Summary
Melissa Ohden always knew she was adopted. But when she was a teenager she found out that she survived an abortion. This memoir is her story – about her adoptive family, about her reaction to the news of the abortion, and about her journey to integrate that piece of information into her identity, her calling and her faith.
I received a copy of this book from Plough Publishing and Handlebar in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions on this book are my own. You can read more about my review copy disclaimer here.
Review
Wow, this is an amazing and touching story! I appreciated the author’s honesty and transparency as she shares her journey. My heart broke as I read about her struggles as a teen to reconcile the abortion information and as she shared that she felt like damaged goods.
I was surprised by the hateful, angry, suspicious responses her story has received in pro-choice circles over the years. My guess is that it is painful to think about what abortion really is when you look at an adult who wouldn’t exist if the procedure had gone as planned.
This is a memoir with grace and forgiveness at its core. And that is beautiful. Ms. Ohden’s story had a fair number of surprises still to come, but her faith encourages – and helps – her to keep offering empathy and understanding to the people who are part of her story.
My favorite parts of the book were when she talked about being a voice – a voice for unborn babies, a voice offering forgiveness for grieving parents who had abortions, a voice for those who are pressured to abort their children.
This is an emotional read. If you have experienced an abortion or miscarriage (which Ms. Ohden does), some passages may be difficult for you to read. Be sure to take care of yourself as you read.