Meaghan O'Connell, author of And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready

Candid and human but always generous, this is a story of stubborn hope and defiant love. In The Other Mothers, Berney gives us the fascinating history and social context for things like queer family-making and sperm donation, but she also shows us what it feels like to go through it. With clarity, determination, and hope, The Other Mothers gives us a wonderful glimpse into the many ways we can become family. Through the ups-and-downs of her own journey, Jenn reflects on a turbulent past that has led her to this point and a bright future worth fighting for. For decades queer people have defied the patriarchy and redefined the nuclear family-and Jenn was walking in their footsteps. Looking into the history of fertility and the LGBTQ+ community, she saw echoes of her own struggle. Soon Jenn found herself stepping outside of the system determined to disregard her. With no man factoring into their relationship, doctors were at best embarrassed and at worst disparaging of the couple. But they soon found themselves entrenched in a medical establishment that didn't know what to do with people like them. So when she and her wife Kelly decided to start building their family, they took the next logical step: they went to a fertility clinic. Jenn Berney was one of those people who knew she was destined for motherhood-it wasn't a question of if, but when. An LGBTQ memoir about one couple's struggles to defy the patriarchy and redefine the nuclear family, The Other Mothers dives into the history and social challenges queer couples face when trying to make a family.

The Other Mothers by Jennifer Berney