Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A candid and moving memoir of how one woman’s pregnancy forced her to confront her definition of how to live a successful life
“Slyly ironic, frequently hilarious, [Martha] Beck’s memoir charts the journey from being smart to becoming wise.”—Time
This edition includes a new afterword about Adam.
From the moment Martha and her husband, John, accidentally conceived their second child, all hell broke loose. They were a couple obsessed with success. After years of matching IQs and test scores with less driven peers, they had two Harvard degrees apiece and were gunning for more. They’d plotted out a future in the most vaunted ivory tower of academe.
But when their unborn son, Adam, was diagnosed with Down syndrome, doctors, advisers, and friends in the Harvard community warned them that if they decided to keep the baby, they would lose all hope of achieving their carefully crafted goals.
Fortunately, that’s exactly what happened. By the time Adam was born, Martha and John were propelled into a world in which they were forced to redefine everything of value to them, put all their faith in miracles, and trust that they could fly without a net. And it worked.
Expecting Adam captures the abject terror and exhilarating freedom of facing impending parenthood, being forced to question one’s deepest beliefs, and rewriting life’s rules.
“Slyly ironic, frequently hilarious, [Martha] Beck’s memoir charts the journey from being smart to becoming wise.”—Time
This edition includes a new afterword about Adam.
From the moment Martha and her husband, John, accidentally conceived their second child, all hell broke loose. They were a couple obsessed with success. After years of matching IQs and test scores with less driven peers, they had two Harvard degrees apiece and were gunning for more. They’d plotted out a future in the most vaunted ivory tower of academe.
But when their unborn son, Adam, was diagnosed with Down syndrome, doctors, advisers, and friends in the Harvard community warned them that if they decided to keep the baby, they would lose all hope of achieving their carefully crafted goals.
Fortunately, that’s exactly what happened. By the time Adam was born, Martha and John were propelled into a world in which they were forced to redefine everything of value to them, put all their faith in miracles, and trust that they could fly without a net. And it worked.
Expecting Adam captures the abject terror and exhilarating freedom of facing impending parenthood, being forced to question one’s deepest beliefs, and rewriting life’s rules.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
This true story of a Harvard educated (2 degrees each) couple expecting their 2nd child started out really strong but then I started to have trouble staying focused. Not sure why. It is very well written, good flow. When Martha & John discover that their unborn child has Down Syndrome, they are already struggling as a young couple in the academic world while trying to establish careers. For being "so smart", they are anti Harvard. They really don't have anything nice to say about their experience at Harvard. I'm not sure if this made me like them or dislike them. Both Martha & John begin experiencing paranormal visions during the pregnancy. I found this interesting, especially from people who seemed to disbelieve anything religious. I knew nothing about about their personal backgrounds (except what I learned from the book) but I now understand that that caused s lot of controversy for some people. I guess I don't care about that. It was a well written memoir/story about a sweet little boy and the events leading up to his birth.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.