Husbands & Lovers

Content warning: This section of the guide discusses antisemitism, rape, and child loss.

The overwhelming strength of a mother’s love for her child(ren) is demonstrated by Mallory and Hannah’s experiences throughout the text.

When Mallory learns that she is pregnant, she has no way of knowing whether her baby’s father is Monk, the man she loves, or his father, the man who drugged and raped her, but this uncertainty in no way impacts her love for Sam. Neither Sam nor anyone else in Mallory’s life even guesses at her confusion on this point because Mallory is such a dedicated mother. The phone call when she learns that Sam has eaten a poisonous mushroom “changed [her] life” (3), and she rushes to New Hampshire, afraid to pause or stop lest Sam die and she’s not there. She considers Sam her “shining, beautiful boy” (7), untainted by his mother’s personal trauma. For years, Mallory drives him to regular dialysis appointments and monitors his fluid intake so as not to overtax his system. She never regrets Sam’s birth but feels that her “mistake was not giving [him] a real dad” (42). However, even Sam knows Mallory “did the best [she] could” (209). Mallory puts her son first, allowing him his privacy and encouraging him to be open to Monk’s overtures.