Publication Date: July 14, 2026
For fans of Little Fires Everywhere, a novel that explores the ambiguities of motherhood and salvation through the anguished relationship between a troubled, undocumented Mexican teenager and the grieving, upper-middle-class mother who takes her in.
After the drug overdose of her teenage son, Helen, a privileged white woman, takes in Mia, a troubled and undocumented Mexican teenager.
Although they initially fill each other’s voids, Helen’s lofty expectations of Mia eventually test that bond and Mia, tortured by guilt and starved for affection, runs off with Diego, an MS13 gang leader. While Helen, bereft over losing another child, tries to reconstruct her life, Mia’s life with Diego spirals into a nightmare: Just after she has his baby, he goes to jail for multiple murders. As each woman moves forward through her own challenges, Helen confronts her deep-seated prejudices, while Mia battles her own demons in search of self-identity and meaning in her life.
A haunting and suspenseful cautionary tale, Borrowed Child is about what happens when a well-meaning inclination toward “salvation” goes awry.
Borrowed Child packs a punch and a dose of realism that we may not want to admit exists. Marguerite Welch has written a story in alternating voices, based on interviews, that spans several years.
Helen is still grieving her teenage son who has been gone for a while. She is now mothering the surviving young adult son, but she feels she can give more. Mia’s story begins as a ten-year-old, left in Mexico to be raised by her grandparents as her mother escaped an abusive relationship and made a new life for herself in America.
In the first part of the book, our characters fill us in on the lives and trauma that created a river of tears for each, which eventually flows into the others. Mia’s mother takes her across the border, promising toys, ice cream, and a better life. But in reality, her mother needs the ten-year-old for survival in the States. She cannot afford child care for three younger siblings, and as an undocumented immigrant, jobs are pieced together to cover a minimum of expenses.
Helen is finally jolted out of the fog of losing her son, realizes she has love to give, and finds a community center that needs tutors and mentors. It is here that Mia and Helen are matched.
Years go by as Helen supports Mia through the center, while she looks on from a distance at this family’s extreme struggles. Although Mia isn’t happy about the crowded apartment, the lack of food and security, and the responsibilities that have been thrust upon her, she accepts them. Helen is dogged about being the safety net for this child. Her husband is proud of her commitment but often reminds her that Mia is a borrowed child and that she should tread lightly.
Events unfold that allow Helen to step up and take Mia in as part of their family. Helen sees the opportunities now stretching before Mia and changing her life. But it isn’t so easy for either of them. The years go on as we hear the story from each character, feel their fears, and hold on to their hopes. Mia’s story is sometimes hard to read because of the trauma, but also because it feels as if it is penned by the teen herself.
This reviewer has walked the path of Helen and can attest that the most giving heart of a stable adult can only hope to hold onto the metaphorical string of a borrowed child. The experiences that are brought to the table and color our worlds are, of course, different. Sometimes the ending is close to the picture being painted as the relationship grows. Yet sometimes, the chasm is too deep.
Borrowed Child may shed some light and balm the hearts of mothers who gathered up the pieces of children who didn’t have to be their responsibility. And to the children who received this unwavering love, this story may resonate as to why it felt too much.
Marguerite Welch is a writer, photographer, and sailor whose eclectic tastes and interests have often led her in unexpected directions. Her articles on photography and travel have appeared online and in various art and literary publications. Borrowed Child is based on over a decade of experience as a tutor and mentor of children from the underserved communities in her own backyard. Marguerite currently resides in Annapolis, Maryland.
