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Emma Hamilton #1
The Baby Trail
Sinéad Moriarty poured all her experiences in trying to get pregnant for the first time into her debut novel The Baby Trail. Her heroine Emma Hamilton discovers that the road to conception is far from straightforward and her story is a moving and funny exploration of an experience so central to so many women's lives. The novel established Sinéad as a major talent in the tradition of Marian Keyes.
TicktockticktockTICKTOCK ... That's Emma Hamilton's biological clock you can hear. She wants a baby and she wants one NOW. But when Mother Nature refuses to play ball, Emma decides to give her a prod - or two.
Soon her life is a roller-coaster of post-sex handstands (you can't argue with gravity), hormone-inducing (sanity-reducing) drugs and a veritable army of probing specialists (torturers, more like). It's out with the booze and spontaneous sex, in with green tea and ovulation tests.
Emma couldn't have conceived that the road to pregnancy would turn into the mother of all journeys. But she's finding out that once you're on the baby trail, nothing is sacred - and one way or another, life will never be the same again ...
TicktockticktockTICKTOCK ... That's Emma Hamilton's biological clock you can hear. She wants a baby and she wants one NOW. But when Mother Nature refuses to play ball, Emma decides to give her a prod - or two.
Soon her life is a roller-coaster of post-sex handstands (you can't argue with gravity), hormone-inducing (sanity-reducing) drugs and a veritable army of probing specialists (torturers, more like). It's out with the booze and spontaneous sex, in with green tea and ovulation tests.
Emma couldn't have conceived that the road to pregnancy would turn into the mother of all journeys. But she's finding out that once you're on the baby trail, nothing is sacred - and one way or another, life will never be the same again ...
311 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
74 people are currently reading
2965 people want to read
About the author
Sinéad Moriarty
31 books496 followersSinéad was born and raised in Dublin where she grew up surrounded by books. Her mother is an author of children’s books. Growing up, Sinead says she was inspired by watching her mother writing at the kitchen table and then being published. From that moment on, her childhood dream was to write a novel.
After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London that she began to write creatively in her spare time – after work, at lunch times … and, truth be told, during work hours.
After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write The Baby Trail. The bitter-sweet comedy of a couple struggling to conceive hit a nerve in publishing circles. It was snapped up by Penguin Publishing in the UK and Ireland and has, to date, been translated into twenty languages.
Since writing The Baby Trail, Sinead has moved back to Dublin where she lives with her husband, two sons and baby girl.
Her second book A Perfect Match has been published worldwide. The US version of A Perfect Match is called The Right Fit. Her third novel – From Here to Maternity – is the third installment of the Emma Hamilton series. Her fourth book – In My Sister’s Shoes – is about two sisters who help save each other. Her fifth book has been published under two different titles: Whose Life Is It Anyway? in Ireland and Keeping it in the Family in the UK.
Her sixth book, Pieces of my Heart, about a family dealing with a terrible crisis, went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her seventh book – Me and My Sisters – went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her most recent novel Mad About You is the fourth novel in the Emma Hamilton Series.
After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London that she began to write creatively in her spare time – after work, at lunch times … and, truth be told, during work hours.
After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write The Baby Trail. The bitter-sweet comedy of a couple struggling to conceive hit a nerve in publishing circles. It was snapped up by Penguin Publishing in the UK and Ireland and has, to date, been translated into twenty languages.
Since writing The Baby Trail, Sinead has moved back to Dublin where she lives with her husband, two sons and baby girl.
Her second book A Perfect Match has been published worldwide. The US version of A Perfect Match is called The Right Fit. Her third novel – From Here to Maternity – is the third installment of the Emma Hamilton series. Her fourth book – In My Sister’s Shoes – is about two sisters who help save each other. Her fifth book has been published under two different titles: Whose Life Is It Anyway? in Ireland and Keeping it in the Family in the UK.
Her sixth book, Pieces of my Heart, about a family dealing with a terrible crisis, went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her seventh book – Me and My Sisters – went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her most recent novel Mad About You is the fourth novel in the Emma Hamilton Series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
May 13, 2013
Zabavno, duhovito i večito aktuelna tema o proširenju porodice... Nije baš ni tako lako začeti decu, ali je zabavno... :) Prvi deo trilogije divne irske autorke...
May 24, 2014
The title of The Baby Trail kind of says it all – this is a book about the trials and tribulations of a couple trying to get pregnant. It’s a very easy read – I think I finished it in two days – and handles a sensitive subject with humour and sometimes a little irreverence. It’s also the start of a series, I realised at the end, and did leave me thinking I’d like to read more.
The central character is Emma Hamilton, and I have to admit that I really didn’t like her at first. She basically wakes up one New Year’s and decides she wants a baby – a decision that doesn’t seem to be based on very much and that is undermined by her immature and selfish approach to life. I wasn’t really convinced by her overnight transformation into a woman obsessed with conceiving, and I found her pretty annoying to be honest. I also didn’t like the way she treated her husband, James – long before she has the excuse of raging hormones and justifiable emotional stress, she is awful to him. This just gave me even more reason to doubt their readiness to become parents and, frankly, there were periods when I was hoping that they wouldn’t conceive, for the sake of the potential child.
Having said all of that, as Emma and James’ story develops, it does tug on the heartstrings. As the months go by and Emma takes one negative pregnancy test after another, it’s hard not to feel bad for her. As she watches her friends conceive seemingly effortlessly whilst she undergoes inconclusive tests and invasive procedures, the layer of humour becomes a thinner and thinner mask for a fairly heartbreaking situation. Emma may be flawed and annoying, but I think any reader – particularly female readers – will feel her desperation and hopelessness.
