Overview

""After my infant twins died, I couldn't find anything on the shelves at the bookstore that was actually honest."" I found books about grief, sure. Books written by psychologists on the stages of grief and books that assured me that I would find my answers in prayer. This isn't meant to replace those. Those books are necessary, but in the raw, emotional weeks and months after losing my twins, what I wanted to know more than anything was that I was not crazy. Christy, a fourth-grade teacher, and her husband, Brian, are raising two adorable children ages 4 and 7 in Onalaska, WI. But Christy has two other children--twins--who died shortly after being born at 21 weeks. Christy's captivating memoir about her hopes, her dreams, her loss, her grief, and ultimately, her healing, is a poignantly powerful and brutally honest account of what happens when tragedy hits. We never think it's going to happen to us. We never think it will happen today. But it does, and it happened to Christy. In an effort to find solace, Christy tried Googling, ""What do I do when my baby dies?"" Unfortunately, there just aren't any good resources out there--at least not any that are truly honest, not sugar-coated with clichés. ""Almost a Mother"" is Christy's way of reaching those out to those who have experienced a horrible loss of any kind, of any magnitude, in the hope of building a community of support and love. And, in her words, ""I just wanted to know that I wasn't crazy because I wanted to punch the pregnant lady at Target in the face.""

Full Product Details

9781948365086

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Christy Wopat's book has all of the ingredients - humor, raw honesty, detail, and illuminating metaphor - to make it an engaging read. She transformed the horrendously horrible reality of having delivered twins (Sophie and Aiden) who both died within hours of birth into this gift for her readers. It is part memoir and part morality tale. It offers a reality check ( I am not crazy or I am crazy and that's ok ) and catharsis to those with similar experiences and advice to those of us wondering how best to help them. It is rife with insights regarding grief, parenting, friendship, love, and identity. - Dr. Ed de St. Aubin, Professor at Marquette University Almost a Mother speaks directly to the heart of all parents who have lost a baby. The raw experiences and emotions she shares are so relatable and heartwarming in the sense that you know you are not alone in your suffering and grief. Her strength in sharing her story will help other bereaved parents in their journey towards peace and hope. - Rachel Redhouse, Director of Empty Cradle Pull up a comfy chair and a cup of tea, Christy Wopat's book is like a great conversation with a good friend. If you've had a stillbirth or early neonatal loss, you'll spend the whole time nodding in agreement. If you haven't, you'll be taken on an emotional journey through the resiliency of love. A mother's love is like no other, even when there's no one to 'mother.' - Amanda Ross-White, author of Joy at the End of the Rainbow, Still Standing contributor

Author Christy Wopat's book has all of the ingredients - humor, raw honesty, detail, and illuminating metaphor - to make it an engaging read. She transformed the horrendously horrible reality of having delivered twins (Sophie and Aiden) who both died within hours of birth into this gift for her readers. It is part memoir and part morality tale. It offers a reality check ( I am not crazy or I am crazy and that's ok ) and catharsis to those with similar experiences and advice to those of us wondering how best to help them. It is rife with insights regarding grief, parenting, friendship, love, and identity. - Dr. Ed de St. Aubin, Professor at Marquette University Almost a Mother speaks directly to the heart of all parents who have lost a baby. The raw experiences and emotions she shares are so relatable and heartwarming in the sense that you know you are not alone in your suffering and grief. Her strength in sharing her story will help other bereaved parents in their journey towards peace and hope. - Rachel Redhouse, Director of Empty Cradle Pull up a comfy chair and a cup of tea, Christy Wopat's book is like a great conversation with a good friend. If you've had a stillbirth or early neonatal loss, you'll spend the whole time nodding in agreement. If you haven't, you'll be taken on an emotional journey through the resiliency of love. A mother's love is like no other, even when there's no one to 'mother.' - Amanda Ross-White, author of Joy at the End of the Rainbow, Still Standing contributor

Author Information

Christy Wopat, a fourth-grade teacher, and her husband, Brian, are raising two adorable children ages 5 and 7 in Holmen, WI. But Christy has two other children-twins-who died shortly after being born at 24 weeks. She began writing as a way to process through her grief and never stopped. She currently contributes to several online magazines as well as a podcast, hoping to help raise awareness about pregnancy and infant loss. Visit her website at christywopat.com

Tab Content 6

Countries Available