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The End of Miracles: A Novel
International Book Awards 2016 finalist for literary fiction
The End of Miracles is a twisting, haunting story about the drastic consequences of a frustrated obsession.
A woman with a complex past wants nothing more than to become a mother, but struggles with infertility and miscarriage. She is temporarily comforted by a wish-fulfilling false pregnancy, but when reality inevitably dashes that fantasy, she falls into a depression so deep she must be hospitalized. The sometimes-turbulent environment of the psychiatry unit rattles her and makes her fear for her sanity, and she flees. Outside, she impulsively commits a startling act with harrowing consequences for herself and others.
This emotionally gripping novel is a suspenseful journey across the blurred boundaries between sanity and madness, depression and healing.
The End of Miracles is a twisting, haunting story about the drastic consequences of a frustrated obsession.
A woman with a complex past wants nothing more than to become a mother, but struggles with infertility and miscarriage. She is temporarily comforted by a wish-fulfilling false pregnancy, but when reality inevitably dashes that fantasy, she falls into a depression so deep she must be hospitalized. The sometimes-turbulent environment of the psychiatry unit rattles her and makes her fear for her sanity, and she flees. Outside, she impulsively commits a startling act with harrowing consequences for herself and others.
This emotionally gripping novel is a suspenseful journey across the blurred boundaries between sanity and madness, depression and healing.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2016
42 people are currently reading
1998 people want to read
About the author
Monica Starkman
1 book38 followersI'm a psychiatrist/novelist. My novel: The End of Miracles, draws deeply from my experiences on psychiatric units and with patients. I also write regularly for, and have my own page, as an Expert for Psychology Today : https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/... Other articles have appeared in MariaShriver.com, The New Republic and Vogue.
I'm a clinician, scientific researcher and teacher at the University of Michigan's Medical School. Many of my scientific articles are about conditions related to women and reproduction, such as the first investigations of women’s reactions to the use of fetal monitors during labor. This interest in the psychology of women related to reproduction is at the core of The End of Miracles. So you could say that my work in my two professions: psychiatrist and novelist, are two sides of the same coin.
Another important goal in writing The End of Miracles was to portray psychiatric patients, the psychiatrists who treat them, and psychiatry in a realistic way. That's why I 'm so gratified that readers' reviews say it is not only "spell-binding" and "a page-turner", but also "illuminating".
I'm a clinician, scientific researcher and teacher at the University of Michigan's Medical School. Many of my scientific articles are about conditions related to women and reproduction, such as the first investigations of women’s reactions to the use of fetal monitors during labor. This interest in the psychology of women related to reproduction is at the core of The End of Miracles. So you could say that my work in my two professions: psychiatrist and novelist, are two sides of the same coin.
Another important goal in writing The End of Miracles was to portray psychiatric patients, the psychiatrists who treat them, and psychiatry in a realistic way. That's why I 'm so gratified that readers' reviews say it is not only "spell-binding" and "a page-turner", but also "illuminating".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
December 16, 2019
Written by a psychiatrist(disclosure: me) this is the story of a woman who unravels psychologically after harrowing infertility and miscarriage, the drastic choices she makes, and the doctors and close ones who try to save her. A reason I wrote it is to present a realistic view of psychiatric patients and treatment, at the same time providing a compelling read to pay back my debt to the world of literature because books have been one of the greatest joys of my life. The reviews written here by readers note that The End of Miracles is a book that gives the reader an experience of watching and not just reading, a book that provides pleasure as well as insight. And what can be more gratifying to an author than giving readers pleasure?
April 21, 2016
Starkman is psychologically astute and clinically accurate. Her writing is lyrical. Consider the book’s opening sentences.
"The dream was always the same—a flood of babies dribbling out of her mouth, dozens, tumbling head over heels. It was like coming up from the sea sputtering a mouthful of water, salty and alive with life forms. The dream was not frightening, not even unpleasant, but today Margo didn’t want to linger with it, with the strange images, the faint sensation on her lips and tongue. Better to get up, move about, dispel all traces of it. She opened her eyes, and the babies flickered and faded as they disintegrated into the room’s darkness."
The story that follows that dream is gripping. It unfolds in ways that are vividly cinematic. Margo, the story’s protagonist, is desperate to conceive a child. Disappointed, she rents a cheap hotel room and heads to the shopping center, where she finds herself beside a woman pushing a baby carriage.
What follows is shocking. The hitherto upstanding, courteous, conventional, law-abiding Margo begins to spiral downward through a legal and psychotic tunnel that defies reason—but not logic. Desperately unhappy, she takes desperate measures to restore hope—and mental balance.
