Select Amazon Reviews
This book is beyond incredible. I felt so connected to Christy’s writing because so much of it contained the words I didn’t have within myself to describe the immense pain and heartache of losing my baby boy. She brought comfort in a way of being validated. I so appreciated the raw beauty of Christy’s book. The honesty of everything after losing a baby. The grief, the anger, loneliness, jealousy, the longing, etc etc. The anguish and despair that takes place when those babies are officially gone forever. I bawled my eyes out as she described the primal sound that escaped her when her son Aidens time of death was pronounced. The sound she will never forget. I bawled because I too know that sound that can never be forgotten. It’s a sound I heard from myself when I allowed the sweet nurse to take our son to the waiting funeral home staff. Christy says how grief will “redefine you and change you as a person.” This couldn’t be more true. I am not the same person I am before losing our little Ethan. I’m thankful Christy poured her soul into writing this book. Many tears were shed while reading, but I couldn’t appreciate it more. Thank you for writing such a powerful book.
A little glimpse into something I have never experienced
I have never lost a child, but this book was so helpful in giving me just a little peek into what that is like. Christy is so honest and vulnerable in her writing - in putting her story out there, she has provided a tremendous service to those who have walked a similar path and those who have not. For those who can personally identify with her, I am sure it is enormously helpful to be reminded that there are people who can understand the depth of pain this experience. For those who have not experienced it, reading a no-holds-barred honest portrayal of the life-changing loss of children gives us more information to be better friends when someone in our lives experiences it.
if you’ve experienced a pregnancy loss, BUY THIS BOOK. Trust me!
I work as a Marriage and Family Therapist, treating those in the season of infertility and/or infant loss. My clients have been begging for a book like THIS. It is real and raw and truth telling. You will laugh with her and cry along with her and feel like you’re just talking to a friend while she delicately unravels the sacred pieces of her story. This book is a game changer for those who are grieving losses of their children whom they never got to know outside the womb.
Raw emotions will draw you into this book!!!
I am not sure where to begin with this review except that this book is seriously AMAZING!!!!! I was so absorbed in Christy's life story that it has helped me deal with my own infertility and in turn being "almost a mother" but never happened. The raw emotion in this book draws you right into their life, heart, struggles, grief and tears which brings on your own tears. If you have gone through a similar or same situation and in my situation with never getting pregnant there is a struggle with grief, the unknown and the "what if" scenarios. Your heart will ache while reading this book, but there is a happy ending. Your story is courageous, loving and powerful.
Professional Reviews
“ ... Wopat’s book will make you cry. How could it not? But her incredible combination of vulnerability and hope will keep you turning the pages. As her story unfolds, so too will your heart.”
- Jess Witkins, Lead Director/Producer, Listen To Your Mother: La Crosse
“In her no-holds-barred account of infant loss, Christy shares her grief as it has evolved over time while capturing the raw, transparent feelings of fresh loss. Readers who have experienced any form of pregnancy or infant loss will find in her words the best sort of friend, someone who will let you feel, let you say how you feel, and will hold space for all of it. If I had her book in my darkest season, I would have clutched onto it like the lifeline it is: a tender offering of hope, of companionship, and of empathy acknowledging that while life will never be the same, it is in fact still a life worth living.”
- Rachel Lewis, blogger at The Lewis Note
"Christy has managed to capture what my heart has felt for so many years. There are some instances in life that happen after you lose a child that laughter is the only thing that keeps you sane. She has magically put into words a balance that defines her love for her children and at the same time gives the reader hope that there can be joy again. If you have lost a child, this book can bring you hope once again."
- Megan Skaggs, Division Coordinator, Project Sweet Peas
"Author Christy Wopat’s book has all of the ingredients - humor, raw honesty, detail, and illuminating metaphor – to make it an engaging read. She transformed the horrendously horrible reality of having delivered twins (Sophie and Aiden) who both died within hours of birth into this gift for her readers. It is part memoir and part morality tale. It offers a reality check (“I am not crazy” or “I am crazy and that’s ok”) and catharsis to those with similar experiences and advice to those of us wondering how best to help them. It is rife with insights regarding grief, parenting, friendship, love, and identity."
-Dr. Ed de St. Aubin, Professor at Marquette University
"Almost a Mother speaks directly to the heart of all parents who have lost a baby. The raw experiences and emotions she shares are so relatable and heartwarming in the sense that you know you are not alone in your suffering and grief. Her strength in sharing her story will help other bereaved parents in their journey towards peace and hope."
- Rachel Redhouse, Director of Empty Cradle
"Pull up a comfy chair and a cup of tea, Christy Wopat's book is like a great conversation with a good friend. If you've had a stillbirth or early neonatal loss, you'll spend the whole time nodding in agreement. If you haven't, you'll be taken on an emotional journey through the resiliency of love. A mother's love is like no other, even when there's no one to 'mother.'"
- Amanda Ross-White, author of Joy at the End of the Rainbow, Still Standing contributor
“Christy’s writing is honest, raw, and genuine. Her book sheds light on what life is really like before, during, after the death of much-loved children. She lets you into her heart, mind, and soul, bearing even the darkest of moments to let you know you are not alone. There is no “right” or “wrong” in grief, only pain and love. This book beautifully dances in both the pain and the love.”
- Kelly Cote, Evolve Counseling, LLC
"I LOVED Almost A Mother! Christy Wopat writes about grief and loss as only another mama who has lost her precious babies can. Her book is so relatable, funny, poignant, and comforting. I found myself nodding along through Almost A Mother, thinking, “yes, me too,” as I read Christy’s accounts of the crazy, wrong things people say when you’re grieving (“they would have been serial killers”? Really?!), the sudden appearance of babies and twins everywhere, and the feelings of invisibility a loss mother feels as friends and family think you ought to be “moving on,” or “getting over it.” I felt like I had just made a new baby loss mom friend while reading it!
I highly recommend Almost A Mother to anyone who has lost a baby or babies, and especially to friends or loved ones seeking to understand what it’s like to grieve the loss of a child at any age or gestation. Christy’s book gives readers insight into the depths of sadness, the breadth of infinite love, and even the surprising moments of wry, (sometimes understandably dark!) humor that bereaved parents experience after the loss of a baby. It is a beautiful, heartfelt tribute to her twins, Sophie and Aiden, and to the capacity of the human heart to heal and find joy even after a painful loss."
- Robynne Knight, Founder of The Zoë Project, Still Standing contributor
