Book

Mommy Man

📖 Overview

Mommy Man is a memoir that chronicles Jerry Mahoney's journey to become a gay father through surrogacy. The book follows his path from coming out to his family through the complex process of creating his own family years later. The narrative covers the practical and emotional challenges of surrogacy, including finding an egg donor, selecting a surrogate mother, and navigating the medical procedures involved. Mahoney recounts his experiences with the fertility process alongside his partner, documenting both the setbacks and successes they encounter. Throughout the book, Mahoney balances humor with candid reflections on parenthood, relationships, and modern family structures. His account provides context about the medical, legal, and social aspects of gay parenting and surrogacy in the United States. The memoir contributes to broader conversations about the evolving definition of family and the various paths to parenthood in contemporary society. It stands as a personal testament to the bonds of love that define a family, regardless of its composition.

👀 Reviews

Readers say the book offers a candid, humorous look at gay parenthood through surrogacy. Many describe it as a memoir that reads like talking with a friend. Readers appreciated: - The conversational writing style and humor - Detailed information about the surrogacy process - Balance of emotional moments with comedy - Representation of same-sex parents without feeling preachy Common critiques: - Some felt certain sections dragged or included too many mundane details - A few readers wanted more depth about the surrogate's perspective Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (50+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Like having coffee with a hilarious friend who happens to be telling you about his journey to parenthood" - Goodreads reviewer "Sometimes too focused on small details but overall engaging and informative" - Amazon reviewer "Made me laugh out loud multiple times while learning about surrogacy" - Goodreads reviewer

📚 Similar books

Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight? by Dan Bucatinsky A gay dad chronicles his path to parenthood through adoption and the realities of raising two children with his husband.

Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood by Eric Rosswood The book presents multiple paths to parenthood for LGBTQ+ people through firsthand accounts of surrogacy, adoption, fostering, co-parenting, and assisted reproduction.

The Kid by Dan Savage A memoir follows the adoption process of a gay couple as they navigate the open adoption system and build relationships with their son's birth mother.

And Baby Makes More by Susan Goldberg, Chloe Brushwood Rose Personal narratives from queer parents reveal the complexities of creating families through donors, surrogates, adoption, and co-parenting arrangements.

Family Pride by Michael Shelton The book examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ parents raising children in contemporary society through interviews and research-based insights.

🤔 Interesting facts

🌟 Jerry Mahoney wrote this memoir about his journey to become a gay father through surrogacy while working as a TV writer in Los Angeles 👶 The book's title plays on the term "baby mama," offering a fresh perspective on modern family structures and parenting roles 💕 The author and his partner Drew became parents to twins, a boy and a girl, with help from an egg donor and a surrogate mother ✍️ Prior to writing this memoir, Mahoney maintained a popular blog called "Mommy Man: Adventures of a Gay Superdad" which helped inspire the book 🌈 The book was released in 2014, during a pivotal time for LGBTQ+ rights in America, contributing to growing visibility of gay parents in literature and media