Rather than spoil the book’s delicious suspense, I will include no more details. Suffice it to say that Margo and her husband are restored to each other and to civilization as they knew it. She learns to live with new expectations. All is not well, exactly, but life becomes bearable. The sun may even shine again.
It’s rare that I give a book five stars. The five-star category belongs to such writers as Ian McEwan, Philip Roth, Anne Tyler, Tillie Olsen, Oliver Sacks. I give few books four stars, but this one is in that category.
"The dream was always the same—a flood of babies dribbling out of her mouth, dozens, tumbling head over heels. It was like coming up from the sea sputtering a mouthful of water, salty and alive with life forms. The dream was not frightening, not even unpleasant, but today Margo didn’t want to linger with it, with the strange images, the faint sensation on her lips and tongue. Better to get up, move about, dispel all traces of it. She opened her eyes, and the babies flickered and faded as they disintegrated into the room’s darkness."
The story that follows that dream is gripping. It unfolds in ways that are vividly cinematic. Margo, the story’s protagonist, is desperate to conceive a child. Disappointed, she rents a cheap hotel room and heads to the shopping center, where she finds herself beside a woman pushing a baby carriage.
What follows is shocking. The hitherto upstanding, courteous, conventional, law-abiding Margo begins to spiral downward through a legal and psychotic tunnel that defies reason—but not logic. Desperately unhappy, she takes desperate measures to restore hope—and mental balance.
Rather than spoil the book’s delicious suspense, I will include no more details. Suffice it to say that Margo and her husband are restored to each other and to civilization as they knew it. She learns to live with new expectations. All is not well, exactly, but life becomes bearable. The sun may even shine again.
It’s rare that I give a book five stars. The five-star category belongs to such writers as Ian McEwan, Philip Roth, Anne Tyler, Tillie Olsen, Oliver Sacks. I give few books four stars, but this one is in that category.
April 3, 2016
This stunning book builds slowly to a climatic ending full of the best and worst of humanity. I kept wondering if I’d be able to make it to the end, as scenes moved from lush, detailed memories with that certain sense of wonder and magic that all children seem to possess, to that of severe psychic trauma and its devastating effects. I did make it, with the aid of some tissues and a hot cup of chai.
The emotional journey that Margo goes through is mirrored by other events in her normally tidy world, and it all spirals out of control in one way or another. While some people might find that wading through the first 2/3 of the book before the more jarring events happen to be too tedious, I appreciated the sense of security, though I can’t say I was totally surprised that it was rather swiftly ripped away and shredded to pieces.
If you’ve ever suffered through any sort of depression, this book will really hit home. While you might not have experienced the same trauma or psychosomatic symptoms, the feeling of utter helplessness displayed by both Margo and Steven will be all too familiar. Dr. Monica Starkman sums it up well in the following passage:
“Pleasure seems to be a language she spoke once but has long since forgotten.”
When you’re reading this book you don’t just see words on the page, you feel strongly and you mourn along with the characters. It would be impossible not be moved in some small way at least, given the strength and beauty behind the writing itself, and the depth with which each of these persons is rendered. I highly recommend reading this, as long as you are aware of the triggering material from what’s mentioned in the synopsis, and you are prepared to embark upon a tumultuous quest to find meaning and fulfillment after so many disappointments.
The emotional journey that Margo goes through is mirrored by other events in her normally tidy world, and it all spirals out of control in one way or another. While some people might find that wading through the first 2/3 of the book before the more jarring events happen to be too tedious, I appreciated the sense of security, though I can’t say I was totally surprised that it was rather swiftly ripped away and shredded to pieces.
If you’ve ever suffered through any sort of depression, this book will really hit home. While you might not have experienced the same trauma or psychosomatic symptoms, the feeling of utter helplessness displayed by both Margo and Steven will be all too familiar. Dr. Monica Starkman sums it up well in the following passage:
“Pleasure seems to be a language she spoke once but has long since forgotten.”
When you’re reading this book you don’t just see words on the page, you feel strongly and you mourn along with the characters. It would be impossible not be moved in some small way at least, given the strength and beauty behind the writing itself, and the depth with which each of these persons is rendered. I highly recommend reading this, as long as you are aware of the triggering material from what’s mentioned in the synopsis, and you are prepared to embark upon a tumultuous quest to find meaning and fulfillment after so many disappointments.
