Joan lives in Dublin with her husband Martin and his very difficult mother, Molly. The year is 1996, and Joan finds herself still grieving for the daughter they gave up for adoption 30 years ago, before they were married. They went on to marry and have another daughter, Carmel. Although Joan puts up a front, her depression over Martin's insistence that they give up the baby continues all these years later, affecting her relationships with both her husband and their younger daughter. Martin had insisted that no one be told the secret about their first child, who was born in London, away from their hometown.
When Joan and Martin receive a letter from their first daughter, Martin is uninterested in meeting with her, afraid that her existence will hurt his reputation in the business community. Joan meets with the daughter, Emma, and learns what crisis has caused Emma to contact them after all of this time.
The book's title, The Making of Her, could be used to describe Joan, Emma, or Carmel. The story is a powerful reminder of women's issues and many of the nuanced emotions related to adoption and motherhood.
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