A funny thing about The Baby Trail: for the first third of the book (or maybe more), I thought I was reading an autobiography. It was only when I glanced at the author’s name at one point that I realised this wasn’t the case – although I think that Sinead Moriarty has drawn on some of her own experiences in writing it. The fact that I thought it was an entirely true story, though, is testament to both the characterisation and the narrative. There’s something about Emma’s voice that rings very true – she’s a larger than life character in many ways, but a believable and three-dimensional character nonetheless. James, too, leaps off the page and is no caricatured ‘male lead’.
Sinead Moriarty is an author to watch, I think, as she takes on a sensitive and emotionally-charged subject with a careful balance of compassion and wit – perhaps something that’s achievable only if you have experienced the ‘baby trail’ first-hand. I will almost certainly be reading the sequel and would recommend The Baby Trail, perhaps mostly to female readers although I think it would offer men an enlightening perspective on how all-consuming the desire to be a mother can be, or become, in a woman and how emotionally draining it can be.
The central character is Emma Hamilton, and I have to admit that I really didn’t like her at first. She basically wakes up one New Year’s and decides she wants a baby – a decision that doesn’t seem to be based on very much and that is undermined by her immature and selfish approach to life. I wasn’t really convinced by her overnight transformation into a woman obsessed with conceiving, and I found her pretty annoying to be honest. I also didn’t like the way she treated her husband, James – long before she has the excuse of raging hormones and justifiable emotional stress, she is awful to him. This just gave me even more reason to doubt their readiness to become parents and, frankly, there were periods when I was hoping that they wouldn’t conceive, for the sake of the potential child.
Having said all of that, as Emma and James’ story develops, it does tug on the heartstrings. As the months go by and Emma takes one negative pregnancy test after another, it’s hard not to feel bad for her. As she watches her friends conceive seemingly effortlessly whilst she undergoes inconclusive tests and invasive procedures, the layer of humour becomes a thinner and thinner mask for a fairly heartbreaking situation. Emma may be flawed and annoying, but I think any reader – particularly female readers – will feel her desperation and hopelessness.
A funny thing about The Baby Trail: for the first third of the book (or maybe more), I thought I was reading an autobiography. It was only when I glanced at the author’s name at one point that I realised this wasn’t the case – although I think that Sinead Moriarty has drawn on some of her own experiences in writing it. The fact that I thought it was an entirely true story, though, is testament to both the characterisation and the narrative. There’s something about Emma’s voice that rings very true – she’s a larger than life character in many ways, but a believable and three-dimensional character nonetheless. James, too, leaps off the page and is no caricatured ‘male lead’.
Sinead Moriarty is an author to watch, I think, as she takes on a sensitive and emotionally-charged subject with a careful balance of compassion and wit – perhaps something that’s achievable only if you have experienced the ‘baby trail’ first-hand. I will almost certainly be reading the sequel and would recommend The Baby Trail, perhaps mostly to female readers although I think it would offer men an enlightening perspective on how all-consuming the desire to be a mother can be, or become, in a woman and how emotionally draining it can be.
April 24, 2010
Emma decides she wants to have a baby, and as the months pass, she gets more and more caught up in the whirlwind of fertility treatments. I have to say I did enjoy the main character's "voice", but I found the side story (her friend's relationship with a knuckle dragging rugby player) boring and skipped/skimmed over a lot of it. It was okay until the ending, which is abrupt and resolves nothing and leaves you feeling like reading the book was pointless because nobody has changed and nothing has happened.
December 4, 2024
Time taken to read - 1 day
Pages - 320
Publisher - Atria
Source - Friend gave me it
Blurb from Goodreads
Makeup artist Emma Hamilton is thirty-three when she and her husband James decide it's time to start a family. She has it all mapped out: Go off the pill in December, have sex, get pregnant by January, have the baby in September. With the help of a personal trainer, she figures she'll be back to her fighting weight in time for Christmas. But when three months of candle-scented sex fails to produce the desired result, Emma decides that maybe Mother Nature needs a helping hand.
Soon her life is a roller coaster of post-coital handstands (you can't argue with gravity), hormone-inducing (sanity-reducing!) drugs, and a veritable army of probing specialists (torturers, more like). It's out with alcohol and spontaneous sex, in with green tea and ovulation kits. Emma and James try everything from fertility drugs to in vitro, but all their carefully laid plans seem to go south -- along with Emma's rapidly plummeting self-esteem.
The members of her support team are unquestionably loyal, but distracted by their own personal dramas. There's Babs, her younger sister, who prescribes Emma half an Ecstasy pill to treat her depression. Her friend Jess is pregnant with her second child and gives Emma an earful about the downside of motherhood. The glamorous Lucy, Emma's closest pal, fears she might be stuck in her "single rut" forever -- that is, until she meets Donal, a rough-around-the-edges rugby player who passes out on their first date but quickly proves that he is worth a second chance. And last, but certainly not least, is James, Emma's rugby coach husband, who quite unhelpfully manages to give himself a groin injury just when she is ovulating.
But just when Emma feels as if her obsession may have alienated all of her loved ones, including James, events take a ninety-degree turn that will have unforeseen consequences for everyone.
My Review
Meet Emma, thirty three, Irish, happily married to an English guy and the time is right to have a baby. All seems straight forward but as the months go by and still no pregnancy Emma gets more erratic and obsessed. Her bestie is desperate for a date, her other pal has a baby and healthy sex life and Emma is getting it from all areas as her biological clock is ticking as folk like to keep pointing out.