June 10, 2016
The End of Miracles This dramatic, psychological thriller by Monica Starkman left me deeply confused - NOT about the book but about myself! I always thought I knew right from wrong. As I read this beautifully written novel I was simply enjoying the graphic details, the ups and down of a mid-level administrator, and the heart-tugging storyline. When the dramatic saga unfolded I thought I knew what the outcome would be. When it was frighteningly different from what was anticipated, I struggled to understand where 'I' had gone wrong in my thinking! Should Margo have been more severely punished for her act? Should she have been more deeply pitied? Am I so judgemental? What on earth happened to this intelligent, healthy, happily married young woman? Why did her husband stay with her? The sudden deterioration in her mental health shocked me. Or was it so sudden? But not on the second read....in spite of modern medicine, failure to conceive became a slow, lonely, emotionally painful process. Her body had failed her. And then her mind.
Note: I am grateful to the author for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy.
Note: I am grateful to the author for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy.
March 17, 2016
How much is a woman’s identity caught up in the desire for motherhood? What are the emotional consequences of not being able to have a child of one’s own? Monica Starkman has written a masterful portrayal of a woman with a complicated and traumatic past who falls victim to a little-spoken-of psychological and physical phenomenon after her first pregnancy ends in stillbirth.
The novel is enriched by the perspective of a writer with many years of experience as a psychiatrist, and it builds in emotional power. Starkman’s talent as a writer makes us intimately aware of Margo Kerber’s hopes and despair. The novel shows us how Margo enters her grief and succumbs to it, propelling her towards a startling act and painful reckoning. Her life unravels, despite the strength of her marriage, her meaningful role as a surrogate parent to a mentally ill child, and the continuing support of a deep friendship. Told with accuracy and compassion, it takes you down a path that is both shocking and, perhaps, inevitable.
-- Reeva Mager, LMSW
(I received a pre-publication review copy)
The novel is enriched by the perspective of a writer with many years of experience as a psychiatrist, and it builds in emotional power. Starkman’s talent as a writer makes us intimately aware of Margo Kerber’s hopes and despair. The novel shows us how Margo enters her grief and succumbs to it, propelling her towards a startling act and painful reckoning. Her life unravels, despite the strength of her marriage, her meaningful role as a surrogate parent to a mentally ill child, and the continuing support of a deep friendship. Told with accuracy and compassion, it takes you down a path that is both shocking and, perhaps, inevitable.
-- Reeva Mager, LMSW
(I received a pre-publication review copy)
March 12, 2016
I have known Dr. Monica Starkman for four decades as a prominent psychiatrist colleague, with special expertise in psychosomatic medicine. Now I deeply admire her as a gifted novelist, whose brilliant use of imagery in her writing reminds me so much of John Keats' immortal poetry. Dr. Starkman's novel opens with "The dream was always the same----a flood of babies dribbling out of her mouth, dozens, tumbling head over heels...." The description was concrete, startlingly visual, vividly kinetic and palpable, like Keats' poems. The entire novel was imbued with such memorably intense, and at times sensual, portrayals that it leaves a profoundly engaging and stimulating effect on the reader. I simply could not put the book down until I got to the very last page. The End of Miracles is an enormously engaging and rewarding read!
Reviewed by Evangeline J. Spindler, MD
Past President, Michigan Psychoanalytic Society
April 25, 2016
The End of Miracles is a spellbinding fast-paced read—a beautifully written debut novel. Particularly so for those interested in mind-body connections.
As someone who suffered unrelieved grief for years over the death of my young mother in childbirth, I identified with Margo, with the hidden damage done by the death of her beloved father. No child should ever have to grieve the death of a loved one alone. If left to one’s own devices, the mind can play deadly tricks on the body. And vice-versa. Highly recommended.
As someone who suffered unrelieved grief for years over the death of my young mother in childbirth, I identified with Margo, with the hidden damage done by the death of her beloved father. No child should ever have to grieve the death of a loved one alone. If left to one’s own devices, the mind can play deadly tricks on the body. And vice-versa. Highly recommended.
April 4, 2016
I received an advanced reader copy of this book and loved it. What I loved about this book was the powerful storytelling technique that Dr. Starkman has. I really flew through the end of the book and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Dr. Starkman also did a wonderful job of providing educational background for readers at the beginning of some of the chapters. It was just enough to set the stage for what was coming next. I recommend this book for readers interested in psychiatry and looking to get a peek inside the mind of someone working through an intense life challenge.
October 18, 2016
What an amazing book. Filled with intrigue, suspense and sheer engagement of the mind. Starkman really gets the human mind and can capture its unraveling after heartbreak with such sharp detail and honors the struggles faced by many. The story was twisty and turny and kept me gripped me to the pages. It was intense, well drawn out and one not to be missed. It was almost hard to put into words how I felt about this book, so please read this book and come back and tell me your thoughts! We all need to talk about this book!
