Melissa Ohden is fourteen when she learns she is the survivor of a botched abortion. In this intimate memoir she details for the first time her search for her biological parents, and her own journey from anger and shame to faith and empowerment.
After a decade-long search Melissa finally locates her birth father and writes to extend forgiveness, only to learn soon thereafter that he has died―without answering her burning questions. Then her birth mother’s parents say they are unable to pass along Melissa’s letter. Years later, when she finally hears from the woman who carried her and gave her life, she finds out why. But the shocking truth is more than she can bear.
Yet even the most startling family secrets are eclipsed by the triumphant moment when Melissa becomes a mother herself in the very hospital where she was aborted. And she reveals how―through the miscarriage of her only son, the birth of a second daughter with complex health issues, and her own birth mother’s story―she gained a deep empathy for every woman who has had an abortion.
Like none other, this intensely personal story of love and redemption cuts through the debates surrounding a divisive contemporary issue to touch our common humanity. AMAZON 4 STARS
The arrival of "The Envelope" was a great way to start this book.
At the end of Chapter One, there was a statement that stood out to me. It was where she was talking about although she had moved to different location with her family, her faith in God remained strong. But this is the part that got me, ""Soon it would be tested by fire."
The when Melissa goes into the early part of her life, it sounds like the American way of life from some years ago. Normal, very family oriented. And then the economy forced her family, to make changes that they didn't want to make. Both her mother and father had to take jobs that consumed so much more of their time. They were still very loving but they had so much less time to spend together because they had to survive. The way Melissa found out the brutal truth about her being aborted, was to my way of thinking kind of brutal too. She was so young too, it's a wonder that it didn't totally destroy her, right there and then. That could have been the end right there. It brought tears to my eyes, especially when she was in her confirmation class at church and she revealed the scripture she picked as her own for the celebration. Yes, emotional. I found this book to be written in a direct, simple (easy to understand) manner that allows the emotions to bleed through. And there are plenty of those emotions because even though she is a survivor, her life hasn't been a walk in the park. She endured, she loved and she learned to forgive. And because of other life experiences she also began to have compassion for the many other people who are impacted by similar stories. She as a survivor of abortion began to see how many other people suffered as well, some many years later as well.
My final words on it? What a Powerful true story.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via Handlebar. It didn't have to be a positive one just an honest one. I'm so glad that I liked it.
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