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Two friends - Bry and Elizabeth - both have young daughters who are good friends. Elizabeth's daughter can't be vaccinated due to fits in early childhood so her mother relies on the concept of 'herd immunity' to keep her safe. Bry has never told her friend that her daughter ISN'T vaccinated because Bry's adult brother has severe autism and Bry's mother had spent all her parental life drumming into Bry that Matty, her brother, was damaged by the MMR vaccine.
Elizabeth, Bry and others all take their turn at being sympathetic and deeply sanctimonious and annoying. I think the author did a great job of showing how easily people rile each other up on this issue. I am a fervent believer in vaccinations, but even I recoil from someone yelling in my face how I must do this and I must do that or I'm morally-challenged and selfish. I like how the author never presented this as good vs bad because, like most things, it's more complex than that. The synopsis reads: "Lauren and Bryony are best friends, neighbours and godmothers to each other’s children, and yet completely different in their outlook on life. But both agree on one thing – their children and their welfare is the most important priority. Neither of their daughters have been vaccinated – one because she is unable to have vaccines as she is allergic to a key ingredient, and the other because her mother is terrified of vaccines. But when one woman lies to the other and they all fall ill, the consequences are devastating. Soon their private turmoil becomes public, as the case comes to court in vengeance for the events that have changed all of their lives forever." Ultimately though, I think the message is that there is no right or wrong answer to a question like vaccination. It’s all shades of grey and opinion but people aren’t willing to listen to the ‘other’. This book provoked one of the biggest reactions I’ve seen on The Pigeonhole online book club, from those on both sides of the vaccination debate and also right down the middle of the road. It’s well crafted, certainly an excellent debut and very definitely a book of our time.
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You can feel the tension and the heartbreak, the madness and the pain as Bry and Elizabeth battle a dilemma, to vaccinate their girls or not. And in pursuing their own individual wars precious things are lost. The only way forward in the end is to have the courage to dip the paintbrush in the water, to swirl the bristles and clear the the murky brown to decide which bright, bold colour to paint the beginnings of a new picture. Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures This book is extremely thought provoking and definitely one that is bound to spark up a wide range of debates. The publication of this book is very timely as it could be said to have a correlation with the current COVID vaccine debate we are all experiencing. Personal freedom versus public health. Who gets to decide (and judge) how you raise your own children? How do you know (and choose) what’s right? What happens when your choices have an impact on others? How do we reconcile societal needs and values with personal beliefs and fears? Such questions are at the heart of Emily Edwards’ The Herd, a thought-provoking debut that’s sure to spark big debate as it sets readers off on a heady emotional rollercoaster, with unexpected revelations as it builds to a thrilling, moving climax. The Herd follows Elizabeth and Bryony – two women with very different viewpoints and perspectives. Did you identify more with one character than the other? Why?
As we’ve seen recently with the difference of opinions over the covid vaccine between those who are pro-vaccination’ and ‘anxi-vaxxers’, there are millions of different perceptions as to what’s right and what’s wrong, and there are many, many different stages in between. Although this book doesn’t focus on the Covid vaccine, rather the MMR vaccinations given to pre-school children, it covers a lot of the same issues, fears and recriminations, and expectations of personal body autonomy and choice that have been raised and discussed in many different ways in the last couple of years. Hmmmm, I almost didn’t read this when saw the blurb and realised it was all about vaccines and the title ‘The Herd’ related to herd immunity ( lesson learnt re reading blurb although It probably isen’t!) even more turned off when reading the authors info at the beginning it mentioned having a chat to her ‘doula’ had inspired the book ( google doula if not heard of them ) but an author friend who had read it convinced me to give it a go and all told am pleased did It took maybe 10% to get into it, its full of yummee mummee and posy dadee characters that I couldn’t relate to but as the story progresses that doesn’t matter so much as the story buildsSuper-organised, methodical Elizabeth and bohemian Bryony “ weren’t exactly chalk and cheese; more like cheese and pineapple - a weird, unexpected pairing that just worked”. Close friends and now neighbours, they’re godmothers to one another’s daughters, and have found a way to balance each of their differences, except on one big issue - vaccinating their daughters. The unravelling of their friendship begins with a birthday party and ends up with tragic consequences, explosive public show-downs and unexpected revelations. Powerful, pertinent stuff. Set in 2019, prior to the pandemic, I think this book is definitely viewed through a very different lens than it would have been had it been released pre-Covid19 and having lived through the pandemic and the subsequent ‘vaccine wars’, it definitely elevates the themes within and adds a level of understanding and interpretation that might not have been there otherwise. Elizabeth and Bry are best friends until their differing views start to pose a threat to whom Elizabeth loves most. Other supporting characters take their positions on either side of the debate. Elizabeth felt like afailure at both work and as amum trying to have both. Yet the husbands worked and were parents. Do you think they also felt like failures or expected their wives to take responsibility for the childcare?
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