I can't say I loved Emma, she is funny and God knows I felt heart sorry for her as she goes longer and longer unable to get pregnant. Before hormones take over and everything else she does say and do some questionable stuff. I did laugh out loud at some of her besties experiences with the rugby player and their date(s) and or aftermath.
The book deals with emotive and serious subjects infused with humour and showing just how much a woman goes through when conceiving doesn't come naturally. Easy enough for a wee poolside read, I think this was my first time reading this author, it wouldn't be the last. I think if you have struggled with pregnancy/conceiving this book with either resonate or maybe just be a wee bit too close to home, 3/5 from us.
Pages - 320
Publisher - Atria
Source - Friend gave me it
Blurb from Goodreads
Makeup artist Emma Hamilton is thirty-three when she and her husband James decide it's time to start a family. She has it all mapped out: Go off the pill in December, have sex, get pregnant by January, have the baby in September. With the help of a personal trainer, she figures she'll be back to her fighting weight in time for Christmas. But when three months of candle-scented sex fails to produce the desired result, Emma decides that maybe Mother Nature needs a helping hand.
Soon her life is a roller coaster of post-coital handstands (you can't argue with gravity), hormone-inducing (sanity-reducing!) drugs, and a veritable army of probing specialists (torturers, more like). It's out with alcohol and spontaneous sex, in with green tea and ovulation kits. Emma and James try everything from fertility drugs to in vitro, but all their carefully laid plans seem to go south -- along with Emma's rapidly plummeting self-esteem.
The members of her support team are unquestionably loyal, but distracted by their own personal dramas. There's Babs, her younger sister, who prescribes Emma half an Ecstasy pill to treat her depression. Her friend Jess is pregnant with her second child and gives Emma an earful about the downside of motherhood. The glamorous Lucy, Emma's closest pal, fears she might be stuck in her "single rut" forever -- that is, until she meets Donal, a rough-around-the-edges rugby player who passes out on their first date but quickly proves that he is worth a second chance. And last, but certainly not least, is James, Emma's rugby coach husband, who quite unhelpfully manages to give himself a groin injury just when she is ovulating.
But just when Emma feels as if her obsession may have alienated all of her loved ones, including James, events take a ninety-degree turn that will have unforeseen consequences for everyone.
My Review
Meet Emma, thirty three, Irish, happily married to an English guy and the time is right to have a baby. All seems straight forward but as the months go by and still no pregnancy Emma gets more erratic and obsessed. Her bestie is desperate for a date, her other pal has a baby and healthy sex life and Emma is getting it from all areas as her biological clock is ticking as folk like to keep pointing out.
I can't say I loved Emma, she is funny and God knows I felt heart sorry for her as she goes longer and longer unable to get pregnant. Before hormones take over and everything else she does say and do some questionable stuff. I did laugh out loud at some of her besties experiences with the rugby player and their date(s) and or aftermath.
The book deals with emotive and serious subjects infused with humour and showing just how much a woman goes through when conceiving doesn't come naturally. Easy enough for a wee poolside read, I think this was my first time reading this author, it wouldn't be the last. I think if you have struggled with pregnancy/conceiving this book with either resonate or maybe just be a wee bit too close to home, 3/5 from us.
August 18, 2020
Equally as enjoyable second time round.
February 16, 2009
Laugh out loud funny!
This book is certainly one to leave your sides hurting. What's crazy though, is that the author focuses on such a serious topic...a woman's problems getting pregnant. The fact that she uses humor to tell the story does not detract from it in any way.
It's obviously not written in the USA, so you have to get used to a couple of Irish phrases that American's wouldn't quite say.
But I loved Emma and her craziness. I laughed with her and at times I was also really sad for her.
I loved this book. I was thrilled to find out there were more in this series. Now I just have to go buy them and read them!
This book is certainly one to leave your sides hurting. What's crazy though, is that the author focuses on such a serious topic...a woman's problems getting pregnant. The fact that she uses humor to tell the story does not detract from it in any way.
It's obviously not written in the USA, so you have to get used to a couple of Irish phrases that American's wouldn't quite say.
But I loved Emma and her craziness. I laughed with her and at times I was also really sad for her.
I loved this book. I was thrilled to find out there were more in this series. Now I just have to go buy them and read them!
March 5, 2009
I didn't find this book funny like what most have said.
I didn't find myself laughing my socks off, mainly because i think i've pretty much gone through what emma did :)
Its a really heartfelt story of what a lady goes through when she is trying for a baby. I feel like MEN should be the one reading the book compared to us women.
I would say try not to read this book if you are trying to get pregnant, if you were anything like me, it would just make you more paranoid. But once you have conceived, go ahead, take a cup of tea and enjoy the book. You will miss the memories :)
I didn't find myself laughing my socks off, mainly because i think i've pretty much gone through what emma did :)
Its a really heartfelt story of what a lady goes through when she is trying for a baby. I feel like MEN should be the one reading the book compared to us women.
I would say try not to read this book if you are trying to get pregnant, if you were anything like me, it would just make you more paranoid. But once you have conceived, go ahead, take a cup of tea and enjoy the book. You will miss the memories :)
August 1, 2010
"The Baby Trail" is Sinead Moriarty's debut book. I was lucky enough to pick this one up at my favourite used bookstore, and couldn't wait to read it. I enjoyed it for the most part, but there were a few things that bothered me.
