Absent Children

A sad, but ultimately uplifting story of two mothers tormented by guilt and grieving for the babies they loved but no longer hold. The death of Jessamy and Luke's first baby re-ignites painful memories for Luke's mother Marg, prompting her to reveal a long held family secret. A midwife's explanation of the birthing process gives Jessamy a deeper understanding of what went wrong with her first birth, and helps her to realize she no longer fears having another baby. Luke is excited by the news until Jessamy tells him she wants their next baby to be born at home, an idea that terrifies him. Despite the ensuing arguments about the safest place to have a baby, they stay united in their wish to help Marg find the answers she needs to heal her pain. Birth, death, forgiveness, and acceptance are the warp and weave of Jessamy and Luke's story. But most of all, Absent Children is about love - the love between a man and a woman, and the love of parents for their children, present and absent.

Juli Townsend worked as a midwife in Australia before moving to America with her husband in 2003. Unable to practice in the profession she loved, she took a writing course and now delights in writing fictional stories drawn from her experiences as a midwife. She loves babies, animals, birds, flowers, trees, mountains, beaches, lakes, snowflakes and sunshine. She now lives in Australia again.