#FirstLine ~ The dream was always the same—a flood of babies dribbling out of her mouth, dozens, tumbling head over heels.
#FirstLine ~ The dream was always the same—a flood of babies dribbling out of her mouth, dozens, tumbling head over heels.
August 31, 2016
The End of Miracles was an intriguing journey into the mind of a "normal" woman gone awry. While it is disturbing to watch her descent into temporary insanity, one can't help but turn the pages until late into the night to see what happens. Starkman's excellent prose and writing style is engaging and informative; I loved all of the psychological elements and explanations. This one will stay with me for a long time!
April 25, 2016
This is a fantastic and illuminating read, a page-turner that is hard to put down until its satisfying conclusion. Monica Starkman writes beautifully about her protagonist Margo's gradual descent from mental anguish to deep depression. As a psychiatrist and woman, Dr. Starkman is able to illustrate with knowledge and compassion how Margo's tendency to avoid and compartmentalize painful feelings and experiences leads her to synthesize a false pregnancy - and after this illusion is shattered, how she finds an even more desperate way to obtain the child she always wanted. With often gorgeously lyrical prose, Starkman carries her readers through Margo's journey into mental illness and back to healing. As Margo learns about herself, we can learn about ourselves and how our own manner of dealing with painful circumstances may help or hinder us, as well as how we can find a path to greater self understanding and wellness.
February 17, 2017
I found it intriguing that a Psychiatrist would write a fictional story about the journey of a woman with infertility and depression.
As someone who lived a life where infertility and the struggle to find acceptance of it was a part of my journey, I opened the book and hoped it would bring more understanding that it did pain. It has been years since I came to acceptance and fortunately for me, that came without depression or the need for medical or psychiatric treatment.
And yet, I was surprised when my friend's children began having grandchildren and I realized I now had something else to come to acceptance with.
So the book was a topic of personal interest.
Beautifully written and interesting how the impact of the primary character Margo's action play upon those around her. When one piece of the puzzle is broken, even temporarily, it changes the outcome for everyone.
An emotionally powerful look at the reality of mental illness.
As someone who lived a life where infertility and the struggle to find acceptance of it was a part of my journey, I opened the book and hoped it would bring more understanding that it did pain. It has been years since I came to acceptance and fortunately for me, that came without depression or the need for medical or psychiatric treatment.
And yet, I was surprised when my friend's children began having grandchildren and I realized I now had something else to come to acceptance with.
So the book was a topic of personal interest.
Beautifully written and interesting how the impact of the primary character Margo's action play upon those around her. When one piece of the puzzle is broken, even temporarily, it changes the outcome for everyone.
An emotionally powerful look at the reality of mental illness.
May 3, 2016
The psychological journey of Margo Kerber, in Monica Starkman’s The End of Miracles is the nightmare of anyone who has endured the torturous path of infertility. Starkman says it best herself: “This is the story of a woman who unravels psychologically after harrowing infertility and miscarriage, the drastic choices she makes, and the doctors and close ones who try to save her.” Yes, and…. It is a deliberate clinical presentation married to a spare but poignant prose style that takes full advantage of Dr. Starkman’s expertise as a psychiatrist, and her obvious chops as a literary person. Whether reading as an objective observer, or one intimately familiar with the territory, The End of Miracles will fascinate.
May 16, 2016
A moving and thought-provoking story of Margo Kerber, a young woman whose deep need for the baby she is unable to have turns her world dark. Her story begins like that of so many women who are haunted by their infertility, but becomes something much more than normal grief as Margo’s body and mind spiral into the vortex of psychosis. What happens next is something very few of us can even imagine, and usually certainly not condone. Yet Margo’s plight is written with such empathy that, like her dedicated and loving husband, we find ourselves on her side, in spite of every maternal cell in our bodies pulling the other way. This is not an easy story to read, but a powerful one, and one that will leave you with as many questions as answers.
July 26, 2017
Reviewed on behalf of Readers' Favorite
The End of Miracles by Monica Starkman is a novel about a woman’s battle with depression following the loss of a child. Margo has longed for a child, but infertility leaves her with little hope, until she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. Overjoyed, she and her husband, Steven, eagerly await the arrival of their child. However, when Margo goes into premature labor, the subsequent recovery sends her in a downward spiral into severe depression, leading her to do the unthinkable.
