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Book Tour: The Land of IF

Like so many others, I am excited to have read and to discuss Navigating the Land of IF: Understanding Infertility and Exploring Your Options as this selection of the Barren Bi+ches Book Brigade.

Why? Two reasons. One: the author is my friend Melissa Ford; and Two: it’s a damn good book. My exile on the island of Infertility and my odyssey back to the mainland would have been much more bearable had I had this straight-talking, informative, humorous and compassionate travel guide.

I endured infertility in solitude and in shame. Little did I know that there were so many others in the same boat. I thought I was the only unlucky one at the time.

People today don’t have to go it alone. There is someone to show them the way, a fabulous guidebook to answer questions, help prepare mentally, physically, emotionally and financially, and to ease anxiety.

Here are my selected questions and answers. For more depth, see my interview with Melissa here.

What is something you wish were covered in the book or what knocked your socks off on how it was explained?
I was amazed at how much WAS covered in such a compact guide. 

The topic I most wish had been available to me during my time on the island was the advice about the hysterosalpingogram. I definitely should have insisted on getting some Vali.um beforehand.

Did you read the book from front to back, or did you turn immediately to a certain chapter? If so, which chapter? Are there any chapters that you purposely avoided?
I opened up to “my” chapter, Chapter 9, right away because it’s about the neighborhood I am most familiar with, The Adoption Option.

I considered just skimming the rest of the book. After all, I was not going to go through any of the other neighborhoods (treatments, donor gametes, living childfree) in this lifetime, so why bother?

But in the skimming, I was drawn in by Mel’s wit and compassion. She’s magnetic. I read every word.

If you are a reader of Melissa’s blog, did you find the book to be a same or different style and why?
Same style, which is why I couldn’t put it down.

Hop along to another stop on this blog tour by visiting the main list at Stirrup Queens. You can also sign up for the next book on this online book club: Moose, by Stephanie Klein.

16 Responses

  1. I loved the book too! Can’t resist Mel’s writing… she is so talented to make us laugh while reading about the most difficult situation many of us have ever faced. 🙂

    (My book tour post will be up tonight at midnight.)

  2. I loved the book too! Can’t resist Mel’s writing… she is so talented to make us laugh while reading about the most difficult situation many of us have ever faced. 🙂

    (My book tour post will be up tonight at midnight.)

  3. Like you, I sure wish I had had this book when I was going through IF treatments. Even so, it’s a great read. : )

  4. Like you, I sure wish I had had this book when I was going through IF treatments. Even so, it’s a great read. : )

  5. It’s funny to think that “your” chapter, Adoption, is something on which you’re an expert, but that “my” chapter, Pregnancy After IF, is something on which I am a total newbie. I read my chapter hungry for guidance — but I’m guessing that you had a different mindset.

  6. It’s funny to think that “your” chapter, Adoption, is something on which you’re an expert, but that “my” chapter, Pregnancy After IF, is something on which I am a total newbie. I read my chapter hungry for guidance — but I’m guessing that you had a different mindset.

  7. Good job looking over the book! I wondered how Mel would write it, since she didn’t adopt, but of course she did her research and looked for help from the best. 🙂

  8. Good job looking over the book! I wondered how Mel would write it, since she didn’t adopt, but of course she did her research and looked for help from the best. 🙂

  9. I did look for help from the best(s) and Lori actually gave me an edit on that chapter of the book too 🙂

    Thank you for doing this, sweetie.

  10. I did look for help from the best(s) and Lori actually gave me an edit on that chapter of the book too 🙂

    Thank you for doing this, sweetie.

  11. Isn’t it funny how we have all claimed a chapter as our own? Or two, or three?

    I love how Mel writes like she’s talking to a friend. It makes it much easier to read about things that are hard to face.

  12. Isn’t it funny how we have all claimed a chapter as our own? Or two, or three?

    I love how Mel writes like she’s talking to a friend. It makes it much easier to read about things that are hard to face.

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