A hugely timely read, though not about covid, but still about vaccinations and people’s choice and the effects of their action’s on others. I read this book in one day and found it absorbing. Two couples, the subject of childhood vaccinations and the emotions, responsibilities and devastating effects on the wider community. The only things that are certain is that no one is a winner here, and there are many losers. A book that will stay with you for a long time, another ‘if you read just one book this year’ read

Although not written about COVID, this book tackles the very sensitive issues around childhood vaccines. The book looks at both sides of the argument Friendships are tested when friends sit on different sides of the fence. The story focuses around two families. Doing what is right for your children can sometimes have a price to pay. So well written.

Topical and gripping - I couldn't put this down and read it in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨What is the one thing that could destroy your relationship with your best friend?✨

This is what Emily Edwards explores in her latest novel, The Herd. The blurb doesn’t give much away in terms of what it is that tears Elizabeth and Bryony apart so I’m not going to ruin it for you.

What I will say is this:
✨I finished this in a day and a half
✨It is thought provoking - more than 6 hours after finishing it, it’s still playing on my mind
✨It is current
✨It offers both perspectives of a very debated topic

My only qualm, while I loved the plot twist at the end, is that I did not appreciate the justification of it. It seemed a little too neat and I almost wish that it had been left more open.

This was a very topical book & one that will certainly have you talking. One that will be popular as a book club choice.

Wow. This is a book that stirs up so. many emotions for any parent, particularly as they are now being asked to vaccinated their children against covid 19 in addition to the other childhood vaccinations. I remember having discussions with friends about the MMR vaccine (not long after the now discredited Wakefield report) and having to way up the pros and cons and this book brings it back so clearly.

Elizabeth and Bry have been friends for years and now their small daughters are best friends. Elizabeth has always stated that Clemmie can not be vaccinated on advice from her gp so is always super careful about keeping her away from other up vaccinated children. So when the unthinkable happens and there is a measles outbreak the friendship between the two mothers is ripped apart.

I could not put this book down, it is a fantastic read that really makes you consider what you would do in this situation.

I loved this book and read it in two days. It's thought provoking and utterly compelling. A definite must read.

Our story opens in December 2019, before most of us had even heard of Covid or realised that whether or not we should be vaccinated would come to be a major issue. We're in Farley County Court, where Elizabeth and Jack Chamberlain are facing Bryony and Ash Kohli. As they were best friends until just a few months ago we know that whatever has happened is major and that, regardless of the outcome, this is not going to work out well for anyone.

Let's wind back to July 2019. Both families live in Saints Road and the Kohlis moved there from London to be in a better area and close to their friends. The families do live in each others' pockets - godparents to each others' children and working almost like an extended family. The Chamberlains have three children. Max and Charlie are healthy and living well, but six-year-old Clemmie had seizures as a child and Elizabeth is protective of her health because it would be too risky to vaccinate her against the common childhood illnesses. Elizabeth is evangelical about vaccinations: everyone else should be jabbed to protect her child.

It's never really come up in discussions between Bry and Elizabeth, mainly because Elizabeth assumes that four-year-old Alba has been vaccinated but Bry has compelling reasons to fear vaccinations. Her brother, Matty, only in his forties, is in care because of autism which manifested itself when he had his MMR jab as a child. Bry's been brought up by a mother who is vitriolic about the problems which vaccines cause. In fairness to vaccines, it does seem that, in Sarah's world, any illness that anyone who has ever been vaccinated develops can be traced back to that vaccination.

None of what happened was deliberate. They were all people under pressure, be it money, work or just trying to live a reasonable life. Elizabeth made an assumption based on a rather short response from Bry, that Alba was fully vaccinated, including the MMR jab, when she was not. The measles outbreak caught both families and for one of them, the consequences would be devastating.

The writing and characterisation are both exquisite. Elizabeth is super organised but Bry is her polar opposite: Time seems to spill around her, messy and uncontainable. Ash is on his second marriage and worried that - despite the £2,000,000 he made from the sale of his business - this marriage will go the same way as his first. He's burdened: life sags around him like excess skin. He's aware too that he's not in agreement with his wife on the vaccination question. Jack's not certain that he would go as far as Elizabeth does but she's a force of nature when it comes to Clemmie.

