49 pages • 1-hour read
The Surrogate Mother
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Prologue-Chapter 7Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Prologue Summary
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of pregnancy loss.
Abby Adler is accused of first-degree murder. She claims that she is not guilty, but her lawyer insists that she will be convicted if the case goes to court. He recommends that she accept a plea bargain, reducing her jail sentence to 15 years.
Chapter 1 Summary: “One Year Earlier”
Abby is happily married and loves working at Stewart Advertising in New York. Furthermore, she is soon to become a mother. Abby confidently presents an ad campaign to Jed Cofield, a marketing executive for the baby product manufacturer Cuddles. Afterward, Jed flirts with Abby, holding her hand longer than necessary while congratulating her on the brilliant campaign. She assures him that she will buy Cuddles diapers for her own baby, although she has no intention of doing so.
Despite the success of her pitch, Abby’s boss, Denise Holt, is unhappy. Denise hired Abby 10 years earlier and became her friend and mentor. However, their relationship has deteriorated since Denise learned of Abby’s plans to become a mother. Denise has devoted herself to her career and has no children. After the meeting, she expresses disapproval of Abby’s intention to take her full entitlement of family leave.
Abby’s best friend, Shelley, has organized a baby shower following the meeting. Abby reflects that she is probably the first employee to have a baby shower without being pregnant.
Chapter 2 Summary
After years of unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant, Abby and her husband, Sam, are adopting a baby boy. Abby is presented with a giant diaper cake from Cuddles at the baby shower. Abby’s assistant, Monica Johnson, observes that the free diapers will be useful. However, Shelley states that Abby has a large trust fund, so the expense of parenthood is not an issue. Shelley has purchased baby-sized Yankee caps, but Monica declines to wear one, saying that she is a lifelong Red Sox fan.
Abby hired Monica six months earlier after her elderly assistant, Gertie, fell and broke her hip at work. Gertie made delicious cookies but was inefficient with technology. By contrast, Monica is intelligent, efficient, and eager to learn. She even looks like a younger version of Abby with jet-black hair. The physical resemblance has prompted a male coworker to refer to Monica as “Abby Two Point Oh” (16). Monica offers to clean up the mess from the baby shower, but Abby tells her to relax and enjoy herself.
Shelley refers to Sam as “perfect,” observing that he is handsome, domesticated, and devoted to Abby. Abby protests, remarking that Sam’s cooking is awful. However, she cannot disagree with Shelley’s other points. The downside of marriage to a handsome math professor is that his students fall in love with him. However, Abby is sure that he would never cheat on her. Sam unexpectedly arrives at the baby shower and asks if they can talk outside.
Chapter 3 Summary
Sam tells Abby that their adoption is no longer going ahead because the birth mother, Janelle, is keeping the baby. Abby is devastated. They return home, and the already-prepared nursery causes Abby further distress. Denise texts, asking if she can cancel Abby’s family leave. When one of Sam’s students calls on the landline, Abby tells the young woman never to contact Sam again.
Abby is now 36 and has been trying for a baby with Sam for seven years. After learning that she was unable to conceive naturally, they tried in vitro fertilization, but the only pregnancy ended in an early miscarriage. The failed adoption process was also lengthy, as Abby had her heart set on parenting a newborn. Throughout these years, Abby was conscious that Sam could easily have a baby with one of his besotted students.
Chapter 4 Summary
On the journey to her office, Abby feels like she passes countless women with babies. At work, Shelley tries to console her. Other coworkers who are already mothers join the conversation, suggesting that Abby is lucky to avoid parental responsibility and sleepless nights. One of the women jokes that she would gladly give her kids to Abby.
In her office, Abby is confronted with gifts from the baby shower. Monica presents Abby with coffee in a mug that reads “Mommy Fuel.” Realizing her mistake, Monica is embarrassed and apologizes. When she learns that Abby and Sam unsuccessfully tried for a child, Monica suggests a deal. If the Adlers pay for her to go to graduate school, she will be their surrogate. Abby points out that the arrangement would be inappropriate due to their working relationship. However, Monica assures her that she will leave her position at Stewart Advertising before the pregnancy becomes noticeable. She also points out that the baby will resemble Abby, as they look alike. Abby says that she will speak to Sam.
Chapter 5 Summary
Sam is initially horrified by Monica’s surrogacy proposal, insisting that they should adopt an older child instead. However, Abby points out the advantages. This way, Sam could have his own biological child, and the process would be faster than adoption. Sensing that her husband is weakening, Abby asks him to meet with Monica.
