in the name of medical science to make money just because we can do it?  Is it right that medical science can request of us, or even give us the opportunity to do so because they can give us the green stuff?  Scientists’ knows there are those of us who are so desperate enough for money, that in the name of life, people ‘will’ offer to do these procedures.

Could it come to a time where we can “sell” one kidney, or part of our liver, in the name of medical science, to get paid money for it?  Will there come a time when ‘we’ are put into this position, just because ‘we’ are in a rough spot that we would go and do this type of thing?  There are many of us in this world that if it did come right down to it, maybe we would do this type of thing if it were available.  As in the case of the main character in this book, Laura Ann, having but only the bare essential of medical insurances, the kind of insurance that paid only the basic of the basics, if that.  NOT cancer.  The opportunity was there for Laura Ann to go and do this medical procedure in the name of money/Science, but the consequences of her doing this went far and wide, not to mention it affecting so many people’s lives, and her life as well.

How do we know, and where do we draw the line on God giving us humans free will, including the ability to be able to learn ‘how’ to do these things in Science, and actually doing them to people?  Would what Laura Ann did even be compared to a quadruple bypass?  How do we know when it is and isn’t a right thing to do?  Does the ‘type’ of procedure make it right, or wrong in the name of science?  This is such a hard question to answer, especially with what she does.  What Laura Ann did was to help others give the gift of life, but, it also stood to take lives, as does a quadruple bypass and other medical procedures.  Some medical procedures do and have been saving lives for decades.  This can bring up the question of whether or not we could be standing in front of God’s way or not.  This book brings up the controversy of us being able to extend life, we can make life, and we can make life better.  Does God really want this?

It is not like we can just ask God if this type of thing Laura Ann did is okay or not.  This type of thing is not in the Bible in which we can just pick it up and read to see if this is an okay thing to do.  Back in the days when the Bible was written, it was never even thought of as being something that could be done.  Can a Priest or a Pastor have an answer as to whether or not this type of thing, in the name of science, is the right thing to do?  Would God agree with Science in this manner?

Laura Ann’s father is sick and he will die of lung cancer from smoking, and she even states he did it to himself.  They are very close, and she does not want to lose him, but, she will no matter what.  In the name of money, in the name of survival, she tries to do everything she can for her father.

Her father owns a farm of which Laura Ann still lives on and does not want to lose.  This family is not financially sound and did not plan for the future, but can any farmer do that in this day and age? 

(This could also bring up an argument as to whether or not Socialized Medicine for our country would be a good thing or not, but I am not going to bring this up here and will only stick to this book.  However, if we did have Socialized medicine, perhaps Laura Ann would not have done anything like this in the first place?  Who knows?  After all, science did make this type of thing available to people.  This is a VERY good topic to bring up with this book.)

Also, keep in mind that Laura Ann did what she did for her father.  Not for herself, but for the medical treatment for her father.  Yes, she did it to help save the farm as well, but she mortgaged the farm to the hilt as well.  She was still farming the farm as well, when one day their barn that was full of tobacco, hanging and drying, all burned up.  That was the crop that would bring the most amount of money into their home, and now it was gone.  At this point she was at; all she had on her mind was her father, and now money.  How was she going to keep the farm going and not allow the bank to take the farm from her?  Laura Ann was at a complete stop.  What could she do for money and the amount of money she needed?  All she had left was to make money with her body.  I honestly wonder if other people were put into this position such as Laura Ann’s, would they do this very same thing.  It ‘is’ available to any one of us.

As this story goes on, a woman comes along to meet Laura Ann and to thank her for doing what she did.  While she was at Laura Ann’s, a storm came along and the entire city flooded out making leaving the city impossible.  Laura Ann and this woman become friends.  While this woman was waiting for things to clear up so she could leave and return home, medical problems crop up on her, and this woman needs to go to the hospital.  Her life is hanging on by a thread now. 

Laura Ann’s life is about to change.  There are many more hiccups that are yet to come.  I don’t want to say anymore as I don’t want to give spoilers.

This book was a book I could NOT put down.  I HAD to finish it in one sitting.  I was mesmerized by it.  For one, the writing was wonderful, and two, the story outstanding with ALL the controversy.  I honestly HAD to keep reading to find out what happened.

At the end of the book, the author goes on to state that this story was based upon a real person and all the things that really did happen to her.

This book IS OUTSTANDING!  I do give it a 5 out of a 5!

I’ll be honest and tell you I was going to raffle this book off, but . . .  I have a couple of friends who desperately want to read it now!  Sorry about that!  It IS available at Amazon for you to purchase.  Trust me; this is one book you WILL WANT TO READ!  It is a 2011 pick on my end!  EXCELLENT BOOK!!!

I received this book for “FREE” from ZONDERVAN  PUBLISHERS, through their Book Reviewer’s Program in exchange to read this book and write a review about it.  It is NOT required for my review I write to be either positive or negative, but, “of my own opinion.”  I was NOT provided with “ANY” monies to accept this book, “NOR” to read it, NOR were “ANY” monies given to me to write the review for this book.  All that was ‘expected’ of me was to enjoy the pure pleasure of reading it.  Again, the opinions expressed for and about this book are ‘of my own opinion’.  I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

 You know, to me, the cover of this book should have been different.  It doesn't look like a book I would pick up based on the cover!  If I knew what the story was about, I WOULD pick it up, but other than that, I don't know that I would.  It should be different, a little more intriguing to fit this UNBELIEVABLE STORY!!!  I'm going to mention this to the Publisher, Zondervan!  This comes to an Author Post I did one time where she showed us a series of three covers and explained how she came to the decision about what cover she chose based upon the font, the intriguing 'look' of the book, and more.  This is one of those books that should have been different, in my opinon.  However, that's just 'my' opinion.

This Post is part of a Blog Posting sponsored by Zondervan Publishers.  I was provided the book to read by them.  

Again, I cannot stress enough HOW GREAT THIS STORY IS!!!  I can't wait to see what other people thought about this book!  You can go to http://zondervan.typepad.com/zondervan/2011/07/bloggers-review-nobodys-child-austin-boyd.html and see what other people have written about this book as well!  Have fun!

Thanks for coming by and reading my review!

Laurie