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"  Bringing in Finn by Sara Connell (Seal Press) Riveting narrative trumps all, and readers found it here in spades: After an ordeal of fertility treatments and lost pregnancies, the author and her husband accept her 61-year-old mother&amp;#039;s offer to become the gestational carrier of their child\u2014a saga that transforms a strained mother-daughter bond and creates a new family. In motherhood, there are many types of sacrifice and unconditional love. Bringing in Finn is a testament to this fact. After battling infertility and miscarriage, Connell finally finds a surrogate for her child in the most unlikely of places. For Connell, motherhood quickly becomes a shared experience. Her hopes give her a deeper sense of purpose on her unconventional path to becoming a parent. This is a story of birth and rebirth, shared by two extraordinary women with unwavering faith and devotion to family.\u2014Maria MacNamara, Cleveland, OH Bringing in Finn is indeed an extraordinary surrogate story. Connell has difficulty conceiving, and after a series of miscarriages and losing twins at five months, she finds herself at her lowest point when her 59-year-old mother offers to carry the baby for her and her husband. While this could be seen as a ludicrous solution, Connell&amp;#039;s loving description of her mother&amp;#039;s sacrifice and her own riveting path to motherhood compels the reader to root for their success. \u2014Penny Bernal, Encinitas, CA I knew little about fertility treatments, surrogacy, and the challenges grieving couples face in this situation. Since reading Connell&amp;#039;s story, I will always view women who have gone through similar experiences with greater compassion and understanding. \u2014Julia McKissack, Valdosta, GA I&amp;#039;ve seen stories similar to Connell&amp;#039;s on the news and could not relate to the incomprehensibly desperate people who call upon family to bear their children. Yet Connell&amp;#039;s authentic voice and endearing candor makes us aware of how &amp;quot;normal&amp;quot; she is. A well-written, thought-provoking memoir. \u2014Narci Drossos, Valdosta, GA There are plenty of memoirs out there about the struggle to have children, but Bringing in Finn is about more than that, focusing on what it means to be family, to struggle together, to forgive and move forward. \u2014Meghan Allen, North Coventry, PA This incredibly personal memoir must have been quite difficult to write for Connell, whose bravery is admirable. While her story was certainly compelling, I found myself wishing for more details; the events leading up to her mother&amp;#039;s decision to become her surrogate seemed to be more complex than they were laid out to be, and I found myself left with a myriad of questions in the end. \u2014Rachel Stottlemyer, Pittsburgh, PA  Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin (Crown Archetype) The best-selling author of The Happiness Project endeavors to operationalize how to bring more joy to family life and hearth; where some readers saw valuable tips to adopt, others saw only fairly small-bore ways to improve an already privileged lifestyle. In Happier at Home, Rubin tackles common situations and makes suggestions about finding happiness in simple, everyday activities. She engages us in thinking about a broad range of subjects, including possessions, marriage, parenthood, and time. Readers are certain to find practical advice they can quickly put to use. While the ideas she explores are not revolutionary, they are good reminders of how to enhance and enjoy life each day. \u2014Julia McKissack, Valdosta, GA Over a nine-month period, Rubin examines the elements of a home and seeks to foster a sense of belonging and security in her family, her marriage, and herself. Her self-awareness is rare; she speaks honestly about her own flaws and shortcomings as she works to overcome them. By letting go, Rubin finds more contentment and control; by setting boundaries, she knows more freedom. It&amp;#039;s these contradictions that propel her to a place of greater appreciation and enable her to demonstrate that by being happier at home we choose the bigger, better life. \u2014Maria MacNamara, Cleveland, OH While Rubin&amp;#039;s systematic approach to finding a more balanced and pleasurable life by making simple changes is laudable, this book reads more like a diary than something produced to truly help others simplify. \u2014Deidra MacLeod, Natick, MA Though the book is helpful, Rubin runs the risk of alienating readers by detailing a home happiness project that works for her; as a stay-at-home mother, she is able to incorporate significant changes into her life that many working adults simply would be unable to implement. \u2014Rachel Stottlemyer, Pittsburgh, PA As an eternal cynic, I was pleasantly surprised when I found Rubin&amp;#039;s book inspiring and enjoyable. I think many cynics would benefit from considering little ways to make one&amp;#039;s life happier, and from bearing in mind Rubin&amp;#039;s mantra that one can only change themselves and not others. \u2014Joanna Russell Bliss, Atlanta, GA  Why Have Kids? by Jessica Valenti (Amazon/New Harvest) This feminist blogger-author&amp;#039;s ruminations on becoming a mother today struck some readers as a brave and bracing critique of our unrealistic parenting ideals and family-unfriendly public policies\u2014but others read her tone as whiny and overentitled. Valenti meditates on how America can be a hard place to raise children\u2014a hostile environment for those who struggle to maintain balance, find happiness, or even take care of the necessities like shelter and food. Valenti starts a discussion about what is really necessary when parenting, and how to take a more realistic approach to raising children. \u2014Deidra MacLeod, Natick, MA In an industry overflowing with parenting manuals, Why Have Kids stands apart as a straightforward and empowering look at what it means to be a parent in America today. Valenti speaks to what it is to be a mother\u2014not what it could or should be. Sometimes, it seems that the idea of motherhood and the practical reality of it are so far removed from one another that they don&amp;#039;t even speak the same language. We are led to believe that boundless fulfillment in the face of relentless effort is inherent to motherhood. Valenti not only acknowledges the falsity of that belief, but looks to the source of such misconceptions and how to move past them.\u2014Meghan Allen, North Coventry, PA To Valenti&amp;#039;s credit, she raises important questions about modern parenting. At times, however, her arguments are oversimplified; by reducing the matter to sexual politics, the economic divide, and race, more subtle points are lost. However, Valenti&amp;#039;s effort to initiate discourse on this matter and to talk candidly about issues that affect all parents\u2014young, old, and yet-to-be\u2014is admirable. \u2014Maria MacNamara, Cleveland, OH Valenti explores the notion that perhaps having children is not all it is made out to be. Valenti writes about the inequity of the woman&amp;#039;s burden in raising a child and the various models of childrearing, such as attachment parenting. While topical, the research feels scattered at times, and the book appeals mostly to a small niche of new parents.\u2014Penny Bernal, Encinitas, CA While I agree with Jessica Valenti&amp;#039;s central argument that the expectations of (middle to upper-middle class) parents are impossibly high, I found myself frustrated that she rarely acknowledged that having children could be fulfilling. Readers who are eager for a thoughtful, nuanced debate on the topic of having kids may be disappointed.\u2014Joanna Russell Bliss, Atlanta, GA Underneath the supposed happiness and fulfillment that comes with having children often lies an undercurrent of paranoia and guilt that many parents experience but rarely talk about. Valenti presents a startling and uncomfortable expos\u00E9 of the pressure that comes of our culture&amp;#039;s obsession with &amp;quot;perfect&amp;quot; parenting. Using refreshing humor and candid personal stories, she examines the issues that many mothers experience but rarely admit to. She reminds us that perfect parenting is not possible, and striving for it while ignoring negative feelings will only propel the illusion. By acknowledging these feelings and bringing them into the national consciousness, she strives to change the goal of parenting into something more realistic and tangible. \u2014Rachel Stottlemyer, Pittsburgh, PA "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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