The Hidden Child by Louise Fein is a brilliant read. It’s a historical novel set with a mix of real and fictional characters.
England 1928 – Edward Hamilton is a returned war hero. A man of science and a leading member of the Eugenics Society. He is a successful lecturer. He has wealth, a flat in London and a country house. A beautiful wife Eleanor and daughter Mabel.
Eleanor Hamilton loves her husband. She is proud of his work, she was his research assistant. She loves Brook End, their country residence. She is devoted to their daughter and she’s excited to be expecting their second child.
They couldn’t be happier, their life was perfect. Until…
Four year old Mabel has one, and then another, and another seizure. It is with shock they learn she has epilepsy.
This is a story of a father who demands his daughter be hidden-institutionalised. She is not to be mentioned again. No one must know! If this got out, the damage it would do to his reputation, his case studies and his work with the Eugenics Society.
It is also a story of a mother who follows her instincts and her love for her daughter, who will do anything to bring Mabel back to them.
It is a powerful, thought provoking, and often heart wrenching read. An intoxicating read.
The Eugenics movement believe that any weakness should be bred out of the population. Using sterilisation programs and institutionalising sufferers.
Louise Fein says that while researching her novel “People like Us” which is set in Nazi Germany, she carried out research into the science of eugenics. She was rather shocked to find that Nazi Germany took its lead in this area from the widespread and accepted eugenic ideas circulating in the UK and US.
Louise Fein shares that this novel was inspired by her own experience as a parent of a child with epilepsy. She drew on her own experience and research. She writes “the sad fact is, had our daughter been born 100 years ago, there is no doubt that she would have been institutionalised from a young age and in all likelihood, would have spent the rest of her life incarcerated.”
Sobering thoughts about practices in the past.
The Author’s Notes at the end of the book are as fascinating as the story.
I was already a fan, having read “People Like Us” which is brilliant and a must read for every one interested in history and forbidden love.
Thankyou to Head of Zeus and Beauty and Lace for this opportunity to read this amazing book.
Author: Louise Fein
ISBN: 9780063117921
Copy courtesy of Head of Zeus
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading The Hidden Child by Louise Fein. You can read their comments below, or add your own review. Sign up for our club here.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
I found The Hidden Child by Louise Fein, published by House of Zeus, a difficult book to read. Set in the 1920’s in England, it portrays a time when class and status rule, and where appearances are all important. This is a time when the idea of selective breeding to ensure the ‘right type’ of people are born, and sterilisation to weed out disease, disabilities and so-called ‘undesirables’ is fast taking hold. It is easy to see how such views were the precursor to Adolf Hitler’s distorted obsession with creating an Aryan master race…
Edward and Eleanor Hamilton are supporters of the new field of Eugenics. In fact Edward, both a war hero and a professor of psychology, ‘a man of science’, lectures, writes books and consults on it. He puts forth the view that people inherit mental illness, criminal tendencies and even poverty, and that genetic weaknesses, such as Epilepsy, can and should be bred out of the population.
So both Edward and Eleanor are as much deeply embarrassed as they are full of dismay, when their beautiful 4 year old daughter Mabel shows the first signs of Epilepsy. Their beliefs and reality come crashing together full on, as young Mabel becomes their ‘guilty little secret’. Edward is soon keen for her to be hidden away…. but Eleanor initially stunned into submission, fights to find a better future for her little girl.
The story is told from the personal perspectives of both socially ambitious Edward and his despairing wife Eleanor as well as by Epilepsy itself, which I found a bit over the top, and unnecessary. I also found the story line quite laboured at times and the development of the characters in the book frustratingly slow.
Still, the book contains lots of well researched historical content and detail, and is clearly written by someone with personal experience of Epilepsy. It also certainly does make you appreciate how far understanding and compassion for such conditions has evolved in the present day.
On the whole, while I found the personal story of Edward, Eleanor and Mabel to be sad but interesting and the subject of this book thought provoking, it was a difficult one to wade through.
Thank-you Beauty & Lace for giving me the chance to read & review ‘The Hidden Child’ an e-book by Louise Fein.
Set in the 1920’s Elanor & Edward seem to be living their perfect life – nice home, good standing in the community, a beautiful little 4-year-old girl and expecting their longed for second child. Their world is turned upside-down when their daughter begins to have seizures and is diagnosed with epilepsy in a time where Eugenics is at the foremost of Edwards’s research – how embarrassing for him, she must be hidden away in an institution.
In the meantime, epilepsy has its own voice in chapters, being seductive in its attention but destructive in its manner – a very apt description of what a seizure feels like. Fortunately, Eleanor finds a backbone and finds a way to stand up for her daughter but at what cost to Edward as other secrets are brought out into the open – threatening all that they have.
At times the characters are frustrating in their actions – reflecting attitudes of the past in terms of epilepsy, I am grateful that these attitudes have since improved over time as well as the treatments that are available. Thank-you ‘Beauty & Lace Bookclub’ for the opportunity to read ‘The Hidden Child’ an e-book by Louise Fein.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and House of Zeus, for the chance to read The Hidden Child by Louise Fein. This book was great. I loved the era that it is set in and the reality the book portrays for how things were in the 1920’s. There are a lot of period and class ideas discussed that are very different to our current ideals and perspectives and this does create for a very emotive read.
