And a Bird Sang, by Diane Bestwick, 2014. Self published.

Diane Bestwick lived and worked in China for nearly ten years.  She met and befriended many Chinese people and got to know their joys and sorrows and predicaments.  During the years she was there the government had a policy in place that each married couple was to only have one child.  This notion on first appearance may sound like a good idea for a country with a large population and many in poverty. 

In her novel Diane portrays what it was really like for those experiencing this situation.  More than the policy itself, it was the ways in which it was enforced that were so horrific.

The main character already has a son, and has had one abortion in order to follow the policy, but cannot bear to have another abortion.  The novel takes us through the dire straits she finds herself in as she courageously tries to make a way to save her baby.

Here in North America, where we do not face  such a lack of freedom, and political repercussions for things like that, most of us are blissfully unaware of the anguishes people are put through in some parts of the world.  Through reading novels like this we can begin to understand.

Although the protagonist in this book is married, as in my novel the pregnancy is not an acceptable situation in many ways.  Will she find a way to escape a forced abortion?  Also as in my novel, she prays for a solution and then puts her trust in God to guide and care for her and her baby.