Over recent months there's been a lively debate about the rights and wrongs of vaccination. I've not had a problem: a history of major chest infections made the decision about Covid vaccines for me, but there was another reason. I worried about who I might pass the illness to and what help I might need to get me through it. I had a friend who couldn't be vaccinated, another who was against it on principle and quite a few who were ambivalent but most, like me, joined the queue with an arm ready to take the needle. The situation was much the same in Farley and the story Edwards tells is riveting. I read it in twenty-four hours, petulant when I had to put the book down and anxious to get back to it, to find out what happened. The ending is stunning - probably one of the best I've read for a long time. I really didn't see it coming.

The plotting is superb. You're pulled down a path where you can understand why everyone takes the actions they do. You even suspect that you might have done the same yourself. You'll debate whether you should think of the potential harm which could be done to you or the harm which you might do to other people. Above all, you'll realise, as one character says, that there's risk inherent in every decision we make, in everything we do.

If your book club is looking for something special then you need look no further. I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from NetGalley and Pigeonhole.

This is a particularly relevant book with Covid and the pandemic at the moment. Particularly as I currently have it at the time of writing! I think this is a hard book to read and not be influenced by your personal views which encourage you to side with Bry or Elizabeth. However, the book is balanced and is not full of anti vaxxers for the sake of it, or because Bill Gates might be tracking them 😂 And it is possible to put yourself in the shoes of both families. This is a book about the power and test of friendship and how strong non genetic bonds can still be.

I did find the shortening of names - "Bry", "Row", although I'm not sure if this was meant to be a contrast for a reason against Elizabeth, who's name was never shortened.

The ending was clever, and needed because one of the explanations given didn't make sense to me all the way through.

My favourite quote:
"They weren't exact chalk and cheese; more like cheese and pineapple - a weird, unexpected pairing that just worked."

What a riveting read. A story of two best friends with different opinions. Very relevant at the moment with vaccinations and the debate of being for or against them.
How tragedy can affect a whole family and push the parents fears on the children.
How friendships can be torn apart and familiar faces can easily turn against you.
The Herd was beautifully told and showed both sides of the story and how not being honest with the people you are close to and trust, can have a devastating effect.

Two friends, lives entwined, God parents to each others daughters. A children's party and an outbreak of measles lead to a life alternating condition for one child. A very emotional and emotive story. It deals with both sides of the vaccination debate with heart breaking honesty. It does not preach or pick a side but shows that both sides need to be heard and shown compassion.
It broke my heart but put it back together again.

This book touches on quite a controversial subject. To vaccinate their children or not. Two life long friends are both on the same side for two very different reasons. Their daughters are friends but when tragedy strikes they find themselves enemies..
A really heart-rending story of how beliefs can spiral out of control.
I liked this book a lot.

This is a very timely read and brings up many talking points. Bry has a brother who her family feel, was badly affected by the MMR as a baby. Her best friend Elizabeth can’t vaccinate her daughter, Clemmie, due to a childhood illness. But Bry hasnt told the protective Mum of this. And then the worse happens….
Well formed characters and a thought provoking subject make this very good read if sometimes quite distressing.
It’s cleverly written without bias on either side which gives the reader a chance to draw their own conclusions.
An excellent study in how these issues can affect lives and relationships.

This book raises a lot of questions that you really expect to be answered but know never will be.
Vaccination has always been topical, right now it’s a hot topic due to covid it the book pulls out the main thoughts, beliefs and actions from people who sit on boths sides. Its almost feels like a fair balanced assessment in fiction form which is brilliant.
In a small town where everyone knows everyone two BFF’s are on opposite sides, pro and anti vax for exactly the same reason. Fear.
The girls both have young daughters who are not vaccinated which is the main storyline here, but lurking in the background is not only the vax/antivax propaganda but also the pressures of being a mum, having responsibilities for your families wellbeing and coping with everything that comes with that.
Whilst I had a preferred character at one point I ll admit I wanted to slap both of them and tell them not to be so silly. I think this book is going to be a brilliant book club book but will likely make for some uncomfortable opinions when the readers discuss it.