Let me start with what I enjoyed. Emma, our main character, was a lot of fun. She's obsessed with becoming a mother, something that I'm sure many women can relate to, and will do anything to become one. Sometimes she's a little like a bull in a china shop, plowing through in order to reach her goal, not really paying attention to anything else around her, but I'm sure that anyone who has ever been in her situation can relate to how making a baby can be all-encompassing. Moriarty has taken a very serious topic, infertility, and written about it with sensitivity, yet she keeps the whole thing from being overly sad by giving the book a chick lit feel. Quirky characters and funny situations abound, making this book on the whole enjoyable. I also enjoyed that the story was set in Ireland. I have a thing for books set in England and Ireland!
There were a few things that I didn't enjoy. I found the dialogue stilted at times, but as this was Moriarty's debut book, and she's written several others so I'm assuming that this has improved. The ending was particularly bothersome. There's incredible tension built throughout the book as the reader tries to figure out if Emma will be successful in her attempts to become pregnant, and then it ends. Abruptly. No one changes, nothing revolutionary is revealed and the reader is left hanging, wondering if there were a few pages left out of their copy. It was like encountering a brick wall in the middle of nowhere, and then running into it. This kind of ending left me less than satisfied, but I was happy to find out this morning that there are two additional books about Emma and her attempts to have a baby, so there was a reason for the abrupt ending. I still think that it could have ended a little differently, a little more gently, but it didn't scare me away from Moriarty completely, and I will seek out copies of her two subsequent books about Emma (like I need an excuse to hit to bookstore!).
Overall, this is a book worth reading, especially is you've ever had problems conceiving or know someone who has. Despite the fact that I haven't personally encountered any of these issues, I still really enjoyed it and the new perspective on baby-making that it gave me. My advice? Make sure that you have all three books in the series before reading this one, or else you'll be left feeling a little let down when you finish it.
Let me start with what I enjoyed. Emma, our main character, was a lot of fun. She's obsessed with becoming a mother, something that I'm sure many women can relate to, and will do anything to become one. Sometimes she's a little like a bull in a china shop, plowing through in order to reach her goal, not really paying attention to anything else around her, but I'm sure that anyone who has ever been in her situation can relate to how making a baby can be all-encompassing. Moriarty has taken a very serious topic, infertility, and written about it with sensitivity, yet she keeps the whole thing from being overly sad by giving the book a chick lit feel. Quirky characters and funny situations abound, making this book on the whole enjoyable. I also enjoyed that the story was set in Ireland. I have a thing for books set in England and Ireland!
There were a few things that I didn't enjoy. I found the dialogue stilted at times, but as this was Moriarty's debut book, and she's written several others so I'm assuming that this has improved. The ending was particularly bothersome. There's incredible tension built throughout the book as the reader tries to figure out if Emma will be successful in her attempts to become pregnant, and then it ends. Abruptly. No one changes, nothing revolutionary is revealed and the reader is left hanging, wondering if there were a few pages left out of their copy. It was like encountering a brick wall in the middle of nowhere, and then running into it. This kind of ending left me less than satisfied, but I was happy to find out this morning that there are two additional books about Emma and her attempts to have a baby, so there was a reason for the abrupt ending. I still think that it could have ended a little differently, a little more gently, but it didn't scare me away from Moriarty completely, and I will seek out copies of her two subsequent books about Emma (like I need an excuse to hit to bookstore!).
Overall, this is a book worth reading, especially is you've ever had problems conceiving or know someone who has. Despite the fact that I haven't personally encountered any of these issues, I still really enjoyed it and the new perspective on baby-making that it gave me. My advice? Make sure that you have all three books in the series before reading this one, or else you'll be left feeling a little let down when you finish it.
May 6, 2016
I have mixed feelings while reading this book. Sometimes I would feel invested, other times I was bored. The main character, Emma, reminded me of Becky Bloomwood from Sophie Kinsella's Shopahokic series. They were both very outspoken and they would do everything just to get what they wanted. Those traits made me both like and dislike Emma. Sometimes she would go overboard to the point that she drove her husband and other people around her mad. She could be a bit self-centered and obsessed with becoming pregnant. But, I could not completely bring myself to hate Emma because I understand what drove her to become that way. She felt so pressured to get pregnant, and after two years of trying with no results, she could not help feeling despondent.
I have never been in her shoes since I am still not planning for a family right now, but I could feel the frustration and pressure that Emma had been feeling. There was one chapter in the book (I can't remember which one) which discussed about the society's expectations about women-- that they should get married and bear children. It is frowned upon if a women could not do them This is really sad, because not all women could bear children or maybe choose not to. But this does not mean that she is useless.
The book also discussed the extra hardships women face from pre-conception continuing even after giving birth. There was a point when Emma felt so frustrated with her husband, James, because he could not understand the pressure that she had been going through.
I think these issues were what made me kept reading this book. I was hoping that a miracle would finally happen for this couple. Just read the book if you want to know about the outcome. I saw in a book sale that Emma's story continues on in a second book, but I do not think I would read it.
I have never been in her shoes since I am still not planning for a family right now, but I could feel the frustration and pressure that Emma had been feeling. There was one chapter in the book (I can't remember which one) which discussed about the society's expectations about women-- that they should get married and bear children. It is frowned upon if a women could not do them This is really sad, because not all women could bear children or maybe choose not to. But this does not mean that she is useless.
The book also discussed the extra hardships women face from pre-conception continuing even after giving birth. There was a point when Emma felt so frustrated with her husband, James, because he could not understand the pressure that she had been going through.
