The Fifth Child is a short novel by the British writer Doris Lessing, first published in the United Kingdom in 1988, and since translated into several languages.

It describes the changes in the happy life of a married couple, Harriet and David Lovatt, as a consequence of the birth of Ben, their fifth child.

The two marry and purchase a large house in a small town within commuting distance of London.

By the time they have four children–two boys and two girls–their house becomes a centre of joy not only for them but for all their relatives and friends who come and visit.

Her painful pregnancy with him marks the beginning of the misery and suffering that this child brings to the whole family.