Upon beginning this novel, I knew it would be a difficult subject to read. So many women suffer from fertility issues, and for some, this results in endless strings of miscarriages and heartache, not just for them, but for their families as well. Even more heartbreaking was Margo’s rational sense of what was going on, but her inability to control her actions. While I enjoyed the overall message conveyed in the story, I was a bit confused by the change from past to present tense in the second half of the novel. I almost felt a bit bombarded by medical terminology as well as psychiatric terms. I feel that while this might be beneficial as a note at the end of the novel, it drew away from the overall emotions of Margo as a character. However, I did feel The End of Miracles by Monica Starkman had a powerful message about mental health and raised an awareness that it’s important to have readily accessible help for those in need of it, as well as drawing light on what might be considered a taboo subject.
The End of Miracles by Monica Starkman is a novel about a woman’s battle with depression following the loss of a child. Margo has longed for a child, but infertility leaves her with little hope, until she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. Overjoyed, she and her husband, Steven, eagerly await the arrival of their child. However, when Margo goes into premature labor, the subsequent recovery sends her in a downward spiral into severe depression, leading her to do the unthinkable.
Upon beginning this novel, I knew it would be a difficult subject to read. So many women suffer from fertility issues, and for some, this results in endless strings of miscarriages and heartache, not just for them, but for their families as well. Even more heartbreaking was Margo’s rational sense of what was going on, but her inability to control her actions. While I enjoyed the overall message conveyed in the story, I was a bit confused by the change from past to present tense in the second half of the novel. I almost felt a bit bombarded by medical terminology as well as psychiatric terms. I feel that while this might be beneficial as a note at the end of the novel, it drew away from the overall emotions of Margo as a character. However, I did feel The End of Miracles by Monica Starkman had a powerful message about mental health and raised an awareness that it’s important to have readily accessible help for those in need of it, as well as drawing light on what might be considered a taboo subject.
May 29, 2016
Next up in my heavy-themed reading is The End of Miracles by Monica Starkman. It feels a bit like a case history as novel. Starkman is a psychiatrist who studied phantom pregnancies, and this book deals with that subject in part. The story centers on Margo, in the midst of fertility treatments, who requires psychiatric care. The narrative arc is the arc of her mental health, and it’s fascinating and enlightening and incredibly sad in parts. This book is full of expertise.
It’s refreshing to read a book that’s not about someone in publishing or the restaurant/catering world. Margo works in hospital administration, which is a step removed from being a patient, which she becomes throughout the book, and it’s handled interestingly– how to be on the two sides of the hospital.
A psychiatrist writing about a character is not something I’ve read often, if ever. She feels real, which is not what I feel when I read some women-in-crisis books. Also, I’m glad Starkman doesn’t do the overused-slight-epiphany twist that I’m tired of in lots of more literary novels. I was delighted by this book, despite the sadness of the story: it didn’t feel like a book I’ve read before.
Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher.
It’s refreshing to read a book that’s not about someone in publishing or the restaurant/catering world. Margo works in hospital administration, which is a step removed from being a patient, which she becomes throughout the book, and it’s handled interestingly– how to be on the two sides of the hospital.
A psychiatrist writing about a character is not something I’ve read often, if ever. She feels real, which is not what I feel when I read some women-in-crisis books. Also, I’m glad Starkman doesn’t do the overused-slight-epiphany twist that I’m tired of in lots of more literary novels. I was delighted by this book, despite the sadness of the story: it didn’t feel like a book I’ve read before.
Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher.
April 5, 2018
**Trigger warning for those who have suffered from infertility and/or loss of a child**
The End of Miracles is a tragic story of a woman who was quite literally broken by her inability to have a child. Struggling with infertility for years, Margo finally finds herself pregnant. Against all odds, she is finally going to have a baby. She is cautious, but thrilled and eventually allows herself to revel in the pregnancy. Then the unthinkable happens. She goes into labor, but it was just too early. Her little one didn’t make it. Understandably, Margo is devastated. She stays in bed, doesn’t shower… and then somehow, in her depression, she suddenly finds herself pregnant yet again. The impossible has happened a second time! Or has it? Margo refuses to believe what her doctors are trying to tell her until a fateful ultrasound proves their unbelievable words. She was never pregnant. While cracked before, this time Margo shatters. What follows is the heartbreaking story of how something like this can break you. You can honestly and truly lose your mind and do the unthinkable. This is a heavy book, but one that is without a doubt- absolutely believable.