I think these issues were what made me kept reading this book. I was hoping that a miracle would finally happen for this couple. Just read the book if you want to know about the outcome. I saw in a book sale that Emma's story continues on in a second book, but I do not think I would read it.
July 3, 2013
This was a disappointing read for me. It was quick and funny, and the writing was good. I wanted to keep reading. But the story left me completely unsatisfied. The characters didn't go anywhere, and the main character perpetuated the image of infertile women as crazed lunatics. I have been through infertility (well, I suppose I still am), and didn't feel like the depiction was very accurate, based on the other women I have met in the same experience. I wouldn't have minded the ending if the book had taken some time to get there. Instead, I felt like the author realised she was reaching the word limit, and just tacked something on. Overall, the writing couldn't save a story that wasn't quite there.
January 24, 2012
DO NOT READ IF YOU'RE TRYING FOR A BABY. I'm not and won't in the near future, and I'm already hoping I won't have to go through what Emma went through. The author probably did. All the details and emotions are impressive and genuine. Emma, lucky Emma, is surrounded by lovely people, though, lovely in their quality and quirks and unloveliness. It's not a funny subject, but Sinead (I'll look up how you pronounce this name) Moriarty dished comedy like raisins in a bitter salad.
April 15, 2008
This book made me laugh harder than any book I can remember ever reading. I could not put this book down. I was able to read it in less than 24 hours!
July 18, 2014
Projekt baby er en super underholdende og samtidig indsigtsfuld roman om et alvorligt emne, der vedrører flere mennesker end vi normalt tænker på. På trods af at vi skriver 2010 på kalenderen, så er dét at være ufrivillig barnløs og ikke kunne blive gravid, stadig et tabu i mange kredse, som man ikke snakker højt om eller indrømmer overfor omverdenen.
Med Projekt Baby beskriver forfatteren denne situation på sin vante hjertevarme måde, med underlagt medfølelse for de der er i situationen, men samtidig med humor og et glimt i øjet til at fange læseren og sætte det på en ny spids. På denne måde lykkes det Sinéad Moriarty at komme ind på mange af de både fysiske og psykiske prøvelser som stakkels Emma skal igennem, efterhånden som tiden går og hun ikke bliver gravid. Imens hun slås med sine indre dæmoner og personlige forhold, oplever Emma også omverdenens forventninger og uforstående holdninger overfor hendes situation og disse beskrives på en indlevende og medfølende måde, der gør at man ikke kan lade være med at få ondt af hovedpersonen undervejs – På samme måde som man også kan grine over hendes forsøg og synes hun er for meget, på andre tidspunkter.
Sproget er letlæseligt og selve handlingen kræver ikke den store koncentration. Det er nemt at følge med og opbygningsmæssigt er bogen meget i retning af chicklit genren. Her er det emnet der gør at den fylder mere end de normale tøseromaner og sætter sig ind under huden på én, også efter man har lagt den fra sig. Det vigtigste at understrege, må dog være at denne bog, trods sit emne, kan læses af alle der skulle have lyst, uanset om man selv er mor til en dejlig unge eller er barnløs og langt yngre end Emma.
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Med Projekt Baby beskriver forfatteren denne situation på sin vante hjertevarme måde, med underlagt medfølelse for de der er i situationen, men samtidig med humor og et glimt i øjet til at fange læseren og sætte det på en ny spids. På denne måde lykkes det Sinéad Moriarty at komme ind på mange af de både fysiske og psykiske prøvelser som stakkels Emma skal igennem, efterhånden som tiden går og hun ikke bliver gravid. Imens hun slås med sine indre dæmoner og personlige forhold, oplever Emma også omverdenens forventninger og uforstående holdninger overfor hendes situation og disse beskrives på en indlevende og medfølende måde, der gør at man ikke kan lade være med at få ondt af hovedpersonen undervejs – På samme måde som man også kan grine over hendes forsøg og synes hun er for meget, på andre tidspunkter.
Sproget er letlæseligt og selve handlingen kræver ikke den store koncentration. Det er nemt at følge med og opbygningsmæssigt er bogen meget i retning af chicklit genren. Her er det emnet der gør at den fylder mere end de normale tøseromaner og sætter sig ind under huden på én, også efter man har lagt den fra sig. Det vigtigste at understrege, må dog være at denne bog, trods sit emne, kan læses af alle der skulle have lyst, uanset om man selv er mor til en dejlig unge eller er barnløs og langt yngre end Emma.
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April 2, 2013
Overall, this wasn't a bad book. It was written by an author who is from Ireland, so the story takes place in Ireland. It was about a couple trying to conceive and the difficulty they had. It went through the emotions that couples face, especially the woman. A few parts of it were funny, the language was that of how they speak in Ireland and unless you are familiar with that, you will have a hard time understanding some of the meanings of words or a complete sentence (unless you want to look it up). The book also portrayed them as loud mouth people who do nothing but drink, swear and fight with everyone-perhaps they do, but this story could've done with less writing about that.
The husband seemed less interested in his wife becoming pregnant. It was almost as if she was in it by herself (maybe she should've done invitro and raised it by herself). He didn't attend any doctor visits in the beginning, wasn't there for support for her when she was undergoing tests. Most couples facing this problem, they do all this together. It makes one wonder if he really wanted a baby at all.
I would've liked to of seen more focus on the couple at the end of the book as to what the outcome would have been. It sort of left you wanting more after they made the decision to not do any more fertility treatments. There was talk of possible adoption, but nothing set in motion to them actually doing that or if nature finally took its course and they became pregnant.
