THE CHILDREN ACT | IAN McEWEN | 2015

Masterful storytelling. Stimulating plot. Superb writing.

I’ve had a love hate relationship with Ian McEwen’s books, but The Children Act brings him back into my good books!

Leading High Court judge Fiona Maye presides over a massive workload of cases, deciding fates of children and parents in complex, ethical matters where she needs the wisdom of Solomon and the stamina of Rocky. This workload is reflected in the turmoil of her crumbling marriage, to the point where her husband Jack asks to have an affair. She’s horrified. He leaves. That a judge of such stature actually has a personal life is a revelation, we all have personal lives but it’s difficult to imagine that a judge worries about  her sex life or lack thereof, or that they have a judgement to write up late at night when they’d prefer to have another whisky.

An urgent life or death case comes across her bench. Seventeen year old Adam has leukaemia and will die if he does not have a blood transfusion. He and his parents are staunch Jehovah Witnesses which does not permit this treatment. Fiona must make a decision in the child’s best interests. As the author suggests — in all branches of law, fine-grained particularities of circumstance needed to be assimilated at speed. Fiona hears the case and makes the decision to meet Adam in hospital.

Fiona makes a huge impression on Adam as he does on her, to the point where she finds that although he intellectually comprehends the ramifactions of not having the transfusion he does not necessarily understand the ramifications of death. Her judgement sets in motion the rest of the narrative. Thus follows the events in tandem: her marriage, her interaction with Adam and her gruelling list of cases and travelling on the circuit court.

The Children Act is thoroughly believable through the strong characters of Fiona and Adam, the meticulous research into religion, music, transfusions, and the law. McEwen’s bent for slightly creepy, awkward relationships (think Enduring Love and On Chesil Beach) is once again put to the test. His writing is a joy. The ending of this book is not unexpected in itself but the circumstances are brilliant and incredibly well crafted.