Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Book Review - "Inconceivable"


From the synopsis on the back of the book:

"When Carolyn and Sean Savage learned in February 2009 that their fertility doctor had transferred the wrong embryos into Carolyn's body and she was now pregnant with another couple's child, they embarked on a journey unlike any other. Inconceivable is a riveting story of sacrifice, love, and the meaning of motherhood."

I just finished reading this fascinating and heart-wrenching book. The story of Carolyn and Sean Savage is remarkable and unimaginable. The idea of conceiving, carrying, and delivering a child to whom you have no legal rights, yet do so with as much love and nurture as if it is your own, is beyond comprehension. I found myself riding the journey with this couple as they passionately wrote of the emotions experienced throughout the pregnancy and months following the birth.

My mind was forced to entertain the question of motherhood and what exactly it means to be a mother. Is not a woman who loves, nurtures, and carries a child in her womb for nine months, yet is forced to give that child up, still a mother? What about a woman who is chosen to be a surrogate for another couple? What about a woman who dumps her newborn in a trashcan because she doesn't want to face the responsibility? Or the woman who shakes her child to death because his crying is too much for her to handle?

The title of the book, Inconceivable, holds a bit of a double meaning. The authors, Carolyn and Sean Savage, struggled with fertility. They were blessed to conceive two children naturally before choosing to turn to infertility treatments to expand their family. Through several IVF treatments, the couple experienced three miscarriages before successfully conceiving their daughter. After the traumatic birth of their daughter, the couple wanted to try IVF with their remaining embryos. That attempt led to Carolyn being pregnant with another couple's child. Inconceivable also describes the magnitude of this medical mistake and the choices the couple were forced to make as a result.

It is impossible to read this book and not feel overcome with emotions. The depth of strength, sacrifice, and forgiveness this couple displayed is inspiring. On their website for the book, Sean and Carolyn write a blog about their story and document their life after the book.

2 comments:

Adrienne said...

Wow! What a crazy, crazy story! Thanks for sharing your review, I'm curious to check out the book now :)

Corinne said...

Amazing! I just checked out their blog page and I'm very interested in reading this book. Thanks for the review!