This is the first novel written by this author-not sure if I would read any more written by her.
The husband seemed less interested in his wife becoming pregnant. It was almost as if she was in it by herself (maybe she should've done invitro and raised it by herself). He didn't attend any doctor visits in the beginning, wasn't there for support for her when she was undergoing tests. Most couples facing this problem, they do all this together. It makes one wonder if he really wanted a baby at all.
I would've liked to of seen more focus on the couple at the end of the book as to what the outcome would have been. It sort of left you wanting more after they made the decision to not do any more fertility treatments. There was talk of possible adoption, but nothing set in motion to them actually doing that or if nature finally took its course and they became pregnant.
This is the first novel written by this author-not sure if I would read any more written by her.
July 25, 2013
On stalking the library shelves this book The Baby Trail: A Novel By Sinead Moriarty caught my eye with it's cute cover and the blurb boasted to be a cross between Bridget Jones and Sex and the City.
This book is about a 30 something married couple Emma a make up artist and James a rugby coach trying to have a baby. It takes you through the sex romps and trying every which way to conceive, the depression of not falling pregnant, and onto the tests and poking and prodding that women go through to get pregnant.
I felt this book was very light on and lacked depth. It was only towards the end when the couple were trying IVF that I really felt for them and felt her desperation and his sympathy. What I found strange was that the husband was never tested or expressed that it may be his turn for some tests to see if that would help. This book was all about Emma and her thoughts and feelings about the whole process.
This could have been a much better book if there was some seriousness to it as well. It was all a bit light hearted and fancy free fiction. This is the authors first book so I don't want to be too harsh on her!
I would recommend this book for young women if they are thinking about having a baby it might scare you silly but hopefully it will give you a laugh as well.
This book is about a 30 something married couple Emma a make up artist and James a rugby coach trying to have a baby. It takes you through the sex romps and trying every which way to conceive, the depression of not falling pregnant, and onto the tests and poking and prodding that women go through to get pregnant.
I felt this book was very light on and lacked depth. It was only towards the end when the couple were trying IVF that I really felt for them and felt her desperation and his sympathy. What I found strange was that the husband was never tested or expressed that it may be his turn for some tests to see if that would help. This book was all about Emma and her thoughts and feelings about the whole process.
This could have been a much better book if there was some seriousness to it as well. It was all a bit light hearted and fancy free fiction. This is the authors first book so I don't want to be too harsh on her!
I would recommend this book for young women if they are thinking about having a baby it might scare you silly but hopefully it will give you a laugh as well.
March 17, 2012
Emma is thirty-three when her and her husband decide its time to start a family. After seven months of trying and no results, Emma goes on a quest to find fertility any which way she can. The result is a funny way of showcasing a sad situation.
Being twenty-seven myself and beginning to hear my clock start ticking, I thought this book would be for me. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be, but it definitely had it's moments. There were times when it all got caught up with different characters and I was a little bit confused about what people we were really supposed to be focusing on. However, I could totally hear myself saying and doing some of the things that Emma did as a baby-crazed woman. When you get down to it, it really was a sad book. Some of the things that so many people take for granted in life don't come so easy for everyone else and it just screams "Life's not fair!" I'm not sure I liked the ending, and I won't spoil it here, but it left me feeling a bit rushed and confused- not because I didn't understand what was going on, but simply because I wasn't sure if this ending fit. Anyways, a quick, decent book and a definite recommnedation to those thinking of starting a family or having a tough go at it. You are not alone.
Being twenty-seven myself and beginning to hear my clock start ticking, I thought this book would be for me. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be, but it definitely had it's moments. There were times when it all got caught up with different characters and I was a little bit confused about what people we were really supposed to be focusing on. However, I could totally hear myself saying and doing some of the things that Emma did as a baby-crazed woman. When you get down to it, it really was a sad book. Some of the things that so many people take for granted in life don't come so easy for everyone else and it just screams "Life's not fair!" I'm not sure I liked the ending, and I won't spoil it here, but it left me feeling a bit rushed and confused- not because I didn't understand what was going on, but simply because I wasn't sure if this ending fit. Anyways, a quick, decent book and a definite recommnedation to those thinking of starting a family or having a tough go at it. You are not alone.
June 13, 2015
Η Έμμα είναι μακιγιέζ και ο Τζέιμς προπονητής ράγκμπι. Ζουν στο Δουβλίνο. Όλα καλά και ιδανικά μέχρι που η Έμμα αποφασίζει να αποκτήσει παιδί πριν κλείσει τα 35 της...
Δεν ξέρω αν θα έβρισκα διασκεδαστικό το βιβλίο αν αντιμετώπιζα το πρόβλημα της Έμμα και του Τζέιμς. Γεγονός είναι πάντως ότι η συγγραφέας προσπαθεί με πολύ ανάλαφρο τόνο να μας δείξει τα δεινά που περνάει το ζευγάρι όταν έχει αποφασίσει να αποκτήσει ένα μωράκι και δεν τα καταφέρνει. Ψυχολογικές και σωματικές ταλαιπωρίες που περνά η σύγχρονη γυναίκα για να κρατήσει το όνειρό της αγκαλιά...
Πλάι τους βλέπουμε κι άλλα πρόσωπα: τους γονείς της Έμμα, την Μπαμπς και το Σόνι, τα αδέλφια της. Τη Λούσι και το Ντόναλ, φίλους του ζευγαριού στην αρχή της σχέσης τους, τη φίλη της, Τζες, που αποκτά το δεύτερό της μωρό και τον αδελφό του Τζέιμς, Χένρι και τη γυναίκα του Ιμογένη που αποκτούν δίδυμα εκτός από το αγοράκι που ήδη έχουν.
