Remedies for Sorrow
An Extraordinary Child, a Secret Kept from Pregnant Women, and a Mother's Pursuit of the Truth
By Megan Nix | Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
About the book
This \"compulsively readable memoir...brings to light an issue that has been too long ignored...An immensely important book\" (Emily Oster, New York Times bestselling author of Expecting Better and Cribsheet).
A story of a mother’s fierce love for her exceptional child and her courageous journey to break the silence about a hidden risk to pregnant women: \"both a beautiful family story and an urgent call to action… [A] moving, potentially life-altering book\" (Robert Kolker, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Hidden Valley Road).
After a seemingly uneventful pregnancy, Megan Nix’s second daughter, Anna, was born very small and profoundly deaf. Megan and her husband, Luke, learned that Anna could have lifelong delays due to an infection from a virus they had never heard of: cytomegalovirus, or CMV, which Megan had unwittingly contracted from her toddler during pregnancy.
Megan was electrified by this knowledge. She had been warned, while pregnant, about the risks of saunas, sushi, and unpasteurized cheese, a lack of folic acid, and an excess of kitty litter. She knew to fear a slew of genetic syndromes she could do little to prevent. But she had not been told that CMV is contagious in the saliva of one out of three toddlers, spread through a kiss, a shared cup, a bite of unfinished toast. She had not been told that the stakes were high, that congenital CMV causes more birth defects and childhood disabilities—including blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism—than any infectious disease. Or that some of these disabilities are evident at birth, but others appear suddenly at age two or three and are never traced back to congenital CMV.
Remedies for Sorrow unfolds across the dramatic landscape of Sitka, Alaska, where Luke makes his living as a salmon fisherman. There, Megan struggles to meet Anna’s needs and dives deeper into the mystery of why no one—not her OBGYN, not her toddler’s pediatrician—had mentioned CMV, despite the staggering cost of this silence to families and children like Anna. From this rugged and beautiful place comes a memoir about the boundless capacity of mothers, the extraordinary child that is Anna, and the lifesaving power of truth.
Editions of Remedies for Sorrow
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780385548595
- EBook
- ISBN 9780385548601
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593681411
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593681428
Read an Excerpt
This \"compulsively readable memoir...brings to light an issue that has been too long ignored...An immensely important book\" (Emily Oster, New York Times bestselling author of Expecting Better and Cribsheet).
A story of a mother’s fierce love for her exceptional child and her courageous journey to break the silence about a hidden risk to pregnant women: \"both a beautiful family story and an urgent call to action… [A] moving, potentially life-altering book\" (Robert Kolker, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Hidden Valley Road).
After a seemingly uneventful pregnancy, Megan Nix’s second daughter, Anna, was born very small and profoundly deaf. Megan and her husband, Luke, learned that Anna could have lifelong delays due to an infection from a virus they had never heard of: cytomegalovirus, or CMV, which Megan had unwittingly contracted from her toddler during pregnancy.
Megan was electrified by this knowledge. She had been warned, while pregnant, about the risks of saunas, sushi, and unpasteurized cheese, a lack of folic acid, and an excess of kitty litter. She knew to fear a slew of genetic syndromes she could do little to prevent. But she had not been told that CMV is contagious in the saliva of one out of three toddlers, spread through a kiss, a shared cup, a bite of unfinished toast. She had not been told that the stakes were high, that congenital CMV causes more birth defects and childhood disabilities—including blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism—than any infectious disease. Or that some of these disabilities are evident at birth, but others appear suddenly at age two or three and are never traced back to congenital CMV.
Remedies for Sorrow unfolds across the dramatic landscape of Sitka, Alaska, where Luke makes his living as a salmon fisherman. There, Megan struggles to meet Anna’s needs and dives deeper into the mystery of why no one—not her OBGYN, not her toddler’s pediatrician—had mentioned CMV, despite the staggering cost of this silence to families and children like Anna. From this rugged and beautiful place comes a memoir about the boundless capacity of mothers, the extraordinary child that is Anna, and the lifesaving power of truth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Remedies for Sorrow about?
This \"compulsively readable memoir...brings to light an issue that has been too long ignored...An immensely important book\" (Emily Oster, New York Times bestselling author of Expecting Better and Cribsheet).
A story of a mother’s fierce love for her exceptional child and her courageous journey to break the silence about a hidden risk to pregnant women: \"both a beautiful family story and an urgent call to action… [A] moving, potentially life-altering book\" (Robert Kolker, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Hidden Valley Road).
After a seemingly uneventful pregnancy, Megan Nix’s second daughter, Anna, was born very small and profoundly deaf. Megan and her husband, Luke, learned that Anna could have lifelong delays due to an infection from a virus they had never heard of: cytomegalovirus, or CMV, which Megan had unwittingly contracted from her toddler during pregnancy.
Megan was electrified by this knowledge. She had been warned, while pregnant, about the risks of saunas, sushi, and unpasteurized cheese, a lack of folic acid, and an excess of kitty litter. She knew to fear a slew of genetic syndromes she could do little to prevent. But she had not been told that CMV is contagious in the saliva of one out of three toddlers, spread through a kiss, a shared cup, a bite of unfinished toast. She had not been told that the stakes were high, that congenital CMV causes more birth defects and childhood disabilities—including blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism—than any infectious disease. Or that some of these disabilities are evident at birth, but others appear suddenly at age two or three and are never traced back to congenital CMV.
Remedies for Sorrow unfolds across the dramatic landscape of Sitka, Alaska, where Luke makes his living as a salmon fisherman. There, Megan struggles to meet Anna’s needs and dives deeper into the mystery of why no one—not her OBGYN, not her toddler’s pediatrician—had mentioned CMV, despite the staggering cost of this silence to families and children like Anna. From this rugged and beautiful place comes a memoir about the boundless capacity of mothers, the extraordinary child that is Anna, and the lifesaving power of truth.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Remedies for Sorrow?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Biography and non-fiction prose > Memoirs
Where can I read a sample of Remedies for Sorrow?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780385548595
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Remedies for Sorrow?
Megan Nix
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Remedies for Sorrow is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780385548595) and ebook(ISBN 9780385548601) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593681411) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593681428)
Where can I buy Remedies for Sorrow online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Remedies for Sorrow?