The End of Miracles is a tragic story of a woman who was quite literally broken by her inability to have a child. Struggling with infertility for years, Margo finally finds herself pregnant. Against all odds, she is finally going to have a baby. She is cautious, but thrilled and eventually allows herself to revel in the pregnancy. Then the unthinkable happens. She goes into labor, but it was just too early. Her little one didn’t make it. Understandably, Margo is devastated. She stays in bed, doesn’t shower… and then somehow, in her depression, she suddenly finds herself pregnant yet again. The impossible has happened a second time! Or has it? Margo refuses to believe what her doctors are trying to tell her until a fateful ultrasound proves their unbelievable words. She was never pregnant. While cracked before, this time Margo shatters. What follows is the heartbreaking story of how something like this can break you. You can honestly and truly lose your mind and do the unthinkable. This is a heavy book, but one that is without a doubt- absolutely believable.
May 5, 2016
This is a fantastic and illuminating read, a page-turner that is hard to put down until its satisfying conclusion. Monica Starkman writes beautifully about her protagonist Margo's gradual descent from mental anguish to deep depression. Dr. Starkman really illustrates with knowledge and compassion how Margo's tendency to avoid and compartmentalize painful feelings and experiences leads her to synthesize a false pregnancy - and after this illusion is inevitably shattered, how she finds an even more desperate way to obtain the child she always wanted. With often gorgeously lyrical prose, Starkman carries her readers through Margo's journey into mental illness and back to healing. As Margo learns about herself, we can learn about ourselves and how our own manner of dealing with painful circumstances may help or hinder us, as well as how we can each find a path to greater self understanding and wellness.
January 30, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book very much. The author is an experienced clinician in her field of psychiatry with a special expertise in psychosomatic illness. She brings that understanding to a beautifully written story of a normal, functioning woman who becomes psychotic. The reader is let into a mind that loses its grip on reality in a completely believable way and for understandable reasons. Not a small accomplishment. All the while, the prose is smooth, lyrical at times, and clear. While the story is compelling, it also instructs the reader about mental illness and its treatment. I particularly appreciated scenes where bewildered friends express their guilt about not recognizing the protagonists' severe mental anguish and intervening to help. It captures how helpless we all feel when someone goes off the tracks as happens much too often in today's horrific news events. The scene provides us with a certain amount of forgiveness.
November 2, 2016
Monica Starkman's beautifully-written and perfectly-paced debut novel should appeal to anyone who enjoys a good read and especially to those with an interest in mental health issues. The central character, Margo, has a strong marriage, a supportive husband, and a satisfying career, but without the child she longs for her life seems incomplete. When an almost miraculous pregnancy ends in a hopelessly premature delivery, Margo's life goes seriously off the rails. The author is a prominent psychiatrist and her descriptions of Margo's overwhelming grief, her descent into depression, her treatment, her truly shocking crisis, and her eventual recovery and redemption have the ring of truth. I warmly recommend this book and hope to see more from this author.
August 19, 2016
The End of Miracles is a fascinating story, made so much richer by the fact that it was written by a psychiatrist. Starkman shows the reader the full range of Margo’s thoughts and behavior, but also details about the treatment used to bring her back to reality. It’s a beautifully written story that taught me much about the phenomenon of false pregnancy and the depth of despair that might bring it on. I highly recommend it.
May 2, 2016
WordsAPlenty received from the author a copy of The End of Miracles: A Novel by Monica Starkman in exchange for an honest review.
Margo Kerber has a successful career and marriage. However, she has unsuccessfully for years tried to have a child with her husband Steven. To be truly happy, she believes she must have a child. Margo grew up with a mom who was constantly pregnant and with children underfoot. This has been ingrained into her mind – she must have a child to be happy.
"No, Margo corrected herself. Fertile times were what other women had. She had only seeding times, times to be sprinkled with sperm. This entailed planning and effort and work, the way preparation of the field was work to the farmer. But for her, it seemed, there was little hope of a harvest."
Then one glorious morning she comes to realize that she may just be pregnant and miracles of miracles, the test proves she is pregnant!!!! Her world is complete until tragedy strikes. Now she must pick up the pieces with Steven and bury their small unborn child that miscarried late in the pregnancy. Her grief turns to denial then to depression. Lost in her world of pain and grief, Margo believes herself pregnant again – the signs are there. A small baby bump, missed periods, fluttering – everything.
When the doctor finally convinces her she is not pregnant, she takes a swan dive into a deeper and more deadly depression landing her in a psychiatric ward at the hospital. Margo is spiraling out of control, stepping far beyond the line of reality and falls deeper in her fantasy; a fantasy that is pushing her to commit an unthinkable and shocking crime.
“Look, when the doctors told me these feelings and thoughts would pass when I got better, I wouldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe. But it’s true. Please try and remember that when it’s really bad.”
