The novel explores the ethical questions surrounding surrogacy by depicting a surrogacy agreement that goes wrong. By illustrating Abby’s longing for a baby, McFadden conveys how surrogate mothers can help infertile individuals build a family. However, the author also touches on the ethically gray areas of surrogacy, delving into the questions of parental rights, emotional boundaries, power dynamics, and the commodification of women’s bodies.

At the beginning of the novel, Monica’s offer to become a surrogate mother gives Abby hope. McFadden emphasizes the protagonist’s vulnerable state following years of failing to conceive and the collapse of an adoption. The narrative explores the merits of surrogacy versus adoption through the Adlers’ disagreement over which route they should take. Sam suggests that adoption is the more altruistic option, as they could help a child in need. Abby’s preference for surrogacy, meanwhile, is based on her craving to mother a newborn baby as quickly as possible. The novel implies that surrogacy appeals to Abby since it is the closest she will get to experiencing a natural pregnancy, albeit through another woman. Her resistance to adopting an older child also suggests an unspoken fear of inheriting other people’s “baggage,” expressed in Abby’s mother’s blunt statement, “Someone else’s child—someone else’s problem” (36). When Monica offers to become her surrogate mother, Abby voices concerns that the agreement could be perceived as abusing her professional power. However, Monica easily talks her out of these ethical considerations.

Once Monica is pregnant, Abby perceives herself as the child’s mother, feeling deeply emotionally attached to the child. However, as Monica increasingly excludes Abby from hospital appointments, the novel emphasizes how little control the protagonist has of the process. Monica’s insistence that she is entitled to the first photograph of the fetus, while Abby believes she should have it, highlights the blurred boundaries of ownership in surrogacy. While Abby will legally become the child’s mother once he is born, her rights during the pregnancy are less clear. Monica exploits this ambiguous area and abuses her power as the biological mother, recognizing that Abby is terrified of the surrogacy agreement collapsing.

The protagonist’s sense of impotence during the pregnancy demonstrates how vulnerable parents can feel throughout surrogacy. At the same time, McFadden highlights how Abby increasingly wishes that she could somehow eliminate Monica’s role in creating their baby altogether. Readers are invited to share Abby’s concern when Monica’s emotional investment in the pregnancy is illustrated by her decision to keep the positive pregnancy test as a memento. However, the scenario also raises uncomfortable questions about whether it is realistic to expect surrogate mothers to remain emotionally detached from the child they are carrying. Abby’s desire for Monica to treat the pregnancy like a straightforward business transaction suggests a troubling commodification of her assistant’s body.

While offering an extreme hypothetical example, the novel explores serious issues surrounding the ethical considerations of surrogacy. McFadden’s story raises questions about the protections that exist for intended parents when things go wrong. The novel also sheds light on the expectations placed on surrogate mothers, encouraging readers to consider the emotional implications of carrying a child who will ultimately belong to someone else.