Choice: True Stories of Birth, Contraception, Infertility, Adoption, Single Parenthood, and Abortion

Choice brings together personal narratives from women exploring their experiences with reproductive decisions and family planning. The collection features stories of birth, adoption, abortion, contraception, infertility, and single parenthood from diverse perspectives. Writers Karen E. Bender and Nina de Gramont curate accounts that span different time periods, social contexts, and outcomes. The contributors share intimate details of their decision-making processes and the complex factors that influenced their paths. The anthology moves beyond political rhetoric to present real stories of women's reproductive choices in their own words. Through these accounts, the book examines deeper questions about autonomy, motherhood, and the varied ways families come to be.

Readers describe this anthology as a balanced collection of personal stories about reproductive choices, noting it avoids political arguments in favor of real experiences. Readers appreciate: - The range of perspectives and outcomes represented - Raw, honest writing style - Focus on emotional complexity rather than political stance - Inclusion of less commonly heard stories (adoption, infertility) Common criticisms: - Some essays feel more polished/literary than others - A few readers wanted more diverse economic backgrounds represented - Limited male perspectives Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (112 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (24 ratings) Notable reader comments: "These stories humanize choices that are often reduced to political talking points" - Goodreads reviewer "Would have liked more stories from working-class women" - Amazon reviewer "The adoption and infertility essays were particularly moving and underrepresented in similar collections" - LibraryThing reviewer

The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler This oral history chronicles the experiences of women who surrendered their babies for adoption in the pre-Roe era of the 1950s and 1960s.

Labor of Love: The Story of One Man's Extraordinary Pregnancy by Thomas Beatie A memoir detailing a transgender man's experience of pregnancy and childbirth challenges assumptions about gender, parenthood, and reproduction.

Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley This graphic memoir depicts the author's journey through pregnancy, miscarriage, and childbirth with factual medical information interwoven throughout the narrative.

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin This comprehensive guide presents birth stories and experiences from multiple perspectives, including mothers, partners, and medical professionals.

What to Expect When You're Not Expecting by Jessica Berger Gross Through personal stories and interviews, this book explores the experiences of women navigating infertility, childlessness, and alternative paths to parenthood.

📚 The book features 24 personal essays from different writers sharing their intimate experiences with reproductive choices 🖋️ Co-editor Karen E. Bender is also an acclaimed novelist whose work "Like Normal People" was a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year and a Washington Post Notable Book ✍️ The anthology includes diverse perspectives from both well-known authors and emerging voices, crossing racial, cultural, and socioeconomic boundaries 📖 Published in 2007, the book emerged during a period of heightened debate about reproductive rights in America, offering human stories behind the political headlines 🤰 Several essays in the collection focus on less-discussed aspects of reproductive choice, such as the complex emotions surrounding adoption and infertility treatments