I want to introduce this week’s #spellbooksaturday with a gentle reminder that I share these reading recommendations entirely from my own perspective, which is shaped in part by my intersecting identities and levels of privilege. I am a white, bisexual, cisgender woman, a survivor of SA/IPV, and childfree by choice, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have endless empathy for those whose experiences are vastly different.
And wow, those experiences can be vastly different, as is made powerfully clear by this week’s feature:
I’m Sorry for My Loss: An Urgent Examination of Reproductive Care in America by Rebecca Little & Colleen Long
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
A must-read investigation of reproductive health under fire in Post-Roe America.
(source: bookshop.org)
I’m Sorry for My Loss delves into the abyss of pregnancy loss, a topic that is misunderstood and full of guilt and shame. It is written with emotional resonance and humor by authors who have both been through it themselves. Rebecca Little and Colleen Long, childhood friends who grew up to be journalists, enlighten readers on the deep, sometimes mystifying history behind how we view pregnancy and loss, including:
– The hidden links that bind together abortion, miscarriage, terminations for medical reasons, and stillbirth
– How the history of pregnancy loss in America shapes our views today
– Recent cultural and political changes that are leading to dangerous medical care for women
– And much more
The authors interviewed more than one hundred people who have lost a pregnancy, along with dozens of historians, linguists, midwives, doctors, and therapists to create a comprehensive work that examines pregnancy loss from every angle, from the inadequacy of the words we use to the legal and medical maelstrom, and the ways in which parents have created their own mourning rituals in a culture that lacks them. I’m Sorry for My Loss is an approachable and deeply readable book about a traditionally unapproachable topic.
It feels like every day there is some new assault on our rights,1 making it very easy to feel mired, and authors Rebecca Little and Colleen Long give a fabulous, comprehensive perspective of a very nuanced and challenging topic. Frequently, I found myself shaking my head in disbelief over the lack of care and compassion that individuals encountered following pregnancy loss— an all-too-common phenomenon in our grief- and death-denying culture. Knowledgeable, empathetic, and timely, I highly recommend this book to all (who feel able to receive its wisdom, understanding that it may be triggering for some).
Have you read I’m Sorry for My Loss? What were your thoughts? Share in the comments!
- It probably feels this way because… [gestures broadly at America]. Perpetual thanks to Jessica Valenti for her Abortion, Every Day coverage! ↩︎
DID YOU ENJOY THIS SPELLBOOK SATURDAY FEATURE? FOLLOW ME ON GOODREADS, AND CHECK OUT SOME MORE READING RECOMMENDATIONS…
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