“This touching, beautifully written work will help many people who have endured loss or complicated paths to parenthood. They are sure to find experiences that resonate with them.”
Library Love Fest On Your Radar
“[A] deeply moving narrative that celebrates the resilience of women as they navigate the diverse and complex journeys of building and sustaining families…. Warm, inclusive, and profoundly inspiring, Held Together is an invitation to connect, reflect, and honor the many ways we define love, family, and motherhood.”
“Women who are struggling . . . may find solace in knowing they're hardly alone. . . . Even the stories without fairy-tale endings should make women feel less solitary.”
“Held Together maps the many experiences of mothering through Thompson’s own story, interwoven with the narratives of other mothers…. Choosing this braided structure instead of presenting her story as a standalone essay in a collection is a powerful choice because it allows the book to become a chorus of women’s voices, emphasizing the healing and knowledge women can gain from one another by sharing their stories and the connection that forms from talking about personal experiences…. Held Together is a testament to the power of sharing stories to aid healing and provide comfort.”
“In this moving debut, physician Thompson weaves an account of her complicated path to becoming a mother with recollections from colleagues, friends, and patients on their own experiences with parenthood…. The varied selections prove there’s no single, ‘normal’ route to motherhood.”
Publishers Weekly interview in New Memoirs by and About Mothers
Publishers Weekly feature: 8 New Books for Mother’s Day 2025
“Mother's Day is almost here. Maybe you're still seeking a gift for the mom(s) or maternal figure(s) in your life; maybe you're a mom yourself, and are in the mood to read about the joys and trials of motherhood. Either way, these books might be for you.”
Stanford Magazine Biblio File: What to Read Now
“Women’s stories underscore the importance of personalized reproductive health care, where one size doesn’t fit all.”
Harvard Magazine Off The Shelf
MER Bookshelf: Motherhood, Literature, and Art
The Bookworm Sez (as reported in The Philadelphia Tribune)
“For the mother who’s struggled…a book that seems like a long series of comfort and camaraderie from friends who’ve been there….” (And find the review in your local outlet if you live in Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Washington, Connecticut, or the Caribbean!)
Memoirs about Motherhood (review from Fergus Falls Public Library)
“[A]n impactful memoir of motherhood and the medical system. I savored each story, told so honestly….”
The Miscarriage Dialogues interview: On Miscarriage, Motherhood & Rethinking Maternal Care (from Miscarriage Movement)
“Social media’s leading physician voice” features an excerpt from Olivia’s chapter, Anticipation, which explores how life-altering disease can impact individuals and families and shape the decisions we make over generations.
Thanks, Kim Downey, for the callout in your November 2025 newsletter—and for the work you do every day to make doctors’ and patients’ experiences more human and more humane….
Beautiful essay by Held Together collaborator Nancy Fresco, ostensibly about gender—but mostly just about being human. (And here’s some bonus content, an Easter egg if you’ve read this far down our page: Nancy’s fantastic essay about congenital rubella sydrome on McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. Has anyone in the history of CRS ever managed to make prenatal effects of infectious diseases poignant, funny, ominous, heartwarming, dark, terrifying, and just a little bit hopeful all at the same time in quite the same way before?? I think not.)