What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen

Genre: Memoir/Non-Fiction
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 208
Book Source: BookSparks PR

Synopsis: A personal and medical odyssey beyond anything most women would believe possible. At age forty-four, Alice Eve Cohen was happy for the first time in years. After a difficult divorce, she was engaged to an inspiring man, joyfully raising her adopted daughter, and her career was blossoming. Alice tells her fiancé that she’s never been happier. And then the stomach pains begin.

In her unflinchingly honest and ruefully witty voice, Alice nimbly carries us through her metamorphosis from a woman who has come to terms with infertility to one who struggles to love a heartbeat found in her womb – six months into a high-risk pregnancy.

What I Thought I Knew is a page-turner filled with vivid characters, humor, and many surprises and twists of fate. With the suspense of a thriller and the intimacy of a diary, Cohen describes her unexpected journey through doubt, a broken medical system, and the hotly contested terrain of motherhood and family in today’s society. Timely and compelling, What I Thought I Knew will capture readers of memoirs such as Eat, Pray, Love; The Glass Castle; and A Three Dog Life.

Review:

This was such an open, honest read for me. Actually it was more than a read, it was like sitting with a best friend and sharing your darkest thoughts and fears, things you don't usually tell others for fear of being judged. I found Alice Eve Cohen's candidness and amusing sarcasm refreshingly honest, it was an intimate look at thoughts and feelings not often voiced, in circumstances one would hope never to find themselves in.

I found it very easy to identify with the author having had my own struggle with infertility, high risk pregnancies and uncertain outcomes but I think this is a story that most people will find compelling. It could easily be titled "Pregnancy Disaster 101" but with Alice Eve Cohen's dark humour, understandably pessimistic views, the story's engaging format and my obviously warped sense of humour I saw the funny side in what really was a medical fiasco.

What I Thought I Knew is about life, love, losses and finding the courage to face all challenges. Kudos to Alice Eve Cohen for her courage during this journey and in bringing us her very touching story.

Don't forget to check out the author's guestpost and enter the giveaway for a copy of What I Thought I Knew here (hurry ends Dec 17th.)

Visit Alice Eve Cohen:

http://www.aliceevecohen.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Alice-Eve-Cohen/1046733364

http://twitter.com/AliceEveCohen




This month on The Eclectic Reader you can win a copy of Entice by Carrie Jones, or The Distant Hours by Kate Morton or The Lost Saint by Bree Despain. Check this blog post for details. Open Internationally.