The Zygote Chronicles

Suzanne Finnamore

Many pregnant women find themselves talking to and connecting to their unborn child. The same is extremely true of the narrative of this novel and of my pregnancies. Although this is a work of fiction, it is probably based on fact.

This is the mother's journal to her child. It starts when she discovers she is pregnant and ends at the birth. She talks about the time attempting to get pregnant, the discovery, the testing, and her angst all the way through the pregnancy. The more the child is wanted, the greater the fears the mother seems to have. She is in her later 30's, and knows the greater risks that accompany a first pregnancy.

This is a wonderful novel. Finnamore has the emotions of the pregnant mother down to a "T". I had a journal similar to this for my children. I found my emotions twisted by this telling. It gets very poignant when she recalls her early independence. I was standing outside and laughing out loud while reading the delivery room scene with the anesthesiologist who was delaying pain killer (she wanted to take a bat to his middle).

For a man trying to understand his pregnant wife, this is a fun way to learn what she is experiencing. For the woman who has had children, this brings the feelings back. For the woman who will have children, this book gives some insight as to what to expect in her feelings. And the woman who is currently pregnant - she'll identify. Finnamore has done a great job here.

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