336 Hours

by Rachel Cathan

The next 336 hours will be tough. No, the next 336 hours will be really tough...

I feel like an Olympian, waiting to see whether the years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication are finally going to pay off, or whether my body is about to fail me at the last hurdle and make me wonder why I ever hoped I could win.

My best friend is pregnant, my single friends are planning their pregnancies and, after five long years of tests and investigations, I'm coming to the end of my third - and supposedly final - IVF treatment. There are 336 hours to survive before I'll know if I get to join the motherhood club. That's 224 waking hours of pure psychological torture. 112 sleeping hours to stare at the ceiling and wonder, what the hell am I going to do with my life if it turns out I can't have kids?

Based on the author's true life experiences, 336 Hours is a humorous and poignant diary about one woman's quest to be a mother.

186 pages, Paperback

Published February 13, 2017

Reviews

[Georgina Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the odd random autobiography.
This wasn’t in my category of ones I like. The author seemed so bitter which is to be understood baring in mind the subject matter I suppose.

Meh.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked this book because it reflected all the ups and downs that come in the 2 week wait. Your body and mind play tricks on you and it’s just a daunting and ever ending experience! I guess this book is a combination of the author’s many experiences through IVF and it felt very hyperbolic and fictionalized to the point it wasn’t as relatable. The author comes off as very bitter (understandably) but also seems like she’s trying to be funny. It’s written in diary format but it didn’t feel like diary writing style to me. Overall I thought this was good but I don’t feel much better after reading it.

SPOILERS AHEAD: I also really wanted to know if she got her BFP but the book ends in a cliffhanger!

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: 336 Hours
Author: Rachel Cathan

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 8/10
Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
12 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘subject knowledge’.
6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
‘This was an excellent read. It must be torturing to go through this. The author is excellent at capturing the intensity of what happened.’ Female reader, aged 46
‘I’m a guy but even I thought this was interesting. I have three kids, so I have never had to go through this with my partner, but I felt for her all the way until the last hour. Well-written and very, very personal.’ Male reader, aged 47
‘This is a wonderful insight into fertility treatment.’ Female reader. aged 28
‘Not only informative, but also very funny. This is an adept writer with an important story to tell.’ Female reader, aged 37

To Sum It Up:
‘Honest, funny and thoroughly engrossing. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Laura Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really moving, well-written and packed full of witty dark humour; the author was completely open about her feelings as well as the process of IVF. She describes how she had such dark feelings towards other people (women who can get pregnant at the drop of a hat; people who don't understand infertility because they've never personally experienced it; family and friends who may inadvertently say the wrong thing at the wrong time), her physical and emotional pain, and how her journey to get pregnant affected her whole life. It was nice to read the book and not feel so alone on our own journey, and I related to everything that Rachel wrote: the misery of not being able to get pregnant, having to be on a constant fertility-boosting diet, no caffeine or alcohol, the agonising wait just to be able to pee on a stick while hoping desperately for a BFP. The only thing I didn't realise until the end was that the book was a combination of her experiences of different IVF cycles, and I would have liked to read about her final 'outcome' (if she ever got her BFP). I recognise though that she left the ending open to signify that everyone's IVF outcome will be different.

[Fred Fanning · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an honest and emotional look at a couple going through IVF. The language and story are dramatic and often palpable. Anyone dealing with IVF should read this book.

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that 336 HOURS (Diary of an IVF Two-Week Wait) by Rachel Cathan is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells readers that this book is well worth their time and money!

[J.B (Debbie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books that are written straight from the heart are the books that seem to affect readers the most. And, 336 Hours was one such book. Written in diary form from the author's own experiences it was clear from the very beginning of the book that the story was going to touch me, make me cry and make me feel those feelings of frustration too. Tackling a difficult subject matter - infertility - the book describes so wonderfully the feelings of desperation, need and want that any person who desperately wants a child feels. I was so glad to read a story that also tackled how infertility affected men too. Sometimes forgotten about when their partner can't conceive, men are often left to just get on with things and many people assume don't feel that same desperation and longing for a child that a woman feels. This book handles this so well.

Yes there are some humourous moments and some tongue in cheek bits but overall this is a book that follows one couples long and ardous journey through the minefield that is IVF treatment. And the waiting! Oh my god the waiting..........the countdown until the day you can take the pregnancy test. Having had some personal experience of the all consuming desire to have a child, I could relate to those feelings of helplessness when your body just won't do what its supposed to do. I did not want this book to end. I was emotionally wrung out by the end of it all, afraid to find out what happens at the end. A great read and definitely a bit of a tear jerker and emotional roller-coaster! Its a brave book, baring the facts about infertility in a no holds barred description of feelings and what infertility can do to a marriage. Loved it!

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book as part of a book tour and am voluntarily reviewing it. I thought that this book was amazingly relatable. It details the main character's struggles with the 336 hours before she discovers if her third IVF treatment has been successful. She and her "DH" (dear husband) have decided this is the final time they will attempt IVF. She details the physical challenges, but more importantly, the emotional ones. What will she do if this treatment isn't successful? She contemplated a childfree life of travel and wealth. Or will she foster or adopt? If this test is negative, will she really be able to stop trying for a baby?

This book had a few hilarious "dry humor" types of scenes with the physical symptoms that infertility treatment cause. I nearly laughed aloud when she felt so gaseous but couldn't fart. Brilliant writing about an "improper" topic.

I love books like this that delve into emotional struggles on tough, real-life situations. I think this book is a must-read for anyone struggling with infertility. I also think that people who haven't struggled with infertility could gain an amazing amount of empathy from reading this story, especially learning what not to say to someone who is childfree. Overall, this is a heartfelt book with the right amount of humor.