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The Sacred Thread: A True Story Of Becoming A Mother And Finding A Family--Half A World Away (2012)

by Adrienne Arieff(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0307716686 (ISBN13: 9780307716682)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Crown

review 1: Adrienne is in her thirties and has been trying to conceive. With fibroid tumours she has been unfortunate and had several miscarriages, leaving her and her husband distraught and wondering if they will ever be parents.They discover Dr Nayna Patels fertility and surrogacy service in rural India, and this is where Adrienne travels to in an attempt to find a surrogate for her baby. It was an interesting memoir, and I felt that she dealt with the moral and ethical issues fairly. For the young mother who became Adriennes surrogate, the money she earnt was equivalent to ten years of her husbands salary. One has to hope that this money would be able to provide opportunities for her and her family, but it does make you think about rich westerners exploiting third world woman... more. It did seem however, that the clinic was run well with a hostel type environment for the expectant mothers with good nutrition, medical advice and education.I was touched by this little book, both by the story of becoming a mother and the time spent in rural India. 4/5
review 2: Anyone considering international surrogacy would do well to read Adrienne Arieff's memoir. The Sacred Thread helped me understand the anguish of women, unable to carry a baby to term, and why anyone would take this route. The author chooses a specialized clinic, mentioned on Oprah, in a rural village near the border with Pakistan. Arieff communicates the physical shock of being plunked down in the middle of a foreign country but also captures the last-minute doubts mothers-to-be-through-surrogacy experience. I had no idea that surrogacy in India was so much less expensive: $15,000 rather than $50 to $100,00 in the USA. Adrienne describes "the indescribably odd experience of having a baby without being pregnant or giving birth" with total candor. The memoir covers the emotional impact of this choice, as well as the ethical issues related to having a stranger carry your baby. less

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