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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Bookish Spotlight: The Unprotected by Kelly Sokal



They say motherhood changes you.

As a driven advertising executive, Lara James has always put her career before any plans for a family, preferring professional chic to stay-at-home style. But after her father’s death, she realizes she’s ready. More than ready, in fact. Yet pregnancy—something other women seem to accomplish effortlessly, even accidentally—doesn’t come easily to Lara. What began as an adventure quickly becomes a nightmare as she and her husband endure endless IVF treatments, hormone therapy, and devastating miscarriages.

When Lara at last becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter, Auden, she believes their determination has paid off. But Auden cries day and night, ear-shattering screams that strip Lara of her nerves and energy. Her life as a sleep-deprived new mother is unrelenting, and, guiltily, Lara can’t help but mourn for what she once had. With her marriage crumbling, Lara is increasingly driven to alarming thoughts and destructive actions she would never have imagined possible before now. Hanging on by a thread, it’s only in her darkest moment that Lara will discover the true depths of her love and devotion—and what she’s willing to face for the family she’s so desperately sought.

Hello Everyone!

I don't often do this pick a book out and feature it her eon the blog, but in the spirit of change, I thought I'd give it a go.

I don't think I have seen many books out there that focus on postpartum depression (that may be just be me and my little bubble though). When I saw talk of Kelly Sokal's debut, The Unprotected, on Twitter,  I knew it was something I wanted to explore. Mental health is a much discussed topic right now (as it should be), and I really appreciate it's presence in fiction. Postpartum depression is a very real condition and it appears in up to 20% of new moms, yet it still carries such a stigma.

So, I will be reading The Unprotected soon, and I would encourage any of you to join me. We can coordinate and maybe have a virtual book club of sorts.

I was lucky enough to grab a little sneak peak into the book- which I get to share with you all below. Enjoy



At thirty-nine years old, all Lara James wanted was a baby. The last two years of baby lust overpowered the previous thirty-seven of pleased childlessness. Her old self would be ashamed of her. Lara didn't care. She doubted the doctor behind the heavy doors, her husband, God, the universe, knew how much she wanted a child, what she was willing to offer in return. The defined curve of her bicep went underused. Her calves could bounce and dance. Unbidden, her hand curved into a loose cup, ready to support the warm, pulsing weight of a newborn skull. Iterations of the word baby or child tickled the soft inner flesh of her lips, waiting to be flung out into the world.

Lara still would not admit how desperate she was for motherhood, not out loud, even sitting quietly in the lobby of the One Hope Fertility Clinic. The calendar on her phone blocked out two hours for an "off-site meeting." Between Lara and Kathy, off-site meant anything from a lunch to woo potential clients, to Pilates, maybe a bikini wax. The dog-eared paper planner inside Lara's smooth briefcase read only: O.H. blood draw and intro. Her bank statements and health insurance forms, the step-by-step guide to filing fertility treatment reimbursement requests spoke the truth: $647 for six months of Clomid; ten ovulation test kits; eight double-pack home-pregnancy tests; co-pays to her ob-gyn; then the $275 out-of-pocket fertility consultation fee. A baby? Priceless. Will wouldn't look for those expenses; finance was Lara's domain. Nonetheless, she alternated between paying with credit and debit cards and handing the pharmacist cash.

Buy the Book:

Chapters/Indigo
Barnes and Noble

There you have it, a look into what I am looking forward to reading. I hope you will join me.

~Happy Reading Everyone 

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"So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall."
— Roald Dahl