An enjoyable yet challenging book to read. So pertinent to todays climate (although thankfully not Covid related) but the highly emotive topic of vaccinations. The story of two families making the ‘right choice’ for their family but with a terrible outcome. Thought provoking and a great book club book.

Herd is a 5 star, emotionally charged, heart-felt, thought-provoking story about overwhelming maternal love, parental choices, marriages and close female friendships. I loved the relationship between Bry and Elizabeth, both women having qualities it was easy to relate to, and both having issues within their marriages most people can empathise with.
After a dreadful, traumatic event, their friendship suffers so terribly, there are no survivors, but, although there's no 'happy ever after', there are, eventually, chinks of light and new beginnings hovering. I'm not often physically affected by books, but I cried a lot towards the end of the book, the despair and emptiness and then the possibility of hope just resonated so deeply with me. Thank you, what a wonderful jewel of a book that will stay with me forever.

What an amazingly timely story! Revolving around childhood vaccinations and hesitations, it fits perfectly into the COVID vaccine debates currently being thrown around. The story focuses on two families on the same street who became friends originally through the wives, Elizabeth and Bryony. The two are polar opposites - Elizabeth is total type A, controlling and confident while Bryony is a bit granola, free-spirited and less assuming. The two balance each other out.

The story, set in the UK, starts out with a brief history of Elizabeth and Bry's friendship, their families and their spots in the community. Elizabeth has three children, the youngest named Clemmy, who has had some health issues. Bry has one daughter, and an autistic brother who has been in a home since he was 16. This background is essential to the story and the controversial stances of to vaccinate or not. Bry has grown up with a mother who is convinced that her child, Bry's brother, was fine until his MMR vaccine. To say she is a non-vaxer is an understatement. Her beliefs have been ingrained into Bry since childhood. Elizabeth, on the opposite side of the argument, was not able to vaccinate Clemmy due to her health issues and is adamant that anyone who can get vaccinated must be in order to protect those who can't be.

There are two distinct sides in this story, just as there are in real life. Reminiscent of a Jodi Picoult novel, Emily Edwards does a great job of showing the reader both sides of this subject. Seen through the thoughts and eyes of both Elizabeth and Bry, the reader feels sympathy and understanding toward both. When tragedy strikes one of their children and they find themselves on opposite sides of a fight, their friendship is torn apart. Each woman is a Mama bear - doing what they feel is the best thing for their children.

"Anger, he now knows, is so much easier to feel than sadness."

I thought this story was well thought out and executed. I saw the faults, the strengths, the weaknesses and the emotion in both mothers and both families. The character development was top notch. Not just in the mothers, but also in the fathers and in a few other characters who played a larger role. In a story like this, there can't be an outcome that will be perfect so I loved that this book didn't try to wrap everything up in a nice bow. It was realistic and still satisfying. I definitely recommend and would not hesitate to read another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC to read and review. Pub date 2.3.22.

A very interesting storyline in today’s climate. Whilst the book is not about The current virus, it is about a mother’s choice as to whether to vaccinate her child. It was interesting that it was portrayed as the mother’s choice rather than a joint decision with the father. Both mothers in this story, Elizabeth and Bry, are strong characters who have their beliefs and their reasons for believing this way.
It is only when those beliefs are tested that it could ruin their friendship forever.

I enjoyed it very much, especially the twist at the end.

The cover of the book could quite easily be a photograph taken at a child’s party or even a photo of a scene in a park, garden or school. Being totally honest, it wasn’t the cover that attracted me to the book, in fact it put me off slightly because of the blurred aspect of it, which I find triggers my Menieres disease. The title piqued my curiosity, I wanted to know what herd was being referred to. Then I read the blurb and in light of the whole covid situation with people talking about whether to have the vaccine or not, I thought this would be an interesting read. I also liked the byline of "There's safety in numbers. But one person can change that . . ."

