Sarah Vaughan manages to hit that rare sweet spot between satisfying, literary writing and a plot that grips you by the throat. Vaughan’s difficult pregnancy forced a sudden, silent shift—from an identity built around her work as a journalist to one of unfamiliar isolation, with no friends or family nearby.

The best thing I can say about Little Disasters is that it did present some thought-provoking insights into postpartum, but in the end, I couldn't get over the fact that the book just wasn't what I expected. On a personal note, being childless, and at the time finding doctors and counsellors dismissive of my feelings, it was difficult for me to connect with the four mothers and they did not resonate with me. And that's all you are getting from me as this is a story that you just have to let it unfold without knowing too much ahead of time. The story, which is told from the alternating points of view of Liz and Jess (and occasionally other people), jumps around all over the place: from Liz having memories of her childhood; to the prenatal class where Liz, Jess, Charlotte, and Mel met; to a recent barbecue for the women and their families; to the police questioning Jess and Ed; to Jess giving birth to Betsey; to Liz dealing with her mother's ongoing drunken bouts; to things that happened in Jess and Ed's house; to Ed being concerned about his wife; to Jess worrying about her baby; and more. From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal—now a hit Netflix series—a new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us.

They just estranged a little bit because of Liz’s over demanding profession, kids, husband and other activities fills her life and Jess also didn’t make any effort to connect with her either. Moreover, Jess's sister Martha is asked to stay at the Curtis home, to watch over Jess and Ed's boys, until the case is resolved one way or another.

As with many books that try to be thrillers or quasi-thrillers nowadays, I felt like this book had one twist too many. The walls push in; the heat bears down and the noise - the terrible crying that has been going on for three hours - engulfs her. This tale of mothers and parenting will resonate with many mothers who have experienced the long and often lonely hours of dealing with an unsettled baby who won't stop crying and hardly sleeps. The severity of the injury seems to negate this explanation, however, and Liz cannot understand why her friend, who always seems the most attentive mother, could suddenly be so obtuse about her child's severe condition. Una novela que versa sobre ese otro lado de la maternidad, el del agotamiento, los miedos, el peso de la responsabilidad y la sensación de soledad.As the police and the social workers get involved, so do Jess and Liz's friends and the truth just might be a lot scarier than anyone imagined. No es un thriller trepidante ni lo mejor que se ha publicado este año, pero en general entretiene y se lee bien. I was surprised by several twists, and impressed by how real the author made every character in the story. Liz is even more surprised once she discovers baby Betsey has suffered severe head trauma, to the point of cranial fracture.