Choosing You: Deciding to Have a Baby on My Own (Paperback)

~ (Author) "At thirty five, I am just finishing grad school..." (more)
Key Phrases: empty sac, birthing class, Aunty Alice, New York, Porcupine Plain (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

All her adult life, Alexandra Soiseth has wanted a husband, children, dogs and cats—a busy, loving, home. But at thirty-nine, with no husband on the horizon, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

She googles for sperm.

Choosing You is Alexandra's memoir. With humor and heart, she shares the often gut-wrenching reality she faces in having a baby on her own—a mother and father who disapprove, friends who think she's crazy, a society that thinks she's selfish. But it is her struggle with weight and self image, possible infertility, and the terror of bringing a child into this world without a father that almost stops her from getting what she wants most—a family.

Alexandra's story shows us all that with a little guts, a lot of love, and the internet, almost anything is possible.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (April 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580052223
• ISBN-13: 978-1580052221
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,955 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Single Parents
  #74 in	Books > Nonfiction > Women's Studies > Motherhood

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, candid book - highly recommended!, June 22, 2008

By	SFLily "SFLily" - See all my reviews

I sat down several hours ago to start reading this book and could not put it down. As a single woman considering becoming a mother, I found Ms. Soiseth's book heartwarming, funny and marvelously honest. Many of the books on this subject that I have read seem to gloss over the "scary bits" - the doubt, the challenges, etc. Her story was a complete picture of the experience, in all its wonderful, scary, and ultimately joyful glory!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling honesty, June 23, 2008

By	Gloria Elin Hatrick "Picky Reader" (NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This fascinating and painfully honest book takes you on a journey with one brave woman as she "chooses" her child. As she tackles head-on the thorny problems surrounding such a choice ("googling for sperm"!) the reader goes with her. It's for everyone who wants children, who has children, who has decided against having children because the soul-searching and practical implications touch us all - men included. Highly recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes you think...., October 18, 2009

By	Catherine M. Chastain "Ravenous Reader" (TEXAS) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

As a single woman, this book really stirred me. I absolutely LOVE the way that Alexandra chronicled her journey to single motherhood. Having been raised by a single mother, I believe that Alexandra totally addresses every concern that my own wonderful mother had for me as a child. A great read about a woman's quest for motherhood, and all of the events, funny or not-so-funny, that ensue.