BLURB:
1970, pre-Choice America. After their eighth move in her thirteen short years, the lonely only child of a high-ranking naval officer and a socially ambitious mother, Tracy Mayo longed for a normal adolescence – to have friends, to feel rooted. What she got was a pregnancy at fourteen and exile to a maternity home. There, she bore not only a child but also the weight of the culture’s shame. She was required to surrender her baby boy at birth and pretend it never happened. Twenty-two years later, her longing undiminished, Tracy set out to find him – and perhaps, through her search, to reclaim her self. Are we moving back to a world where women have no agency, stripped of control of their bodies and their futures? More than fifty years after one frightened, grief-stricken young mother was ordered to forget, Tracy’s story is even more important to remember.
In her courageous and beautifully rendered memoir, Childless Mother, Tracy Mayo breaks ranks with the institutionalized secrecy, shame, and silencing that shattered countless pregnant girls and young women prior to legalized abortion and open adoption.
My Thoughts:
I’ve devoured 11 books already in 2024, and let me tell you, “Childless Mother” takes the crown as the most incredible book I’ve laid my hands on. I was lucky enough to get an advance reader’s copy of this gem, and I couldn’t put it down for a second. It completely swept me off my feet! I never anticipated it to be this outstanding! This memoir easily ranks as the best I’ve ever come across. The writing is superb, no beating around the bush. Mayo has truly outdone herself in sharing her journey. You know how sometimes a book just engulfs you in its world? Well, that was my experience with “Childless Mother”. I felt every bit of Mayo’s emotions. As a mother myself, I can’t even fathom how I’d react if my 14-year-old disclosed a pregnancy. My heart goes out to Mayo, and I empathize deeply with her situation. Her parents’ struggle is palpable, but her mother’s actions didn’t sit well with me. There’s so much emphasis on appearances, preserving one’s image, and the idea that a young pregnancy would tarnish both your image and your family’s honor. Women endure so much, while men seem to breeze through life unscathed. As a mother and a single mom, Mayo’s story resonates deeply with me, but she is an absolute inspiration. I’m immensely grateful that she’s shared her story with the world.
“Childless Mother: A Search for Son and Self” is set to be released on March 28th. I absolutely urge you to make sure it’s on your to-be-read list.
Lavender Bliss 