Multiple Bles8ings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets (Hardcover)

by Jon Gosselin (Author), Kate Gosselin (Author), Beth Carson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Infertility treatments, twins, more infertility treatments, followed by six beating hearts on an ultrasound screen. That sets up the Gosselins' memoir of the exhausting and joyous events surrounding the births of their now famous sextuplets. Those familiar with the TLC program Jon & Kate Plus 8 know how their household runs; now their story comes alive for readers as well. Kate admits, "I was a bit of a control freak," yet also quickly draws on and receives the "peace of God... like a security blanket" through her months in the hospital, Jon's job loss and the impending arrivals. Details such as how they chose names; the sextuplets' birth day of May 10, 2004; and the babies' weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit are fascinating, as are stories of running a household that was perpetually full of volunteers, looked like "baby base camp" and required carefully sequenced nightly bath time. The Gosselins' life is a whirlwind, with their book reflecting the fast-paced, faith-filled approach they take to raising their twins and their miracle sextuplets. (Nov.)
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Product Description
In Multiple Blessings, Kate Gosselin shares the gripping details of her rollercoaster ride of emotional highs and lows when she discovered she and her husband, Jon, would be expecting sextuplets while still basking in the light of their twin girls' toddlerhood. Strongly encouraged to consider selective reduction for the sake of both mother and babies, she and Jon instead decided to accept the extreme challenge God had handed them. After suffering the long and winding road of infertility, the young couple felt stressed but blessed as they fought valiantly to help their babies survive the fight for their lives. Kate reveals excerpts from her private journal as she describes the daily struggle to carry the babies for thirty weeks. In addition to their uphill medical battle, the family suffered many emotional setbacks such as the loss of Jon's job, forcing the pair to look to God as their sole provider and sustainer of life.

After the miraculous birth, the couple coped with months of neonatal intensive care for their newborns as well as Kate's physical recovery from such complete and prolonged bed rest. Later as the entire family of ten finally arrived home reeling with exhaustion, they still managed to feed, bathe, clothe, and monitor the health of their fragile infants as a steady parade of necessary and helpful volunteers turned their home and family life into a public arena.

The young family lived moment to moment at first, not knowing what each new day would bring and how they would survive on such depleted sleep, money, and emotional reserves. However, as the months progressed, they grew into the next stage of development, proudly letting go of yesterday and looking forward to a brighter and ever-changing tomorrow. Their small home was soon filled to capacity with six cribs, six bouncy seats, several changing tables, never-ending piles of laundry, tubs of colorful toys, stacks of diapers, cartons of formula, rows and rows of bottles, bibs and pacifiers, two triplet strollers, six car seats, and so on. Yes, life was hectic and cramped, but with each major milestone Jon and Kate rejoiced at the miracles that unfolded around them. The crew of six growing babies along with their proud big sisters, Madelyn and Cara, did their part to fill those rooms with squawking, squealing, laughing, and of course, a healthy dose of crying. Kate and Jon eventually came out of the fog of the first precarious two years feeling eternally grateful for the love and support of family, friends, community, and indeed a nation. More important, they felt the ever present hand of a faithful God upholding them and giving them just enough strength and courage to take one day at a time.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310289025
• ISBN-13: 978-0310289029
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (241 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,175 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Family Relationships > Twins & Multiples
  #5 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Religious
  #6 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian Living > Faith

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

129 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written. Good writting style, flow and timeline of events., October 29, 2008

By	mom23boys "mom23boys" (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

When the book came out I noticed that the author is Beth Carson (along with Kate Gosselin). On the TV show "Jon and Kate Plus 8", it has been shown that Beth Carson is a friend of Kate's, so I assumed the book would lack an experienced writing style. I was wrong! This book is VERY well written with an excellent flow and time-line of events.

The story is told by Kate with details that go past what the TV show documents. One way to explain it is that the TV series shows the action while the book provides insight into the emotional roller coaster and thoughts experienced by the parents, immediate family and some volunteers. Kate does a good job of explaining the mental and physical stress of raising six infants, along with a set of twin toddlers. Kate didn't paint herself as a saint and openly talks about the times she was wrong and as she stated "not winning any friends". As a mom myself of multiples I thought the book gave an accurate portrayal of the stress of bed rest, carrying multiples, and the mental exhaustion that takes it's ugly toll on relationships.

The book discusses the inital fertily treatment (an IUI), Kate's hospital stay while on bedrest, their early days in a condo by the hospital and their first house (not the house seen on TV). Each chapter of the book has a personal photo from the Gosselin family which are fairly generic and similar to what has been seen on the TV series. But unlike the TV series the book goes into detail about the parents of Jon and Kate and other immediate family members. Those family members are mentioned lovingly quiet often which Fans of the show may find interesting.

The book does have many religious references, but are not stated in a preachy way. They seem to be made only to point out the reasoning behind decisions Jon and Kate made, and to follow the title/theme of the book Multiple "Blessings".

I have noticed many negative reviews and it seems they are based on a personal disagreement with the Gosselin's lifestyle. Of course everyone is entitled to disagree with the Gosselin's -- I don't always agree with what I see on TV myself. BUT unfortunately it seems the majority of negative reviews have nothing to do with the contents of the book and more to do with the flood of recent tabloid press the family has received. The book doesn't seem to be written to make themselves look good - but written more in a diary style. Whether you are a fan or a critic, I think you will agree that the book is well written. Multiple Blessings is a fairly quick read that is well worth it for anyone who is curious about this family or for someone who has struggled with raising multiples. Enjoy!

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Unpleasant, with the occasional snide remark, January 1, 2009

By	Corriesgirl (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

I asked for this book for Christmas as I have really enjoyed the show. The stories about the pregnancy and the babies are sweet enough, but the rudeness makes the cringe factor off the chart. From the people who tried to help remodel her home to the volunteers who gave up their time, Kate comes across as an ungrateful shrew. I don't think she understands how badly she comes across. The scriptures don't compensate enough. She'll come close to an epiphany about her behavior then say, "Oh, but it's all about taking care of the babies, keeping them healthy, etc." I found the Duggar book much more gracious and satisfying. Check this book out of the library if you must.

35 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some good qualities but disappointing overall, December 11, 2008

By	Lisa Kloet (Elmhurst, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a huge fan of the show and bought the book as soon as I learned of it. I was expecting the book to be a more candid account of their lives. Unfortunately, it was rather impersonal and left many unanswered questions. In the book Kate says she can be stand-offish and that's clear from reading her story. I was hoping for some insight into what the day is like when the cameras are not around. Has Kate ever had a full time nanny to help her once all the volunteers left? They are obviously Christians so why do they talk so little about their faith on the show? I also thought someone would talk about whether Jon still works since their financial situation has undoubtedly changed because of the show. There was also nothing in the book to explain why Jon and Kate's parents have no involvement with their family. An overall disappointment.