She wants to be a successful art photographer, but no one likes her work. She wants a child, but is virtually menopausal. She wants to stay with her husband, though she's not sure she likes him anymore. She wants an affair with Paul, but he is the social worker assessing them to be adoptive parents. And on top of that she thinks the social worker used to be her best friend's old flame, but decides not to tell either of them.
Jeanette and Sam have been together a long time. Unable to have their own children, they have decided to adopt. However, while she is developing an obsession with Paul, the oh-so-serious social worker, Sam is involved in a thing that's not yet a fling, but heading that way. Is her relationship with Sam in such trouble? Or do they just need some children in their life? Then everything will be all right, won't it?
Juxtaposed with Jeanette's first person narrative is the story of Levi, a young boy trapped in the care system, who is allowed no say about his life at all. We learn how he was taken away from his mother, along with his little sister, and moved from foster home to foster home, then back to his mother, a decision that ultimately leads to tragedy. Cate Sweeney is a published short story writer and a successful playwright whose plays have been produced by a number of regional companies. Cate likes to explore the connections between Science and Art in her work, as both have influenced her. Similarly, she has combined her experience as a health care professional and her writing experience to provide workshops in healthcare settings, most recently in a mental health unit and a GP surgery. She believes creativity is a useful tool in promoting health and well-being. Selfish Jean is her first novel.
