She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can’t get the girl out of her head… Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse.
But despite her family’s objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home. Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow’s past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she’s willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated.
“Thrilling and illuminating.”—LA Times * “A hypnotic psychological thriller.” —People
VERDICT: Wow…what an awesome thriller! I just finished this book on my Kindle, and loved every minute of it. I consider myself a pretty good “book detective,” but I did not see this ending at all! Mary Kubica got me! I love it when that happens!
In this story, one of the major characters, Heidi, sees a girl while waiting on her train, and the young girl is holding an infant out in the pouring rain. Heidi hops aboard her train, but can’t get the image of the girl and the infant out of her mind. It just so happens that Heidi sees the girl again, and after talking with her a bit, she invites the young girl and the child into her home… So the madness begins, and Heidi’s family (husband and daughter) begin to question what Heidi was thinking inviting a total stranger with a baby into their home…
I could not begin to guess where this story was headed – I had some ideas, but I wasn’t even close. The story is told from many points of view – from Heidi, Heidi’s husband (Chris), Willow (the girl with the baby), and so on… I was reading this book mostly late at night and would often times fall asleep in the middle of a chapter. I learned very quickly that I needed to start and finish a chapter, or I would forget who was “talking”! It’s hard to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to see who’s “talking” using an e-reader! There’s something to be said for a real book! Right?
But…since I was traveling, my Kindle Paperwhite was just what I needed! I actually finished Pretty Baby while I was on my trip, and quickly began my next e-book because I had loaded up my Kindle before I left. So…in this case, I am team Kindle! Which team are you? I wrote all about my Kindle V. Book dilemma in one of my earlier blog posts called Kindle V. Book: Which Team Do You Play For? Which team do you play for? I play for both…but prefer a real book!
Who Is Mary Kubica?
If you haven’t read a Mary Kubica book yet, I recommend you get one! The 2 I’ve read were really good!!
Mary Kubica is the author of The Good Girl and Pretty Baby (both New York Times and USA Today bestsellers)! Mary has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. And she is a wonderful writer!
She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children, where she enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter. Her first novel, The Good Girl, received a Strand Critics Nomination for Best First Novel.
On her website, you can read all about her (and her books), and you can also check out her News & Events section – she goes to lots of books signings. Wouldn’t that be fun to get an autographed copy of one of these books? Maybe she’ll show up at one of my favorite bookstores, The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois! You can read all about it in my post The Book Stall: A Place Not to be Missed.
If you’re a fan of Facebook, you can also find her there! On her page, she posts updates about her novels, as well as books that she likes! I’ve gotten several titles I’m interested in from her Facebook posts. Just click on the link to see her Facebook page: Mary Kubica on Facebook.
What Other Books Has Mary Kubica Written?
Pretty Baby is the second book of Mary Kubica’s that I have read. Back in 2014, I read The Good Girl when it first came out. Another awesome book that I highly recommend. Now that I’ve read 2 of her books, I plan to add the rest of them to my ever-growing stack of books to read! How will I ever catch up?? Usually, when I’ve read two books from an author and I liked them both as much as I did these, I add the author to my “favorite authors list” that I keep running in my head.
So…when I find myself at a bookstore and I’m not sure what to buy (or check out at the library), I just grab a title from one of my favorite authors! Easy, right? Because usually, I have my two kids with me saying “Mom, hurry up and pick a book!”
Here is the list of books available from Mary Kubica:
As I’m sure you already know, Don’t You Cry will soon be added to my stack! And good news…her website says she is currently working on her next novel! However, by the time I get around to Don’t You Cry, I’m sure she will have published 2 or 3 more…
Oh…and there’s more exciting news. I read in an article that Mary Kubica’s novel The Good Girl has been acquired by Anonymous Content. Anonymous Content was founded in 1999 by CEO Steve Golin, and it is a production and management company where talent comes first. We manage exceptional directors, writers, actors, and comedians, and work closely with them to achieve their goals, whether in feature films, television, commercials, music videos, or brand integrated content. We guide careers with confidence, relying on our experience in every area of the changing media landscape. Alongside our distinguished clients, we continue to grow our outstanding reputation in the entertainment and advertising industries.
I will be there on opening day to see this release! I can hardly wait… Maybe they’ll also pick up Pretty Baby once they read the book! Big mistake if they don’t. This book would make a great movie! You can read more about the upcoming movie in the article called ‘The Good Girl’ Bestseller Acquired By Anonymous Content on the Deadline Website.
So there you have it… My verdict on Pretty Baby is go out and get it! It’s a perfect summer read! I will be moving on to Don’t You Cry very soon! Enjoy your next book, and if it’s a good one, be sure and let me know about it. Until next time…