Η περιγραφή είναι ζωντανή και δε νομίζω να έμεινε θέμα που να μη θιχτεί..
Δεν ξέρω αν θα έβρισκα διασκεδαστικό το βιβλίο αν αντιμετώπιζα το πρόβλημα της Έμμα και του Τζέιμς. Γεγονός είναι πάντως ότι η συγγραφέας προσπαθεί με πολύ ανάλαφρο τόνο να μας δείξει τα δεινά που περνάει το ζευγάρι όταν έχει αποφασίσει να αποκτήσει ένα μωράκι και δεν τα καταφέρνει. Ψυχολογικές και σωματικές ταλαιπωρίες που περνά η σύγχρονη γυναίκα για να κρατήσει το όνειρό της αγκαλιά...
Πλάι τους βλέπουμε κι άλλα πρόσωπα: τους γονείς της Έμμα, την Μπαμπς και το Σόνι, τα αδέλφια της. Τη Λούσι και το Ντόναλ, φίλους του ζευγαριού στην αρχή της σχέσης τους, τη φίλη της, Τζες, που αποκτά το δεύτερό της μωρό και τον αδελφό του Τζέιμς, Χένρι και τη γυναίκα του Ιμογένη που αποκτούν δίδυμα εκτός από το αγοράκι που ήδη έχουν.
Η περιγραφή είναι ζωντανή και δε νομίζω να έμεινε θέμα που να μη θιχτεί..
March 5, 2014
'THE BABY TRAIL'is the story of a woman who drives herself, husband, friends and family crazy when her plan to conceive isn't as easy as she'd originally imagined. In an impressive debut Sinead Moriarty deilvers a serious subject matter that many women today face and handels it with dignity, wit and compassion.
I was lucky enough to have been lent this book by a friend who also raved about it and I cannot recommend it enough whether you are in the same boat as Emma or not. I certianly have never had any problems with fertility, however, I could completely relate to what Emma was going through and I am sure that in her shoes I would feel exactly the same way. Granted a some of her behavior may have been over the top (but this is supposed to be a bit funny) however, I thought most was pretty spot on and for those who found Emma annoying have probably never been a hormonal wreck before! 5 Stars for 'THE BABY TRAIL' and Sinead Moriarty and I cannot wait for my copy of the sequel to arive in the mail!
I was lucky enough to have been lent this book by a friend who also raved about it and I cannot recommend it enough whether you are in the same boat as Emma or not. I certianly have never had any problems with fertility, however, I could completely relate to what Emma was going through and I am sure that in her shoes I would feel exactly the same way. Granted a some of her behavior may have been over the top (but this is supposed to be a bit funny) however, I thought most was pretty spot on and for those who found Emma annoying have probably never been a hormonal wreck before! 5 Stars for 'THE BABY TRAIL' and Sinead Moriarty and I cannot wait for my copy of the sequel to arive in the mail!
October 24, 2011
This was a fun little read. I loved Emma and all of her friends and family, and I cannot wait to see how things go for Emma and her friends in the next books. I must admit, I had a little trouble getting into it at first, but once I did, I really enjoyed it's light-heartedness on what can sometimes turn out to be a serious and perhaps heavy subject for some. Emma's comical goings-on on her tough road ahead were not very relatable for me since I'm not anywhere near her situation, but I really felt for her and the tough time she began to have with trying to get pregnant. While I wasn't fully relating to her situation, I really did manage to like Emma and everyone in her life, because I felt at one point or another, I had either known, met, or heard about someone like them all. And I think that made it an easier read for me.
April 7, 2010
Ha ha ha - this girl is funny! I was told the book was fun and not depressing and interesting for all women, not just the trying-to-get-pregnang-ones - and after reading it through two Champion league-evenings, I can only agree - the book IS funny.
"The baby trail" tells the story of Emma, who one day decides that she wants a baby. And from that moment on, nothing else exists in her world - but ovulations, timing and planning sex with her husband, waiting for days to pass...
It is a very funny book about a very serious subject, that poses a problem for a lot of couples. I laughed out loud a few times and had no problem in relating to Emmas thought and problems.
This is no litterary wonder, but good old fashioned entertainment - quickly read, and probably quickly forgotten.
"The baby trail" tells the story of Emma, who one day decides that she wants a baby. And from that moment on, nothing else exists in her world - but ovulations, timing and planning sex with her husband, waiting for days to pass...
It is a very funny book about a very serious subject, that poses a problem for a lot of couples. I laughed out loud a few times and had no problem in relating to Emmas thought and problems.
This is no litterary wonder, but good old fashioned entertainment - quickly read, and probably quickly forgotten.
September 5, 2015
Review - The Baby Trail had a slow start, but it got better towards the end. One of the funniest bits was at the end of chapter 26 with the rabbit vibrator. It had me rolling around the floor in stitches. Moriarty really seems to have a knack for the humour of situations. I did like Emma, and although I can't empathise with her, I can sympathise - I can guess how I would feel if I couldn't have kids.
