Kylie Ladd in conversation with Michelle Barraclough for Better Read Than Dead

A beautifully told and thought-provoking novel about a mix-up that leaves two children wondering who they really are and where they belong . . . What would you do if you found out you'd been raising another couple's child - and they've been raising yours?

Fourteen years ago, Kelsey and Raf Maccioni left hospital with their newborn daughter, Ammy. Days later, Shona and Nathan James welcomed the birth of their son, Zac. The only thing the two couples have in common is the IVF clinic where their dreams came true. They are strangers to each other - for now.

Fast forward to April 2024 . . . Ammy has grown into a rebellious young woman, and Zac is a kind but introverted teenager.

Life may not be perfect for either family, but like everyone else they are muddling through. Until Ammy takes a DNA test for a school project. At first the results are puzzling. Then disturbing. Then earth-shattering - when the IVF clinic admits a terrible mistake.

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Kylie Ladd is a novelist, psychologist and freelance writer. Her six previous novels have been published in Australia and overseas. She has also co-edited and co-authored two non-fiction books, and her essays and articles have been published in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Griffith Review, Meanjin, O Magazine, Good Medicine, Kill Your Darlings and Reader's Digest, amongst others. Kylie holds a PhD in neuropsychology and lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children.

Michelle Barraclough is a writer and podcaster whose first novel was Highly Commended in the 2017 Richell Prize for Emerging Writers. She is currently working on her second novel in between deep dive interviews with authors about writing craft and process on her monthly podcast Writers Book Club. In her day job, Michelle designs gorgeous websites for authors at Fresh Web Design.