The Ones We Choose

By: Julie Clark

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Lisa Genova meets 23andMe in this exploration of the genetic and emotional ties that bind, as debut author Julie Clark delivers a compelling story about a young boy desperate to find his place in this world, a mother coming to terms with her own past, and the healing power of forgiveness.

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’ 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.

With grace and humor, Julie Clark shows that while the science is fascinating, solving these intimate mysteries of who we are and where we come from unleashes emotions more complex than the strands of DNA that shape us.

©2018 Julie Clark (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

I Absolutely "get it from my Mama"!

this book breaks it down genetically through an Adorable story!! this mysterious way in which We Attract one to another, the Ones who get away, and the Responsibility to Honor our Ancestors and Ourselves with Healing Honesty, and Love... I Love the title, as the end of the story comes. I was touched , I did cry....
in my mind 😏, I play out a " hood" version of this story.... sperm donor s....

Loved it !

This really makes you think about your choices !
I will recommend this audiobook to friends

Almost

Potential was there but the story got mired in a soap opera plot. Not an awful book...but it could have been really good. Maybe a good beach read.

Truly enjoyed.

So much more to how we connect as a family. I don't know if the science is correct; but if it is, it explains so much.

Beautiful story

This book was a spectacular listen. Beautifully written and narrated. I was fascinated by the way the author weaved the science of genetics into the storyline and made it fun and interesting. I was engrossed from beginning to end.

Hits home!

The story itself was kind of anti-climatic. I was rather disappointed, to be honest. But the thing I loved about this book was how much it related to my own life, having a young son that has a burning desire to know his dad. I loved the conversation about genetics and the way it made think about my issues in a different way. Not a thrilling book, but definitely a thought-provoking one.

An intriguing story about family and genetic memory

I got this book as an audible daily deal and it was fabulous. It will probably go on my list of top 20 favorite books (OK I confess, there are more than 20 books on the list).

The characters were realistic and the plot pulled me in right from the start. I liked the way the author wove in factual information about genetics. It was very timely for me as I’ve been interested in the subject lately. (I was reading the nonfiction “It didn’t start with you” at the same time. This is also about genetics, and I now have trouble remembering what information was in which book.)

These are the kinds of characters that you miss when the story is over and you still think about them and wonder how they’re doing.

I’m looking forward to this author’s next book.

Makes you think

Great story and one that makes you think about human relationships and the affect on future generations.

Entertaining but slow in some areas

I did enjoy the book, there were a couple of surprises, but it can read slow in some parts.

Best part was science intermingled

The story was pleasant but very simple. The “big secret” didn’t seem like such a big deal and the situation it caused that became a main focus of the story seemed contrived. I was hoping that it would all take a different direction. The best part of this book to me was the way science was intermingled with the story, but even that fell short. Somehow though I found it to be a pleasant listen because the supporting characters were lovely and I did want to find out the resolution. While I can’t say that I would recommend this book to everybody, I don’t regret having listened to it. The narrator was mostly fine, but the way she does male voices sometimes bothered me.