Maybe for you, Margo thinks. Maybe it’s true for you. I’ll never feel better, because I don’t deserve to."
Monica Starkman is a distinguished psychiatrist who has professionally researched women’s experiences with infertility, pregnancy, labor and their effects on women. Starkman is a creative wordsmith who draws the reader into this fragile world of Margo’s and vividly reveals intimate feelings of loss and grief. A quick trip into a reality based fantasy that leaves one realizing that there is always a time for compassion and forgiveness. Although it is oftentimes difficult to forgive and move forward, sometimes one cannot forgive others because their own guilt gets in the way.
Starkman takes her readers on a long emotional ride, giving them insight into a devastating condition. A very moving book that had me wishing I could reach out and help Margo and Steven but knowing I could not. Perhaps this was Starkman’s goal, to demonstrate how futile it is for those of us who have never experienced such grief to truly help or understand. Her words are powerful and haunting. This is a must read book!
Well written, the story flows smoothly. Each character is well developed. The plot and characters are realistic. Starkman leaves nothing to chance; she is detailed in building connections between the reader and her characters.
WordsAPlenty awards The End of Miracles: A Novel with a 5 star rating.
Margo Kerber has a successful career and marriage. However, she has unsuccessfully for years tried to have a child with her husband Steven. To be truly happy, she believes she must have a child. Margo grew up with a mom who was constantly pregnant and with children underfoot. This has been ingrained into her mind – she must have a child to be happy.
"No, Margo corrected herself. Fertile times were what other women had. She had only seeding times, times to be sprinkled with sperm. This entailed planning and effort and work, the way preparation of the field was work to the farmer. But for her, it seemed, there was little hope of a harvest."
Then one glorious morning she comes to realize that she may just be pregnant and miracles of miracles, the test proves she is pregnant!!!! Her world is complete until tragedy strikes. Now she must pick up the pieces with Steven and bury their small unborn child that miscarried late in the pregnancy. Her grief turns to denial then to depression. Lost in her world of pain and grief, Margo believes herself pregnant again – the signs are there. A small baby bump, missed periods, fluttering – everything.
When the doctor finally convinces her she is not pregnant, she takes a swan dive into a deeper and more deadly depression landing her in a psychiatric ward at the hospital. Margo is spiraling out of control, stepping far beyond the line of reality and falls deeper in her fantasy; a fantasy that is pushing her to commit an unthinkable and shocking crime.
“Look, when the doctors told me these feelings and thoughts would pass when I got better, I wouldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe. But it’s true. Please try and remember that when it’s really bad.”
Maybe for you, Margo thinks. Maybe it’s true for you. I’ll never feel better, because I don’t deserve to."
Monica Starkman is a distinguished psychiatrist who has professionally researched women’s experiences with infertility, pregnancy, labor and their effects on women. Starkman is a creative wordsmith who draws the reader into this fragile world of Margo’s and vividly reveals intimate feelings of loss and grief. A quick trip into a reality based fantasy that leaves one realizing that there is always a time for compassion and forgiveness. Although it is oftentimes difficult to forgive and move forward, sometimes one cannot forgive others because their own guilt gets in the way.
Starkman takes her readers on a long emotional ride, giving them insight into a devastating condition. A very moving book that had me wishing I could reach out and help Margo and Steven but knowing I could not. Perhaps this was Starkman’s goal, to demonstrate how futile it is for those of us who have never experienced such grief to truly help or understand. Her words are powerful and haunting. This is a must read book!
Well written, the story flows smoothly. Each character is well developed. The plot and characters are realistic. Starkman leaves nothing to chance; she is detailed in building connections between the reader and her characters.
WordsAPlenty awards The End of Miracles: A Novel with a 5 star rating.
August 31, 2020
Perfectly and believably captures a woman's descent into madness at her inability to have a child. High tension and sympathetic character.
January 24, 2017
“The End of Miracles” takes us into the terrifying world of a woman who loses her mind and her judgment after too many blows fall on her, one after the other. Dr. Starkman traces the process by which a relatively ordinary and functional woman breaks down – and shows the extent of the damage society does by insisting that every woman want and bear children. When the heroine is unable to do so, her mind unravels. The expert way in which this is shown in the novel speaks of long experience. The action scenes are terrific, worthy of a good crime novel or first-rate medical television show. Although the heroine is immobilized for a while, the plot is strong enough, and unpredictable enough, to keep the reader captivated. And we learn just how much difference psychotherapy can make to someone who is desperate. This book is a contribution to increasing compassion for people who have been subjected to more stress than they can take.
