About What Was Lost: Twenty Writers on Miscarriage, Healing, and Hope (Paperback)

by Jessica Berger Gross (Editor) "I like to think my pregnancy began in Notre Dame cathedral in Paris..." (more)
Key Phrases: pregnancy books, New York, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
While "20 to 25 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage," this heartbreaking loss is rarely discussed at length in pregnancy handbooks. Editor Gross decided to break this silence by assembling an anthology of essays by women who'd experienced miscarriages and were willing to write about it. Most of her contributors are freelance writers, academics or wives of academics. Even if they hadn't planned or wanted their pregnancies, all experienced their miscarriages as the death of a loved one. Demolished with grief, they found little usable sympathy, even from those who meant well. Some had understanding spouses; most only got real support from other women who'd also miscarried. Most went on to bear another child; some, like editor Gross, decided to adopt; a rare few decided their future did not include children (or more children). One contributor, Miranda Field, mentions positive rituals for grieving mothers in Japan, but aside from that there are few voices outside of the white, middle-class. Readers in search of something broader in scope might find it in Peggy Orenstein's Waiting for Daisy. Still, Gross's anthology fills a void and may open the door for more varied ones. (Jan.)
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Review
As many as one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, yet often women find themselves alone in their grief because of the silence surrounding the subject. Editor Berger Gross (creative nonfiction, Harvard Extension Sch.) hopes this collection of personal narratives by such writers as Joyce Maynard and Susanna Sonnenberg will "serve as a starting point for more conversations, both private and public, about miscarriage, so that women and their partners won't have to go on grieving in silence." These women's stories, divided into three sections-"Searching for Meaning," "In the Thick of It," and "Mourning and Moving On"-are intimate and often heart-wrenching. Several of the authors grieved pregnancies for which they had planned and hoped, while others were surprised at the intensity of their grief at the loss of an unplanned pregnancy. One woman found that suffering a miscarriage just days before her already scheduled appointment for an abortion did not alleviate her grief. Others speak of the potential contradiction of grieving the loss of a fetus while maintaining their prochoice stance. A powerful collection of personal stories recommended for all public libraries. -- Mindy Rhiger, Library Journal

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Plume; 1 edition (December 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452287995
• ISBN-13: 978-0452287990
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #565,718 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and Personal, February 4, 2007

By	K. Brennan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This anthology is a powerful read for all women, those who have experienced miscarriage themselves and for those who have not. It is a celebration of women, their strength, and their common experience. Having suffered two miscarriages myself, this was the first time I have read something that put so many of my feelings into words and validated them for me. In an experience that can often make you feel all too alone, this book can help you to realize that you are not. Thank you for writing so beautifully on such an important topic.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, January 10, 2007

By	K. Lewis (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

About What Was Lost begins a discussion that is long overdue. So many women suffer in silence after a miscarriage...How wonderful that we can now turn to the pages of Jessica's anthology for much needed support. These stories a varied and provide different perspectives but all speak to the sacredness of womanhood. Excellent!

3.0 out of 5 stars interesting reading, April 21, 2009

By	M. Canaday - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

bought this for my friend who had suffered a miscarriage - many of the stories she could relate to - some of course were not applicable but the table of contents does a good job of detailing out the purpose of each story - my friend commented that it helped her feel not alone - there are others out there going through what she is