The novel follows the Hamiltons and the perspective of Edward “scientist” and the ideal that undesirable traits can and should be selectively bred out of the population. This is juxtaposed by the revelation that the Hamiltons beautiful four-year-old daughter begins to show signs of genetic abnormalities. Edward pushes for her to be hidden away from the public. He does not what there to be gossip and he certainly does not want it to look like they have weak genes.
The main story line of the novel is sad, heartfelt and honest. The story is obviously well researched and I feel that Louise Fein has put a lot of effort and Eleanor fights for her daughter future and the unanswered questions for what that might look like in the books time period. The novel is historically detailed and accurate and portrays a range of perspectives that fit the considerations of the 1920’s.
A diagnosis of such conditions even in our modern and medically advanced society can leave to a range of social, cultural and fundamental living difficulties. The Hidden Child shines light on a difficult time period, a difficult and confusing situation but does it with compassion, empathy, concern and thought. I feel like it gives the reader the chance to evolve personally.
Thank you again for the chance to read this novel.
I really enjoyed this book, The Hidden Child by Louise Fein. It was very well written and the characters felt like people I could relate to. It might be my sheltered life, but I didn’t realise that eugenics was a thing apart from with the Nazi’s and it even mentions it in Australia. That’s scary! Imagine how different our lives could have been…. Thank you Beauty and Lace for letting me read this book >:o)
I have read the previous work by this author so was keen to read this new title and WOW what a great read ‘The Hidden Child’ is.
I could not put down this beautifully written story about a family whose daughter is inflicted with epilepsy. Every chapter is alternately written from the perspective of the main characters who you will either love, hate or despair over.
It is the 1920’s and Eleanor and Edward Hamilton live a comfortable life with a lovely house in the English countryside and an apartment in London. Edward is a decorated war hero and a professor with an interest in eugenics – which aims to reduce human suffering by “breeding out” disease, disabilities and undesirable characteristics from the human population.
Their young daughter, Mabel, begins to suffer fits which is diagnosed as epilepsy. This is devastating not only for the health of their daughter but also because of their eugenic beliefs. Mabel must be hidden and her illness kept a secret so that Edward’s career and professional standing aren’t affected but Eleanor struggles with this decision as a mother’s love for her daughter is tested. This causes the deterioration of their marriage despite the strong love they have for each other.
I became so invested in the family’s story that I could not stop reading till I got to the satisfying end. There are lies, secrets and revelations that come as big surprises throughout the book. A truly wonderful and engaging story and one I highly recommend.
Ps The author’s notes are a must read. 5/5
I have just finished reading The Hidden Child by Louise Fein. At first I struggled to get into the story but I can’t pinpoint why – probably just my mood at the time but it didn’t grab me until a few chapters in. Once I had read a bit further I became invested in seeing it through and hoping for a good outcome for little Mabel. I’m really glad that I kept reading.
The Hidden Child is a well written story that was heart breaking in parts and joyous in others. It seemed very well researched and gave an insight into the suffering experienced by many earlier in time. I hadn’t realised how widespread the eugenics movement was in the 1900’s.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book as a whole and would recommend it to others. I look forward to reading Louise Fein’s next books.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Head of Zeus for the chance to read and review.
Set in England in the 1920s, husband and wife Edward and Eleanor are working professionals in the education and psychology field when Edward becomes involves in the eugenics movement. The idea that society should be rid of all defective genes, so there is a superior race of humans is outrageous, although I can understand some of the ideals to an extent. Edwards’ research causes Eleanor to question his ethics when their daughter is diagnosed with epilepsy.
While I found the topic interesting, it’s also a disturbing part of history and not one easy to digest. It is not that long ago when people with disabilities were outcasted, treated without dignity and forced to undergo inhumane experimental treatments.
I found the first half of the book a little slow going. Getting to know Edward was hard, I couldn’t connect with his character at all. This may have been intentional by the author? Nevertheless, I am glad I persisted as the pace picked up and the book had a gripping finish. I also like reading books where I can learn something from and are based (loosely) on true and or historical events.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace Book Club and Head of Zeus publishing for the reading and reviewing. This is the second book of Louise Fein I’ve reviewed, and I am happy to recommend.
This book I couldn’t put down. Thankyou beauty and lace and head of zuess.
I loved the book… The Topic was harder to swallow. It certainly made me consider how lucky we are today and accepting of all walks of life. The thought of putting my child through the accepted treatments in history makes me very grateful for the forward thinking world we live in today.
That being said I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and the history involved regarding illness and expectations from long ago. Again a very good read thankyou.
This was an interesting yet difficult book to read. Its hard to imagine that people in the past thought that an illness like epilepsy was something to be ashamed of and hidden away.
I felt for poor Mabel and was glad she had a mother who would go to such heroic lengths to save her despite her cowardly and status seeking husband.
I enjoyed the story completely.
Oh my, was a heart wrenching story. It tells of a mothers unconditional love of her child, one that she fights to be accepted.
Her husband Edward is a Professional yet also fights for his child, but in the opposite way, to have her institutionalised, and locked away. All of this to save ’embarassment and his reputation. A well written, yet heartbreaking story, portraying what life was like for children with any sort of medical condition or disability in the 1920’s. It certainly makes the reader realise just how far we have come with not only medical science, but acceptance as well.
Difficult to read in some parts, but so heartwarming in others. A very thought provoking read, which I highly recommend.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read The Hidden Child by Louise Fein.