Fiona Maye is a leading High Court judge who presides over cases in the family court. She is renowned for her fierce intelligence, exactitude, and sensitivity. But her professional success belies private sorrow and domestic strife. There is the lingering regret of her childlessness, and now her marriage of thirty years is in crisis.At the same time, she is called on to try an urgent case: Adam, a beautiful seventeen-year-old boy, is refusing for religious reasons the medical treatment that could save his life, and his devout parents echo his wishes.
A few things we might like to consider while reading,
Should the secular court overrule sincerely expressed faith?
How does Fiona’s personal history affect her decisions in court?
Did our impression of Adam and his parents shift throughout the novel?
Critics claim this is a highly intelligent and well researched novel, let’s hope we do Sue proud.
Hi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteHope you and the family are well. Are Australia’s isolation precautions getting stricter as winter approaches? Ours are loosening as summer is getting closer. Some predict Covid will get worse again once winter returns. I’m really hoping not, I certainly don’t want to homeschool anymore. We are staying well otherwise.
I don’t know about you, but I found myself constantly wondering what Sue’s input would be. To me there were so many aspects of British life that she would be able to comment on. Maybe she would even be aware of the cases that this novel is based on. I also tried not to rush through this novel. It has been constantly on my mind that this is one of the last novels Sue will ever share with us. I don’t know if you thought any similar things.
I enjoyed The Children Act much more than Mr. McEwan’s Atonement. For your first question, I think the court system should be able to rule in cases for curative treatments in minors. I think that a minor should be cared for to the best degree of available medical care. If the blood transfusion would only have prolonged Adam’s suffering, the decision should have been left up to the family. A curative treatment, to me, is different as I have seen too much prolonged suffering for terminal children.
In regard to the religious aspect of rejecting medical care, there was a piece of script from a television show that has always stuck with me. The premise of the episode was very similar to our novel. To poorly paraphrase, the character said that God made the medical staff who created the cures therefore God ultimately created the cure and thereby permitting its use. I found that to be a reasonable way to have medical care without disregarding the importance of religion.
For your second question, I don’t think Fiona’s personal history affected her decision in court. I do, however, think it affected how she handled Adam after his transfusion. Adam grew up in an incredibly sheltered community and was not equipped regular society. He definitely needed some sort of guidance and support system that would help him assimilate. I think had Fiona had not been so distracted by her failing marriage, she would have been able to see that Adam needed direction. Clearly Adam coming to leave with a judge and her husband would not have been viewed well but she could have assisted him in an appropriate manor.
I don’t think my view of Adam or his family ever shifted but I did love Adam’s analogy of being the cake. It was very clever. As a parent, you never want to lose your child but being in a religious community that requires you to trust in a deity despite your fears would be taxing on anyone. I can’t image a religious leader telling me that I had to deny my child life-saving care because my god said no. I think as a parent I would probably separate from my religious order before I let my child die frivolously. I suppose Adam’s parents had a level of faith that I do not possess.
Thank you Nancy for taking up the intro for Sue. I look forward to hearing from you.
Much love to you,
Katie
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry it has taken me so long to write a comment on our book this month.
Like you I also enjoyed this McEwan novel more than Atonement. I’ve re read back over our comments on that particular story and we all seemed to be underwhelmed with it.
I have been thinking quite a lot about Sue as I read this novel and know she would have had plenty to say about it. It just makes me feel so sad we won’t get to hear her.
This novel raises such interesting questions about the power of the courts, especially in children’s issues, but for me I felt the story of Fiona’s personal struggles overshadowed these a little too much.
When I posed the question of whether secular court should over rule decisions based on faith I thought it was a reasonably simple one, and the answer for me still is. I agree with you totally, children should be protected by law and not the religious beliefs held by their parents or guardians. I did however start to think about this question in an historical sense and realised the very sticky mess humanity has made by combining religion and secular beliefs.
I also agree with you about Fiona’s handling of Adam after his treatment. I know she was dealing with some complicated emotions with her marriage breakdown, and questioning her decisions to not have children, and I know Mr McEwan was highlighting the humaness of people in powerful positions, I just thought she could have been done better. Like way better than seducing him when he was vulnerable and lost and pleading for help.
My mother in law is a Jehovah’s Witness, so I’m aware of their teachings and devotion to their belief’s. I’ve been dodging sermons for years! I wasn’t surprised by Adam’s parents following the Elders instructions. My opinions of them didn’t change throughout the book. I felt so sorry for Adam though and my heart wept for him as he struggled to please his parents and his faith and make sense of all that was happening to him. When he desperately reached out to Fiona for help and she sent him away, I cried. I believe so much more support is needed for people after court decisions are made, and this can’t be left up to judges who are not equiped and don’t have the time.
A little while back we read Days Without End by Sebastion Barry, if you’re interested I noticed in the bookshop the other day there is a sequel to it, A Thousand Moons. It follows the story of Winona, Thomas and Johns adopted daughter.
Sending love, Nancy