A surprisingly slim novel, The Children Act maintains the rich and complex themes Ian McEwan is known for. The story centers around Fiona Maye, a distinguished High Court judge known for her rulings. We find her at a turning point in her personal life, as she faces a marital crisis. She then faces one of her most challenging professional cases yet: a seventeen-year-old boy named Adam Henry is refusing a life-saving blood transfusion due to his Jehovah's Witness faith. As the law requires him to be a ward of the court until he is eighteen, Fiona must make a decision that will determine his life or death.
The book is an analytical look at the ethical questions surrounding the personal autonomy of minors, the role of the law and religion, and the mental boundaries one's upbringing might have created. McEwan's writing is precise and elegant, as always.