Only 5% in, but I felt strongly for Cassidy and Owen and the things they were going through. The struggles with pregnancy hit too close, and I felt it wasn't right at this time to continue reading. But wow, the writing is so real, and the emotions are there. Amazing work. If it stays on course, an easy 5-star read that hopefully will help many women heal.

What we carry is a beautiful book where life itself is the plot. This book has everything - familial bonds, harsh reality, heartbreak, love, working through relationships and, most importantly, learning to see ourselves in our parents' shoes.

There were at least two moments when Cassidy was remembering her childhood and she saw her parents in a new light. One of them was when she was thinking back to when she was 8 years old. Her beloved dog has passed away and she had been mad at her dad for taking her away. Her realization that as much as she loved her dog, her dad had loved her too was beautifully written and I cried so much at that point. It made me pause and reevaluate. Now in my late twenties, knowing what I do about my parents, I can think back to what they were doing when they were my age. It is powerful and scary to do that because it made me realize how little I know now and how much I trusted them, looked up to them, when they were my age.

This book touches on some very hard subjects and I appreciated the brutal honesty with which they were expressed. As someone looking to start a family in the coming years, I had mixed feelings reading about it. I was happy to have a role model in Cassidy to see the turmoil of emotions and situations she experienced while I was also heart broken for her. The jealousy that comes over us at times of loss makes us feel bad for our negative thinking. Through Cassidy I learned that it was ok and I felt supported knowing that it will be normal to feel that way. I don’t know what pregnancy will entail but through Cassidy’s experience and my discussion with friends, I feel better knowing I have read a book that accurately represents the experience.

I loved the relationships in this book. Though Cassidy formed the main perspective, the other point of views of her husband, Owen, her sister, Claire, and her mother, Joan, were helpful in rounding out her character and getting a glimpse of how much she changed due to the miscarriage and her healing journey.

What we carry is a hard read. I may not have experienced everything in the book firsthand, but I can imagine how hard it is and with Cassidy’s story, I am able to put words to the emotions and the turmoil. There is a lot to this book. There is healing. There is acknowledgement for when we have to wake up and work on our relationships or we will fall apart. I loved this book. I cried. I laughed. I am glad about how everything turned out.

Many thanks to the publisher for gifting me a complimentary copy for an honest review.

This book had me in tears and I could feel my heartbreaking as I read every word of this story. In this thought-provoking story of loss and grief you will set forth on an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you gasping for air and trying to figure out how life can be so cruel and what it takes to overcome tragedy.

Cassidy and Owen have been married for 10 years and have built a life that they love, but there is just one thing missing, a baby. Once they finally decide to start trying it is not as easy as they thought it would be, but finally conceiving they are overjoyed. The feeling of bliss does not last when Cassidy miscarries and loses their baby. At 20 weeks it is the hardest thing she and Owen have ever faced. In the weeks following the tragedy they must learn how to find their way back to one another. As things are beginning to turn around and the guilt of living life again begins to subside some Cassidy finds out she is pregnant again. They are in disbelief and are terrified after what happened last time. They must each find the strength to confront their feelings about their son and accept that life moves on and that it is ok to move on but never forget.

This book makes you take a long hard look and loss and grief and how transforms as a people. Our experiences change us, and we decide how it changes us and how much we are willing to endure. Things we carry shed some light on the tragedy of a miscarriage and the strength it takes to overcome a loss this powerful.

A story that dives into a topic that is so hard people avoid taking about it. Very well written with such depth. I like how the author shared how different ones were affected by miscarriage.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

What We Carry is an emotionally charged roller-coaster ride. A powerful and engrossing read.

We need more books like this in the world; Kalyn Fogarty tackles the topic of miscarriage—an experience which is too common, and yet not talked about enough. She takes on a journey with Cassidy Morgan, who is reeling after losing her child at twenty-weeks pregnant.

The story is told through alternating points of view from Cassidy, her husband Owen, her sister Claire, and their mother, which the author uses deftly to present a clever and thoughtful study on the destructive impact of grief.

Clearly borne of the author’s own pain and wisdom brought from the experience, Fogarty delves into how it feels to lose a child and the impact on all of Cassidy’s relationships. As her marriage with Owen starts unraveling, we feel his pain as she closes herself off from him. Instead of pulling them together, their shared tragedy risks splitting them apart—and exposes the cracks both in their marriage, and in Cassidy’s and Owen’s own family relationships.

