In a memoir with the power and resonance of The Year of Magical Thinking, and the quirky humor of Operating Instructions, one of the nation's preeminent writers on women's issues spins the astonishing story of her six-year journey to motherhood. Waiting for Daisy is about loss, love, anger and redemption. It's about doing all the things you swore you'd never do to get something you hadn't even been sure you wanted. It's about being a woman in a confusing, contradictory time. It's about testing the limits of a loving marriage. And it's about trying (and trying and trying) to have a baby. Orenstein's story begins when she tells her new husband that she's not sure she ever wants to be a mother; it ends six years later after she's done almost everything humanly possible to achieve that goal, from "fertility sex" to escalating infertility treatments to New Age remedies to forays into international adoption. Her saga unfolds just as professional women are warned by the media to heed the ticking of their biological clocks, and just as fertility clinics have become a boom industry, with over two million women a year seeking them out. Buffeted by one jaw-dropping obstacle after another, Orenstein seeks answers both medical and spiritual in America and Asia, along the way visiting an old flame who's now the father of fifteen, and discovering in Japan a ritual of surprising solace. All the while she tries to hold onto a marriage threatened by cycles, appointments, procedures and disappointments. Waiting for Daisy is an honest, wryly funny report from the front, an intimate page-turner that illuminates the ambivalence, obsession, and sacrifice that characterize so many modern women's lives.

Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man-death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity. Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see. Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore. When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

This book includes story ideas, poetry, journal entries, and other other projects written when Natalie was 11 years old from her actual notebooks.

Set in rural South Carolina and urban North Carolina, in the novel Holding On: A Parable of Faith and Strength, we watch Sister Fullmore emerge through a very untypical childhood to become a very untypical woman. The book begins on her first day of school, where we see hints of the smart, sassy young woman she becomes. From a father who drinks his family into a life of poverty, to brothers who leave her to fend for herself, Sister's expectations for the male population are pretty low. Somehow, it seems the men in her life live "down" to those expectations. Her Grandma Hester tells her, "Pick your man, don't let a man pick you. That way you know what you're getting." Her mother's advises, "Don't fall in love with a man just because of his looks unless he has enough money to buy you a house." In all her sixteen years of living, Sister hasn't met one man who tempted her to forget that advice. Then she meets a fine piece of chocolate manhood named Joe Ervin Evans... A liquor house wasn't a place where a man figured on meeting the woman of his dreams, and finding a wife was the last thing on Joe's mind that night. Until he meets Sister, his smile has never failed to make a woman's heart melt. Undaunted by her seeming lack of interest in him, he sets out to convince this pretty little woman that she is going to be his.

Buffeted by one jaw-dropping obstacle after another, Orenstein seeks answers both medical and spiritual, all the while trying to save a marriage threatened by cycles, appointments, procedures, and disappointments. Her journey takes her around America and as far as East Asia - on the way she visits an ex-boyfriend who now has fifteen children; encounters 'parasite singles' in Tokyo, women who are rejecting marriage and motherhood in favour of shopping sprees and foreign travel; and shares stories with survivors of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. The world's professional women are only now beginning to become aware of the risks and realities of 'having it all', and Orenstein's saga unfolds as infertility is developing into a boom industry, with over a million women a year seeking treatment. Waiting for Daisy is a profoundly honest, wryly funny report from the front, a story about doing all the things you swore you'd never do to get something you hadn't even been sure you wanted; it's about being a woman, about trying to become a mother, and above all, about the ambivalence, obsession and sacrifice that characterises the struggles of so many modern couples.

