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BOOK REVIEWS

Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

Overcoming the Emotional Stigmas of Infertility: Barren But Not Ashamed by Frances Jones is a self-help memoir. The author sets out with a message for the world to those who are unable to conceive: you are not alone. Jones begins with her journey and the loneliness she encountered, particularly those around her who filled their hearts and homes with the very thing she could not have. The book is then sectioned into twenty distinct and interconnected chapters, covering a wide range of topics from the expectations of families and the bride herself, discovery, diagnosis, treatments, and loss, to emotional pain, adoption, acceptance, and the purest forms of love. “I operated as though I was broken, unworthy, and blemished.”

Frances Jones does a wonderful job of creating an engaging and compassionate guide in Overcoming the Emotional Stigmas of Infertility. I connected on a level that is only possible when another shares their experiences with profound honesty, which is exactly what Jones accomplished. Fear and pain are acknowledged. So are grief and the hope that springs to life only to be taken away a few days later. The writing style is more like a friend encouraging you over coffee than any guide I have previously read, and Jones opens up with relatable moments, like “bringing flowers to the grave of an empty womb.” This is an insightful, well-written book that is a comfort for those who need it most. Very highly recommended.

★★★★★

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Overcoming the Emotional Stigmas of Infertility – Barren But Not Ashamed is a work of non-fiction in the self-help genre. It is aimed at adult readers and was penned by Frances Jones. The book describes the emotional journey that comes with infertility of any sort. Feelings of guilt or inadequacy, feelings of failure or being lesser than others, all of these feelings and more are addressed in this book in an empathetic approach to discussing the mental and emotional toll of struggling to conceive. Based on the author’s own experiences, the book aims to guide and inspire others who are struggling with their feelings and self-perception in the wake of fertility struggles.

This is a powerful book not only for the highly emotive and stigmatized subject matter that it discusses but for the deeply personal experiences and insights that the author shares throughout. Using her own experience of infertility to support the reader in their emotional journey, Frances Jones creates a unique connection between herself and her readers. As infertility is a situation that people struggle to open up about, this book is an essential resource for providing the insightful and considered support that is sorely needed. Overcoming the Emotional Stigmas of Infertility is a book that knows it has its work cut out for it in a world surrounded by imagery and narratives that link producing children to being happy, successful, and valid. Someone who cannot have their own children can easily slide down a rabbit hole of depression and low self-worth. This book rises to the challenge, however, and is a must for couples struggling with infertility as well as professionals who support them.

★★★★★