Before the actual book starts there is a prologue which reveals how the author came up with the idea for the book. Emily researched vaccinations, discovering various stories such as a ninety-two-year-old who clearly remembers the night her sister died from Polio. A father whose one-year-old stopped interacting, and making eye contact just a couple of weeks after having had the MMR. Emily heard many stories, learning every pro and con, but the main thing in common everyone had who she spoke to had, was that they wanted to “do the right thing”

The main female characters are Elizabeth Chamberlain and Bryony Kohlis, who live on the same street opposite each other. They are what some people would call unlikely best friends, with the super organised, a place for everything and everything in its place, smartly dressed Elizabeth, and the more carefree, go with the flow somewhat casually dressed Bryony. but are almost like family to each other really. Elizabeth’s family consists of her husband, Jack, their two sons Max & Charlie and their youngest child six-year-old Clemmie. Bryony’s family comprises of her husband, Ash, his two sons, Theo & Bran from his previous marriage to Linette, and their youngest child four-year-old Alba. The two women are so close they are godmothers to each other’s daughters. In fact, Clemmie is like a big sister to little Alba, so much so they are looking forward to Alba starting Nettlestone School, the same school Clemmie attends. Though the two women are close and see each other daily they do have totally different parenting styles. Bryony is a more go with the flow, let the kids have an ice cream treat, and is the one most likely to turn up late to school to collect her child. Where as Elizabeth, is a more rigid, strict time keeper. The two women have come to a point that they may be best friends but how they each raise their children is something they do not discuss or interfere with. The two women have extremely different views on children’s vaccinations. As Clemmie had fits as a child, Elizabeth consulted with a Dr and discovered that having the MMR may cause her ill effects. Bryony’s view is coloured by her mother, Sara’s strong opposing view to the MMR and the awful effects she believes it had on her son Matty. Prior to the vaccination, Matty had been a “normal” healthy child. However, within days he became non responsive and Sara faced a choice a mother should never have to make. Sara was told either Matty went into a care facility or her two daughters Bryony and Jessie would be removed from their home. Naturally, Bryony has a fear of something similar happening to any children she may have.

Elizabeth is in super-mum mode organising Clemmie’s birthday party. Elizabeth sends out a rather formal email invitation that requires the recipient to confirm that their child has had all their vaccinations, due to the risk it would put Clemmie at, they are requested to stay away from the party if not.

The problem that causes a rift between the two friends occurs when there is an outbreak of measles which coincides with the school breaking up and affecting a lot of those that attended Clemmie’s birthday party. When it becomes clear that both Bryony and Alba have the measles, Elizabeth jumps to the conclusion that it is them that have given the virus to her daughter Clemmie. Elizabeth is furious that despite every precaution she has taken her daughter has been exposed to and caught measles. It especially hurts her that though Bryony never confirmed Alba was vaccinated, despite clearly knowing Clemmie was not vaccinated both Bryony and Alba continued to have close contact with Clemmie. Clemmie ends up being rushed to the hospital, and Elizabeth’s worst fear happens, the virus causes Clemmie to have brain swelling and results in her losing her sight. As Clemmie and her family adapt to their new way of life, it is the end of the friendship between the two families.

I don’t want to go into too much more detail, the book does jump from present – being the courtroom, to the past – the events leading up to the court case. I really enjoyed reading the book and felt it was quite a fast read for me. I loved the analogy of Bryony and Elizabeth being “not exactly chalk and cheese . . . more like cheese and pineapple. Both women obviously think they are right in their own actions, however at the same time they both feel guilty at different times in the book. I think the other major thing about this book is that it really does make you think. It makes you ask yourself which mother you are/would be.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that I could identify with both sides of the argument as well as having an opposing view and/or questions too. This book really is a conversation starter, and it would make a great book club selection.

Summing it I found The Herd to be an emotional, believable read that seems even more relevant with the continual debates going on about the covid vaccinations and boosters. The book covers how some would call a relatively simple decision, or in one couples case in the book indecision can become life changing for their daughter & family as well as their best family friends & the wider community that live surrounding the two couples and their young families

Really wasn't sure this would be my kind of book, but gave it a go. So glad I did. Very different and well thought out, as well as empathetic and non-judgemental. I warmed to all the characters (even the icy Elizabeth!) from the outset and enjoyed every second of this. Snippets from a variety of minor players throughout gave an interesting dimension to the book. Very topical and highly entertaining at the same time. A cracking good read.