The Possibility of You by Pamela Redmond

Flap Copy from ARC: "1916: It was the one thing Irish nanny Bridget was never supposed to let happen. And then it did. 1976: Nineteen-year-old Billie discovers the family - and a closely guarded secret - she never knew existed. Present Day: After running from herself for years, journalist Cait searches for the mother who gave her away. Three women. Three unexpected pregnancies. Three journeys in search of families both real and imaginary, perfect and flawed."

This novel, told from the points of view of three women in very different times in recent American history, tackles the idea of personal choice and the impact those choices may have not only on one's own life but on the lives of generations to come. Cait is a modern day journalist with itchy feet and a newfound desire to locate her birth mother after she finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy. In 1972, Billie (newly orphaned after the sudden death of her father) travels to New York to meet her heretofore unknown grandmother for the first time, and struggles to piece together her past while facing an unexpected and unwelcome pregnancy. And in 1916 Bridget, a young Irish immigrant finds herself a widowed young mother. Redmond moves easily from one storyline to the one that precedes it, weaving the three women's lives into a unified and related narrative.

'The Possibility of You' was an easy read - once I sorted out in my head each of the three main character's timeframe and storyline, I had no trouble following the changing scenes and stories. There are no complicated plot twists, and honestly the characters themselves aren't wildly complex, although their dilemmas are certainly thought provoking. I sped through this novel, and am eager to read more from the author, whose work I haven't encountered before. I think Redmond tackles a very personal issue with grace, respecting the many possible choices her female characters might make and passing no judgement, only presenting their stories and consequences in a straightforward manner. I give this book 3.5 stars, I think it would make a great vacation read or book club selection.