The Children Act by Ian McEwan (reviewed by Susan Barron)

In legal terms, The Children Act is a law designed to safeguard the welfare of children, realizing that while children are best cared for within their own families, provisions are needed for instances when parents and families fail to cooperate with statutory bodies.

The Children Act, a novel by English writer Ian McEwan was published in September 2014. It focuses on Fiona Maye, a highly respected English High Court Judge specializing in Family Law. As the story opens, her husband of thirty-five years, Jack, tells her that because of the lack of physical intimacy in their marriage he wishes her to grant him her permission to embark on a sexual affair. From this point on McEwan takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster, masterfully leading us back and forth between Fiona’s reactions to her personal plight and to the complex, heart wrenching ethical dilemmas she must face daily as she tries to meet out justice to children and their families. This is a page turner that will keep readers enthralled from first page to last.