Thank you, NetGalley for this copy and thank you for understanding why it took me so much longer to read this book than others I have reviewed. This book had been sitting on my bookshelf popping it’s head out every time a new book arrived, but I couldn’t muster the emotional energy to open the book. I knew there was a chance that it would bring up painful memories. However, the topic intrigued me, so I buckled down and read.

And I’m glad I did. From the very beginning, I started asking my husband questions that came up from the book: Did he have guilt over our miscarriage? When he found out we were pregnant, did he immediately starting imagining a future with the baby? The message from this book is about communication, and I can say it helped me understand my husband and his side of loss.

I happened to see a comment about how the hope is you will never need this book. It got me thinking about when a person would need this. Should only couples read it after loss? Should anyone affected by loss read it? Should people read it before pregnancy happens? I don’t know the answer. I do know that there is a lot of good information in the book that I think all people need to hear.

On this note, I am not sure it will reach everyone. Some areas are contentious: toxic masculinity and abortion. These areas may be a turn off to a reader, but I do believe they are important to this topic. And if that section or chapter Isn’t something you are ready to hear, read a different chapter or the relevant ones to you.

I am still unsure about how I feel about his wife MJ’s point of view. Do I really need her view if I have experienced similar loss? Did she really add anything to the narrative? I don’t know.

One last negative aspect is that it seemed repetitive. Yes, I need to communicate with my spouse after the loss of life. On the other hand, repetition is the mother of learning.

Overall, if you or someone you know has experienced a miscarriage or an abortion or fertility issues, I think this book is a valuable tool. I would highly recommend reading it. Take what you need from it to be a supportive friend or partner.

And thank you, Aaron and MJ, for sharing your experiences.