Just When I Was Going to End It...

The blog, that is, not my finally-moving-forward life--Peggy Orenstein left me a comment! (Well, three actually. But that's only because she was still figuring out the blog commenting process) Which I'm incredibly excited about-- for oh, so many reasons. One being that she is a talented and acclaimed author who has been published everywhere I would ever want to be and two, she is a human author -- meaning that she cares about what people think about her work and how it affects them. So much so that she has taken the time to look on blogs and read what has been written about her work and then comment on it. I don't think it's every author that does that. In fact, I know it isn't.

For those of you who don't necessarily read me or read her, besides writing for Elle and O and the New York Times etc, Peggy Orenstein wrote "Waiting for Daisy" which other than having a cute title, has a cool book jacket design-- and from the comments written about the book on Amazon, the inside matches the outside. It's one of the few books I've seen to get five stars from every reader commenting on it. Of course, me seeing the stars of it all at only came today -- after I read Peggy's comments and much after I wrote my entry about how being reminded that being of a certain age, I owed it to myself to get educated on my potentially infertile future made me want to jump out of a window. After all, I'm still trying to put my life back together and get out of survival mode so the whole reminder that I may find love just to face another debilitating struggle to have a child seemed a little disheartening particularly when arriving in my in-box from the Head Butler guy.

That all being said, this is what Peggy had to say about that particular review and my entry:

(1)
Hi, Can I just say that I really strongly objected to that review? It was clearly written by a man. I even wrote to him about it I was so annoyed. My book is NOT ABOUT TELLING WOMEN NOT TO WAIT SO LONG. I'd throw myself off a building too if someone wrote that book. In fact, I go on a whole rant in the book about the punitive nature of a culture that tells those of us trying (and trying and trying) to get pregnant in our 30s that we "waited too long." I can only think the reviewer had his own agenda on this one. My heart sank when I saw that and imagined it making its way around the web. My book is a FRIEND to women going thorugh this. It's VALIDATING. It's not accusatory. Please don't rely on other people's reviews in a situation like this. Please, please, read the book yourself and decide. I am pretty sure you'll have a different reaction than that guy.... \

(2)
oops. I meant to sign my name to the above post. I'm the author of the book--Peggy Orenstein

(3)
Wait, one MORE thing (sorry I don't post to blogs much this is new to me) Here are some other reviews you can bounce that one off of (and you can see more at my web site which is my name--check out the one from the LA Times ,which I think describes the book best of all).

--Peggy (again and for the last time I promise)

Reviews:

"Intimate, funny/sad and remarkably self-revealing." –Kirkus (starred review)

"The story of author Peggy Orenstein's struggle with infertility is riveting, but what really makes her memoir such a compelling read is her refreshing honesty about the complicated emotions many women face on the path to motherhood." Parenting Magazine

"Orenstein's nakedly honest account of her decision at age 35 to have a baby and her ensuing struggle to do so reads like a detective thriller." Elle Magazine, Winner, Elle Lettres readers prize, February 2007

"A raw, funny and poignant memoir. She writes keenly and with humor about the difficult road her quest takes. By the time I reached the end of the book, I was crying into my latte. Orenstein's memoir is not just hers; it is the story of a generation of women who dared to wait for motherhood, took risks to achieve it and were brave enough to question their decisions every step of the way." Ann Hood,

******

So because Peggy Orenstein does care, I'm guessing that her book is probably just as validating as she said it is and potentially even really good. And since I've pretty much od'ed on self-help books lately in my continued efforts to get me and my life in shape for love, marriage and a child I can raise to live a healthy life without the same issues or fears as me, I think I'm ready to read about her journey. And give her the same regard she gave me in stopping for a moment to let me know she could relate. And that my feelings about that review (and what it said about my life) were indeed valid.