We delve in to the moral dilemmas of a High Court Judge as we read The Children Act.
The Children Act – the blurb
Fiona Maye, a leading High Court judge, renowned for her fierce intelligence and sensitivity is called on to try an urgent case. For religious reasons, a seventeen-year-old boy is refusing the medical treatment that could save his life. Time is running out.
She visits the boy in hospital – an encounter which stirs long-buried feelings in her and powerful new emotions in the boy. But it is Fiona who must ultimately decide whether he lives or dies and her judgment will have momentous consequences for them both.
I’ll be the judge of that
The Children Act is a book where not much happens, yet so much does which is a style I really like. So much is said in the unsaid, the empty bed or the raised eyebrow. It’s quite brief – just over 200 pages, yet it packs a lot in. I loved McEwan’s decision to focus on Fiona, a very successful judge. Not only that but to really delve in to her life in Court. Previous cases were referenced more for interest as opposed to really moving the plot forward. As an ex solicitor who studied Family Law at University and has spent many an afternoon in Court I found these parts fascinating. McEwan thanks various judges for their help when writing The Children Act and rightly so. His/Fiona’s judgements felt authentic, referencing real judges and citing certain cases as is actually done when delivering real life rulings.
Don’t however be put off by the thought of so much law. It is easily accessible and works more as a conversation starter than a hurdle to a non lawyer reader. In this respect it would make a good book club book (how would you rule?) Underneath it all however is a woman, approaching 60, childless, whose marriage is on the brink. I thought her husband’s proposal totally ridiculous yet understood Fiona’s insecurities and her hesitance to end things totally. McEwan wrote her deliberations perfectly.
Not just the law
The Children Act is also crammed with music, poetry and of course a young man struggling to find himself alongside his religion. Even now stepping back I’m surprised by how much exactly was included. McEwan drew me in immediately with tales of Newcastle, Talisker and indecent proposals. He held me with anecdotes about the Court room and entangled me with the emotion he extracted (as Fiona held her audience when she performed). I really enjoyed this book and if it hasn’t crossed your path before, it should.