A true page-turner. Layered, thoughtful, compelling and immersive, What We Carry had me rooting for Owen, Cassidy, frustrated at Cassidy’s mother’s narcissism and passive aggressive comments that aren’t helping anyone heal, and rooting for Cassidy and Owen, who love and need each other, now more than ever.

When Cassidy becomes pregnant again, she is rightly terrified, but it also opens a door to find light and hope, despite the fear.

An engrossing study of family dynamics under fire after tragedy, which left my heart torn for Owen and Cassidy, and begging for them to re-find comfort and optimism in each other.

Studded with beautiful and thought-provoking lines like “no-one gives you a manual for grief.” And “I never imagined ten years unraveling in ten days”, Fogarty is a new author with a clear voice- a debut author where you wish you could read more of their books right away- but I know I’ll just have to wait!

Poignant, thought-provoking. Perfect book club fiction, with so much to discuss. Filled with nuggets of wisdom about grief, love and life in general.

What We Carry is a raw, emotional, and real story of miscarriage--at times difficult, yet beautiful and ultimately uplifting.

Cassidy, a veterinarian, and her husband Owen have been struggling with infertility, so when she miscarries, it's exponentially more painful. What We Carry traces the fracturing and ultimate healing of the relationships between Cass and her husband, her sister, and her mother.

The book is told from four points of view: Cass, her sister (the "golden child"/peacemaker of her family), her mother, and her husband. I loved this choice, because it showed how the ripples of these kinds of experiences affect others. The three women were so distinct in their voices--so well-written. Also, occasionally enraging. :) As I said: very, very real.

I have experienced infertility, though not miscarriage, and watching the strain on Cass and Owen's marriage resonated strongly. To see them have to cope with the double whammy of miscarriage had me rooting for Cass, even when her flaws and her woundedness made everything even harder. And of course, Fogarty doesn't pull her punches. I guarantee you will wince, seeing yourself in the clueless, insensitive comments of others who inflict wounds without even realizing it.

I loved Cass's relationship with the horses she treats in her practice. This is a book that will help you empathize with those who experience what none of us want to imagine.

This is such a beautiful novel and was well written. There was so many times during the book that I had to hold back tears. The novel does a good job sharing the pain that Cassidy is going through after her miscarriage. I was fully engaged in this novel throughout the whole time and was able to finish it in just a couple of days. It was so hard to put the book down.

Good writing but an old overused plot. Nothing unique or fabulous here. Been there, done that. Characters are more irritating than anything else and I ended up skimming to the end. Kind of blah.

What We Carry is an emotional heartbreaking story of a woman dealing with the loss of her unborn baby. It shows a realistic depiction of how the difficulty to cope played a role in all of her relationships including those with her husband, parents, sister, best friend and others. I liked how the story was told from multiple perspectives and we experience the viewpoints of all the people affected. Cassidy’s work with horses was an interesting subplot that connected well with her story. I’m sure this book is relatable for a lot of woman who have gone through the same thing. I don’t know if this book would help with the grieving process, but it sheds light on an important topic and can help woman not feel so alone and provide hope for their own rainbow babies.

This book is about women's friendships and motherhood, pain and joy. It's beautifully written.

It's told in four different points of view: Cass and Owen, Cass's mom and her sister. When the book begins, Cass and Owen are in the midst of losing a pregnancy and over the course of the book, we see the family relationship, the marriage, the heartbreak and pain and ultimately the healing.

It's a wonderful book of family and marriage and love and motherhood.

