When the Bough Breaks

Updated December 2011: now also available from the iBookstore http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/when-the-bough-breaks/id490412653?mt=11

‘The only way you’ll ever have a baby is through IVF or adoption.’

Until the moment she first heard those words, Joanne Jones had taken for granted that she would become a mother with a family of her own. Now she would spend the next decade doing everything within her power to conceive or adopt. From endless rounds of IVF to faith healing and Chinese herbs, she tried them all, believing that with enough willpower and determination she would succeed. But it was not to be. And then began Joanne’s real challenge, the painful task of how to accept and adjust to the fact that she would never be a mother, never hold her own child, never share the ups and downs of parenting with her partner.

In coming to terms with her childlessness, Joanne faced some hard and often unanswerable questions: What happens to your sense of self and identity when your dream of having a family is removed? How does this affect your relationships and the perception of your sexuality? How do you find your ‘role’in society and in the company of mothers and families? And how do you deal with the grief of being childless over the years?

When the Bough Breaks beautifully written and compelling journey of self discovery is sometimes sad, frequently amusing, courageous and above all, blazingly honest. It will resonate with women everywhere, regardless of their circumstances, as ultimately it is a story of learning to accept yourself for who you are, unconditionally.