First published 1998
Sarah faces the reality that traditional conception isn't working for her. She enters the complex world of contemporary reproductive medicine, where procedures and possibilities she never imagined become her daily reality. Each doctor's appointment brings new hope and fresh disappointment. Her partner struggles alongside her as they make decisions about treatments that challenge their assumptions about family and parenthood. Friends offer advice that ranges from helpful to painful. Sarah discovers that wanting a child in the modern age means confronting medical procedures, emotional roller coasters, and financial pressures she never anticipated. The journey tests her marriage, her friendships, and her sense of self. Through failed attempts and small victories, Sarah learns that the path to motherhood can be filled with unexpected laughter even amid heartbreak. Schulman captures the daily reality of a woman determined to have a child, showing how hope and desperation can coexist in the same moment.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, medical-trauma
Hardcover · Farrar Straus & Giroux
Content warnings: infertility