Genre? - Chic Lit / Romance / Drama
Characters? - Emma Hamilton / James Hamilton / Imogen / Barbara
Setting? - Dublin (Ireland)
Series? - Emma Hamilton #1
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 14/20
Genre? - Chic Lit / Romance / Drama
Characters? - Emma Hamilton / James Hamilton / Imogen / Barbara
Setting? - Dublin (Ireland)
Series? - Emma Hamilton #1
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 14/20
December 12, 2012
Projekt Baby er en rigtig sød og sjov bog, selvom den handler om et alvorligt emne, kommer hovedpersonen ud i de sjoveste situationer, så man ikke kan lade være med at grine. Det er en bog, som man får et spil på læben af, men samtidig er det en bog som omhandler et alvorligt emne, og giver stof til eftertanke.
The Baby Trail is a really sweet and funny book, eventhough the book is about a serious subject, the maincharachter Emma gets involved in the funniest situations, which is situations that makes you laugh.
The Baby Trail is a book which gives you a smile on your libes, but at the same time the book is about a sirious subject which makes you think.
The Baby Trail is a really sweet and funny book, eventhough the book is about a serious subject, the maincharachter Emma gets involved in the funniest situations, which is situations that makes you laugh.
The Baby Trail is a book which gives you a smile on your libes, but at the same time the book is about a sirious subject which makes you think.
February 9, 2020
This book started out as a light, fun read about a young couple eager to have a baby. When their early attempts fail, they go through multiple lengthy, painful and difficult tests and procedures to become pregnant. It becomes a wrenching tale of heartache and despondency that becomes a life-consuming obsession. Emma and James are such a great couple and their pain is so well depicted that I can only wish them a happy resolution in the next book in this series. This is a timely topic and this story offers a lot of information regarding infertility.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
April 15, 2015
Protagonist Emma and her husband James want to have a family and eagerly start trying to make a baby. When after a year nothing has happened, Emma consults a specialists and starts various treatments in order to have the child she longs for. In between there are various small incidents involving her family, love life or job that fill up the story.
All in all a nice story, but nothing spectacular. I can somehow understand how frustrated Emma must be when she tries so many different things and still no baby in sight. Probably is no happy feeling.
All in all a nice story, but nothing spectacular. I can somehow understand how frustrated Emma must be when she tries so many different things and still no baby in sight. Probably is no happy feeling.
March 1, 2009
If you are trying for a baby,this might be a good read as you're probably able to relate to Emma,who is driven to have a baby of her own and at 33 felt like her biological clock is ticking away and despite being assured to be perfectly healthy,had difficulty conceiving.
Laugh your guts off (which was what I did exactly) as we follow Emma on her journey as she peed endlessly on the pee sticks through the extremely frustrating clinical visits month after month.
Will Emma be successful in her quest for a baby,well I am afraid you will have to read on for that :-)
Laugh your guts off (which was what I did exactly) as we follow Emma on her journey as she peed endlessly on the pee sticks through the extremely frustrating clinical visits month after month.
Will Emma be successful in her quest for a baby,well I am afraid you will have to read on for that :-)
February 9, 2013
Although this is a take on making the subject of infertility light and funny, being through pretty much the exact same situation made it more of matter of fact for me. It was a good book and had a lot of emotion with regards to infertility but someone who has not experienced it would probably just find the book amusing. For me it opened my eyes that others going through this feel the same as myself. Good book and the author clearly did her research or went through the same thing as the characters.
April 18, 2016
Emma is thirty three and she and her husband, James, have decided to start a family, but they find the path to parenthood is not very simple for them and they pursue various infertility treatments.
I picked this up because I happened to read the fourth book in the series before figuring out it was a series. I decided to read the others. I have never been through what Emma and James went through and I hope I never do, but I have known people who have and this felt pretty authentic. I really liked Emma and James and their trials and tribulations were both heartbreaking and funny.
I picked this up because I happened to read the fourth book in the series before figuring out it was a series. I decided to read the others. I have never been through what Emma and James went through and I hope I never do, but I have known people who have and this felt pretty authentic. I really liked Emma and James and their trials and tribulations were both heartbreaking and funny.
June 15, 2015
What a let down this book was!
I took a long time to read it because the characters didn't grip me. I thought Emma was hard to like, and to be honest, didn't really deserve a baby! I couldn't understand why her husband was with her either, she just seemed quite selfish.
But as I hate to give up on a book, I carried on to see how it ended. Well I finished it an I'm still waiting to find out! It's almost like the author ran out of pages so simply stopped.
Wish I hadn't bothered with this one to be honest. There were a few laughs in it though.
I took a long time to read it because the characters didn't grip me. I thought Emma was hard to like, and to be honest, didn't really deserve a baby! I couldn't understand why her husband was with her either, she just seemed quite selfish.
But as I hate to give up on a book, I carried on to see how it ended. Well I finished it an I'm still waiting to find out! It's almost like the author ran out of pages so simply stopped.
Wish I hadn't bothered with this one to be honest. There were a few laughs in it though.
July 31, 2010
I liked this book because it dealt with a serious topic, but it had it's lighthearted moments also. I have known woman who have dealt with infertility and gone through the treatments that Emma has gone through. When you see it first hand it is incredibly heart-wrenching and I identified with the people around her that say the wrong things and don't realize it. I am going to give this book to a pregnant friend of mine. I think she will love it
January 3, 2011
The "Baby Trail" is the first of the Emma and James baby trilogy of Sinéad Moriarty. It is about a couple struggling to conceive. It is bitter-sweet but is lightened up with comical subplots from Emma's friends and family and other parts of daily life. It is well written, as are all Moriarty's books while it is really easy to get through - you'd probably read it in a day!
Overall, this was a great funny book I'd really recommend.
Overall, this was a great funny book I'd really recommend.
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