Trigger warnings: infertility, miscarriage

💫 Book Review 💫 ⁣
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝗪𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 by 𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘯 𝘍𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺⁣
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Honestly don’t know where to start with this review. How do you explain the pain of seeing yourself in a book... through some of the very lowest points in my life. This was one of the 1st books that was true to the feelings, the self hatred, the jealously & the pain of losing a baby in the 2nd trimester is like. ⁣
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When I was going through the 12 yrs of it all, I searched every single source of books for an accurate depiction of what happens. And never found one. I’m not kidding when I say I read at least 30 random books that said that they were accurate to the emotional side of what infertility (𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺/𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴) do to a woman... and nada. It’s why at the back of my mind, I always thought one day I will. Write that book that allows for women to be seen. Or at least make them feel less alone in that journey. ⁣
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𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵. ⁣
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This book isn’t easy as anyone who has faced that road will have every emotion brought up again. BUT I will say that I can recommend it ⁣
for any family member or friend who is looking to understand those feelings of loss: the emotions running through these pages are very raw and very realistic. ⁣
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𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰.... 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: you will either feel very seen. That someone understands. Some is walking the same road. 𝐎𝐑 it could be too much. It depends on your journey of where you are. ⁣
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𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬, “𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘵”. 𝘚𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. ⁣
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The book comes out August 10,2021. As with all authors, pre orders matter. ⁣
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This book is a beautiful testament to miscarriages and the grief that comes with them. This is a hopeful, beautiful and gut wrenching story. Cassidy’s story is a story that so many women experience and it is a form of grief that needs to be better dealt with by society. I know Owen wanted nothing more than to make it OK and get back to normal, but things with Cassidy were not OK. This is a heart-wrenching journey of the author trying to find peace. It was a wonderful read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

"What We Carry" takes readers on a journey from to the depths of despair and back again in a moving tribute to motherhood. The family dynamics between Cassidy, Claire, and Joan are gripping. Their story of functional dysfunction will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next.

Talking about grief and trauma is never easy and, although sharing those experiences can help demystify them, it is understandable that people who have experienced loss often find it hard to revisit their pain. With this in mind, the first thing that must be acknowledged is Kalyn Fogarty’s courage and strength to have written this novel in the first place.

The story begins with the protagonist, Cassidy, going through a miscarriage. It is a raw, painful and extremely powerful opening. From then on, the story is told from the points of view of Cassidy, as well as her husband, Owen, her sister, Claire, and her mother, Joan. They each deal with their grief in their own way, and they often conflict. The majority of the novel, however, is presented though Cassidy’s POV as she tries to come into terms with what happened and struggles to accept or even acknowledge other people’s experiences. She is often stubborn, argumentative and acts as if she can control all variables in her life (not reacting very well when things don’t go her way). The other main characters provide different attitudes: Owen is a fixer, Claire is a mediator, and Joan is judgemental and often clueless.

Told in first-person, present tense, the narrative can at times feel strange as people don’t tend to narrate their actions as they happen and many of the realisations they have would more likely occur in hindsight. However this choice adds a sense of immediacy to the most painful moments and perhaps helps the readers sympathise with the characters.

This is a beautiful novel and there are many moments when it is hard to hold back the tears. It is brave enough to deal with extremely painful emotions head-on and to demonstrate that “everyone loves different (...) you can’t guess at other people’s pain.” It also importantly acknowledges that women can be more than one thing at a time and do not need to define or limit themselves.

Kalyn Fogarty did an extremely good job at confronting, dealing with, and sharing her pain in an open, vulnerable yet healing way and it would be great to see more works like this one: works that can help people feel less isolated, less guilty – and more human.

A very believable account of a woman’s pain after losing a child. I love the part where she reflects on a memory when she was six years old and her dad took her dog to the vet but didn’t bring it back home. She was so mad she didn’t talk to him for 3 days until she found him crying in the garage and learned how he really loved and missed that dog. “You can’t guess at other people’s pain little one...”. And Owen’s comment: “At some point, grieving turns to remembrance, and that’s okay”. I could relate to a lot of what this woman was dealing with. Could have punched her mother though. What a b**ch! Even her sister was less than supportive at times. The one thing I hated and the reason I didn’t give this five stars? The ending where she kisses her baby girl and whispers “Everything happens for a reason”. UGH! How many times have I heard that but never ever felt that in almost 17 years. It’s such a slap in the face. Still, there is a really good story here and I know many will learn from it and many will relate to it.

I have to admit shedding numerous tears due to the realism of the experience that Cassidy and Owen went through and the emotional implications. It was great that she had a strong sister in Claire and a man who would do anything for her; however, escapism in work is never the solution. What her mom stated is absolutely correct is that there are rainbows everywhere and we just need to look. Lillie brought hope and light to all.