Waiting for Daisy : a tale of two continents, three religions, five infertility doctors, an Oscar, an atomic bomb, a romantic night, and one woman's quest to become a mother

Peggy Orenstein's widely hailed and bestselling memoir of her quest for parenthood 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. Buffeted by one obstacle after another, Orenstein seeks answers both medical and spiritual in America and Asia, all the while trying to hold on to a marriage threatened by cycles, appointments, procedures, and disappointments. Waiting for Daisy is both an intimate page-turner and a wrly funny report from the front. Dazzling...the platinum standard for memoirs regarding couples struggling to become parents.-Seattle Post-Intelligencer 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. "Peggy 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 forays into international adoption. Buffeted by one jaw-dropping obstacle after another, Orenstein seeks answers both medical and spiritual in America and Asia, all the while trying to hold on to a marriage threatened by cycles, appointments, procedures, and disappointments. She visits an old boyfriend who now has fifteen children; goes to Tokyo where she meets "parasite singles," women who are rejecting marriage and motherhood in favor of shopping sprees and foreign travel; and visits Hiroshima where she talks with survivors of the atomic bomb. Orenstein's saga unfolds just as professional women are being warned and scolded by the media about their biological clocks, and just as infertility has become a boom industry, with over a million women a year seeking treatment."--Jacket This Book Is About Loss, Love, Anger And Redemption. 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 Their Biological Clocks, And Just As Fertility Clinics Have Become A Boom Industry. Buffeted By One Obstacle After Another, Orenstein Seeks Answers Both Medical And Spiritual In America And Asia, As She Tries To Hold Onto A Marriage Threatened By Cycles, Appointments, Procedures And Disappointments.--from Publisher Description. Peggy Orenstein. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "This book is about loss, love, anger and redemption. 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 their biological clocks, and just as fertility clinics have become a boom industry. Buffeted by one obstacle after another, Orenstein seeks answers both medical and spiritual in America and Asia, as she tries to hold onto a marriage threatened by cycles, appointments, procedures and disappointments"--From the publisher's description Waiting for Daisy is the story of one couple's mission to have a baby. It is about doing all the things you swore you would never do to get something you hadn't even been sure you wanted. It's a real-life journey of loss, love, anger and redemption. Told with raw candour and rare wit, it includes stories of femal survivors of the Hiroshima bomb. A memoir of the author's quest for motherhood details her six-year odyssey from her decision to have a baby, through her desperate pursuit of everything humanly possible to achieve her goal, to the repercussions of the ordeal for her marriage