'Such a raw, honest and important book' Giovanna Fletcher Like any new mum, Laura Dockrill felt rather overwhelmed after the birth of her son. But a slow recovery, sleep deprivation and anxiety quickly escalated into postpartum psychosis, and she had to spend a fortnight in a psych ward, separated from her family. It was only when Laura began to put her ordeal into words that she began to find herself again, and recovery seemed within reach. This is Laura's raw, honest and life-affirming story of how she made it through one of the most frightening experiences a mother can face. Now, she wants to break down the silence around postnatal mental health, shatter the idealised expectations of perfect motherhood, and show all new struggling parents that they are not alone. 'A book to save a whole generation of women' Adele A pleasure to read...I didn't want to put it down. If anyone is going through a similar experience it will make them feel less alone' Philippa Perry 'A humbingly honest and human war report from the front lines of mothering psychosis and recovery; there is no other book like it' Caitlin Moran 'An incredibly powerful book' Jessie Ware 'This book will give women and their families confidence that the brain and body will heal' Dr Jessica Heron, CEO of Action on Postpartum Psychosis 'An amazing read' Fiona Telford, postpartum psychosis survivor

At 13 years old, Catherine Hepburn is described by her friends as the prettiest girl in the county. However, the description favoured by her family is that of a good girl with big ears. In fact, her mother and housekeeper often take the time to help Catherine style her hair in a manner to help hide her big ears. Gifted by her Uncle Nicholas with a diary one Christmas, Catherine begins to record in it the events and circumstances involving the lives of her family and friends. Unknowingly, she records the events of the Hidden, children of noble birth who are hidden in common households until they are of an age to inherit their nobility. At 25 years old, trying to realize her dream as the CEO and Founder of the National Paralegal Foundation is a daunting task for Simone Devereaux. Her days are spent caring for her mother who suffers from a hereditary mental disorder. Her nights are spent in the arms of her fiancé, District Attorney Jacque Parker and her lover, trust attorney Wolf Carlyle. On the death of her grandfather, Simone inherits his private library which contains an extensive collection of books known as the Diary of the Beloved written by Catherine Hepburn, her mother's college roommate. As she reads the diaries to her mother, soon it becomes clear to Simone that Catherine's diaries hold the secrets of the Hidden, children of noble birth who are hidden amongst commoners until they are of an age to inherit their nobility. With the help of her fiancé and her lover, Simone must learn the identities of the hidden in order to save the life of her mother.

Two sisters discover that meddling in the past can bring about both happiness and long forgotten, devastating secrets... Pam Evans, much-loved author of In the Dark Streets Shining, brings us another tale of love, family and hope, clouded by two sisters' heart-breaking past. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Lindsey Hutchinson. 'The leading characters are finely drawn... crisp prose... a superb and heartwarming read' - Irish Independent In 1930s London, two little girls are lonely and bewildered after the tragic death of their mother. Daisy and June are now destitute and must go to the local orphanage. Once there, they take comfort in each other but they are robbed of even this consolation when they are parted because June is taken away for adoption. Years later, although out of touch and worlds apart, both share a disturbing childhood memory which will connect them forever. A memory that takes on a ghastly significance when June discovers the reason they were abandoned... What readers are saying about Always There: 'Simple read, simple tale, simply engrossed! It is the sort of book that warrants a sequel' 'I thoroughly enjoyed another great story from Mrs E, I couldn't put the kindle down'

On a seasonably warm day in April, author Sandra C. Johnston walked into Daisys Treasure Trove in White Rock, British Columbia. At the time, Johnston faced a crossroads in her life, and that visit to Daisys thrift store changed her lifes outlook. In this memoir, she narrates the story of how she met ninety-one-year-old Daisy Walls, the lessons she learned, and how the relationship affected her. A Journey with Daisy not only describes Johnstons experiences volunteering in the storewhere every day was a rich experience with both the customers and employeesbut also demonstrates the impact Daisy had as an elder mentor as she modeled kindness, tenacity, compassion, and courage. A combination of prose, poetry, and reflection, A Journey with Daisy narrates a journey of self-discovery and spiritual and personal growth. It encourages you to live passionately, gives you the breath to speak what you know, delivers nourishing soul food, and inspires you with the courage to face what you see without looking away from it.