July 26, 2016
My favorite parts of this book all occur when the protagonist is cherishing the thought of her unborn child's development. Her wonder, awe, and joy as she imagines tiny fingernails and other precious human parts slowly taking shape are beautifully rendered. This close observation makes the protagonist's harrowing late miscarriage feel like a personal loss for the reader. The author has spent her life as a close and compassionate observer of human minds and hearts, and her great experience and insight give credence to this novel's disturbing substance. I hope the protagonist goes on to become a mother through adoption, as I very happily did (and wrote about, in Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption). The End of Miracles is an affecting exploration of an extreme version of the pain many people feel when they can not become biological parents.
February 1, 2023
4.5 stars. I knew what I was getting into based on the synopsis and I was here for the ride! Absolutely loved the clinical and admin accuracy especially related to nursing strikes. The few chapters in the hotel were so gripping I think I forgot to breathe. I do wish there was a little bit of a smoother transition from normalcy into chaos, as the personality change was very quick and blunt, but other than that it did not feel forced or gimmicky and I applaud the author for not romanticizing depression and inherently advocating and normalizing therapy and pharmacological treatment. You are not your disorder. Thank you!
March 4, 2017
Beautifully written, this novel illustrates the fragility of the human psyche - the despair of infertility, the pain of depression, the shocking behavior that can result from the distorted thinking of psychosis - as well as it's capacity for healing. At times moving, at others suspenseful, the reader will experience a roller coaster of emotions along with the characters in the story.
December 22, 2022
THE END OF MIRACLES is a character-driven story that explodes on the page, taking the reader on a gripping psychological journey from the peaks and valleys of despair, hope, guilt, and forgiveness. Authenticity bleeds through each page, and it’s no wonder. The author is a real-life psychiatrist, clinician, and scientific researcher whose expertise shines through her storytelling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2017
Emotionally gripping, good insight into psychiatric illness and treatment by a prominent psychiatrist
October 31, 2021
I was adopted because my adoptive mother had one or two miscarriages and her doctor told her not to run the risk of another pregnancy. When she was 26, she and my adoptive father went to San Antonio, Texas to an adoption agency to get on their list for a baby boy. As I got older, I knew I was adopted and that she had lost 1 or 2 children during pregnancy. I'm now sorry I didn't ask her about it after becoming an adult.
As an older adult and after my adoptive parents had both died, I decided to try to find out who my birth parents were and what the circumstances might have been at the time. Through an AncestryDNA test, I discovered that the author of this book, Monica Starkman, was a 3rd cousin match on my birth father's side. I messaged Monica and we started talking. She has been interested in genealogy for many years and told me she could probably determine who my birth father was. It wasn't long before she discovered our common ancestor and told me my birth father's name. Later, through more AncestryDNA tests by the birth father's ancestors, the name of my birth father was confirmed.
Now, to "The End of Miracles." I never expected to read a book about a person who had much difficulty in becoming pregnant and the trials and tribulations she and her husband would experience. Once I started reading the book and seeing the pain and struggles Margo Kerber was experiencing, I couldn't stop reading. It also made me wonder if my adoptive mother had gone through similar experiences that Margo and her husband went through.
I've never had to deal with mental health either personally or with family members. This book has given me a greater understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. I have now loaned the book to a good friend who is a middle school counselor and also has a non-school counseling service on the weekends. I am anxious to talk to her after reading Monica's book. I will probably read the book again after it is returned to me.
As an older adult and after my adoptive parents had both died, I decided to try to find out who my birth parents were and what the circumstances might have been at the time. Through an AncestryDNA test, I discovered that the author of this book, Monica Starkman, was a 3rd cousin match on my birth father's side. I messaged Monica and we started talking. She has been interested in genealogy for many years and told me she could probably determine who my birth father was. It wasn't long before she discovered our common ancestor and told me my birth father's name. Later, through more AncestryDNA tests by the birth father's ancestors, the name of my birth father was confirmed.
Now, to "The End of Miracles." I never expected to read a book about a person who had much difficulty in becoming pregnant and the trials and tribulations she and her husband would experience. Once I started reading the book and seeing the pain and struggles Margo Kerber was experiencing, I couldn't stop reading. It also made me wonder if my adoptive mother had gone through similar experiences that Margo and her husband went through.
I've never had to deal with mental health either personally or with family members. This book has given me a greater understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. I have now loaned the book to a good friend who is a middle school counselor and also has a non-school counseling service on the weekends. I am anxious to talk to her after reading Monica's book. I will probably read the book again after it is returned to me.
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