Welcome to my review of The Herd by Emily Edwards. I enjoyed this fiction book based on two families with differing opinions on vaccinating their children with devastating consequences.
You should never judge how someone chooses to raise their child.
Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They’re the best of friends, and godmothers to each other’s daughters – because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority.
But what if their choice could harm your own child?
Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child’s birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined . . .
After studying at Edinburgh University, Emily Edwards worked for a think tank in New York before returning to London where she worked as a support worker for vulnerable women at a large charity. She now lives in Lewes, East Sussex with her endlessly patient husband and her two endlessly energetic young sons.
The inspiration for The Herd came when she was eight months pregnant with her first son, and her husband and their vaccine-hesitant doula had an impassioned ‘debate’ about vaccination in their garden. As she sat there with her hands over her huge stomach listening to them both, Emily realised this was an issue that impacts us all and that it would make a brilliant topic for a novel.
The Herd is a debut novel for Emily Edwards. It is set pre-pandemic and is about whether to vaccinate your children. Elizabeth is pro-vaccination and has vaccinated both of her boys. Still, not her girl, Clemmie, whom she believed could not be vaccinated, isn’t. Bry, Elizabeth’s best friend, is anti-vaccine. Neither she nor her daughter has been immunised. She has been bought up to hate vaccines as her brother is non-verbal autistic, which her mother blamed on him having the MMR injection. All is fine until Bry, Alba (her daughter), and little Clemmie catches the measles, leaving Clemmie with lifelong repercussions.
The book is essentially a discussion over whether to vaccinate or not; it’s well written and an encompassing read which you won’t want to put down. This doesn’t conclude on either side of the argument but instead presents a well-researched view on both sides. This is like a Jodi Picoult novel, courageous discussing controversial subjects. It also worked through some of the myths surrounding MMR and autism.
The characters are well developed, and various people around the court case balance either side of the argument. I connected to all four main characters and could empathise with them easily.
The twist at the end was good; I didn’t see it coming, adding another dimension to the story.
I found this to be a very well written, researched story. I would recommend it to fans of Jodi Picoult.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
| Title | The Herd |
| Author | Emily Edwards |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | Kindle |
| Page Count | 344 Pages |
| Genre | Medical Fiction |
| Publisher | Transworld Digital |
| Release Date | 3rd February 2022 |
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