Chapter 6 Summary
Abby and Sam meet Monica at a restaurant. As usual, Monica is dressed modestly and behaves professionally. Sam questions Monica’s eagerness to become a surrogate. Her professed passion for graduate school finally convinces him.
Chapter 7 Summary
Abby tells Shelley that Monica is going to be their surrogate mother. Shelley is concerned, revealing that she has seen Monica eavesdropping outside Abby’s office. She also points out that Sam is attractive and that Monica may decide that she wants him and his baby. Nevertheless, Abby trusts Monica, reasoning that she will check her references before signing an agreement.
Prologue-Chapter 7 Analysis
In the Prologue, the protagonist’s revelation that she is facing a murder charge begins the novel with a deliberate spoiler. The admission aims to generate intrigue and provides context for the story that follows. In the subsequent chapter, Abby’s presentation of herself as happy and fulfilled prompts readers to question how the protagonist’s life could have unraveled so dramatically in the space of a year.
Abby’s candid first-person narration in the early chapters introduces a key theme of the novel: The Psychological Impact of Infertility. Despite her wealth, a loving marriage, and a fulfilling job, the protagonist feels like her life has been tainted by her inability to become a mother. Abby’s hyperbolic claim that she has attended “roughly two million baby showers” since working at Stewart Advertising highlights how celebrations for pregnant coworkers are a painful reminder of her unfulfilled craving for a child (10). The notion of motherhood as a societal “norm” is established in the presence of mothers and babies seemingly everywhere Abby goes. Meanwhile, the responses of female coworkers when the adoption falls through highlight how childless women are often treated with pity. By emphasizing the challenges of parenthood, such as sleepless nights, the other women aim to console Abby. However, their claims that they would gladly exchange places with her ring hollow. The novel also conveys the sense of inadequacy that can accompany infertility as Abby reflects, “It’s all my fault we can’t get pregnant. He’s normal. Perfect sperm. All-star sperm. I’m the defective one” (22). The protagonist’s self-blame only adds to her sadness.
Monica’s offer to have a baby for the Adlers begins the narrative’s exploration of Ethical Considerations in Surrogacy. Abby’s initial response is that the scenario would be improper due to her status as Monica’s boss. However, her desire for a baby soon overrules her recognition that the transaction could be perceived as an abuse of her power. For the same reason, Abby chooses not to dwell on the magnitude of the sacrifice required from Monica, who must carry a baby for nine months, give up all rights to keep the child, and eventually quit her job. Abby accepts Monica’s claim that paying her graduate tuition fees is a fair transaction, overlooking the physical and emotional implications of her assistant’s side of the bargain. Through Abby and Sam’s discussions about adoption, the author emphasizes how surrogacy can seem more appealing due to many couples’ preference for a newborn baby who is biologically related to one of them. While Sam is initially opposed to surrogacy, suggesting that adoption is more ethical, he is eventually swayed by these factors.
This section introduces several of the novel’s recurring symbols and motifs. Through Abby’s workplace, the author presents advertising as a symbol of reality versus illusion. The campaign for Cuddles, “filled with dozens of pictures of cherubic babies with halos on their heads” (5), demonstrates how advertising presents marketable fantasies. This lack of authenticity is mirrored in the insincere culture of Abby’s working environment. For example, after assuring a marketing executive that she will buy Cuddles products for her baby, she reflects, “Yeah, there’s no way I’m putting those shoddy diapers on my own child” (7). The fakery of advertising is echoed in the novel’s use of clothing as a motif, representing the deceptive nature of appearances. Abby’s investment in an expensive Armani suit reflects her conviction that projecting a successful image is essential in her profession. Meanwhile, Monica’s modest clothing at work persuades Abby that her assistant has “integrity.”
While Abby views Monica’s surrogacy proposal as the antidote to her misfortune, McFadden creates an uneasy tone as the narrative anticipates an impending disaster. Abby’s decision not to heed Shelley’s concerns about Monica’s trustworthiness suggests the protagonist’s willful blindness to potential pitfalls. Furthermore, her coworker’s humorous reference to Monica as “Abby Two Point Oh” foreshadows how her assistant will ultimately make Abby feel obsolete (16). The protagonist’s depiction of her husband also encourages readers to question whether Sam is as “perfect” as he appears. Abby’s declaration that Sam would never cheat on her is undercut by her angry response when a female student calls their landline.
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