Life, Almost: Miscarriage, misconceptions and a search for answers from the brink of motherhood

by Jennie Agg

A powerful, personal reflection on miscarriage from an acclaimed health and science journalist, drawing on original interviews and ground-breaking research to offer fresh insight into this underacknowledged subject.

'Vital and heart-wrenchingly intimate' Leah Hazard, author, The Inside Story of Where We All Began

' Urgent, fascinating and thought-provoking' Julia Bueno, author, The Brink of Talking About Miscarriage

After losing four pregnancies with no obvious cause, Jennie Agg set out to understand why miscarriage remains such a profoundly misunderstood, under-researched and under-acknowledged experience.

Part-memoir, part-scientific investigation, Life, Almost documents Agg's path to motherhood and her search for answers. Tracing each tentative step of her fifth pregnancy - as her body becomes a creature she does not wish to spook - Agg dismantles the myths that we unquestioningly accept about our reproductive · Drawing on pioneering research and interviews with world-leading experts, Life, Almost is a ground-breaking book that will change how you think about miscarriage, and a moving reflection on grief and love at the edge of life as we understand it.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published May 14, 2024

Reviews

[Nele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I have not suffered a miscarriage. That is not why I picked this book up.

Any woman who wants to be a mother, should pick up this book.
You may not have a miscarriage (although I do think this should be talked about more), but you are probably dealing with insecurities, anxiety and questions.
You are not alone!

And even if you don't want to become a mother: read this if you are a feminist. We are lacking information on how to deal with loss, infertility & parenthood.
And each topic should be discussable.
We know so much about the world around us, heck the solar system and the universe, but we know so little about what's going on with our own species' procreation.

Powerful read!
#read&discuss

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing look into a topic that is not talked about nearly enough. The mixture of research and memoir really helps the reader understand how much more research needs to be done into miscarriages and recurrent miscarriages. So beautifully written it made me cry so many times!

[Simplymegy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennie Agg is a health and science columnist who has suffered several miscarriages. In this book, she blends in her research with her personal journey.

First of all, I am really impressed with how Jennie is able to accurately describe her complex feelings into words. Her chapters’ titles are ingenuous- common cliches that are casually thrown out such as “Just stay positive”, “It’s just nature’s way”, or “Everything happens for a reason”.

Her book challenges common misconceptions about miscarriage and delves into questions such as why miscarriage is frequently deemed unpreventable and why early pregnancy is often shrouded in secrecy.

This is a profound reflection on grief, resilience, and the quest for understanding in the face of challenges. A memorable read.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for this book. For talking about these important topics that are often seen as taboo, for weaving in the research on miscarriage and baby loss, and for being so brave to share your story with us.

[Sarah May · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook over the course of 48h. Jennie, you have such a gift for communicating the complex, raw and overwhelmingly consuming feeling of miscarriage and of pregnancy after loss. Could not rate this highly enough.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible and powerful writing and so raw - I thought Jennie was telling my story! Post miscarriage this was exactly what I needed, I saw this book when I found out I was pregnant and didn’t want to read it in case I “jinxed it” but now I have, I feel a sort of power.

Very interesting research. It really felt like my pain points were being heard and although we really are none the wiser on miscarriage and how to prevent it, this book made me truly feel that I’m not the only one.

[Kate Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since having 3 recurrent miscarriages, I’ve read a number of books and articles on the topic of miscarriage/pregnancy loss and infertility. Jennie Agg’s book was by far the top, and her blog is a close second.

Jennie seamlessly blends a telling of her own struggles with grief and the seeming inability to carry a baby to term with historical and scientific research. She also perfectly captures the systemic failures that contribute to our limited understanding of how to respond to pregnancy loss effectively. I related with a lot of her experiences within the hospital setting, especially.

It was hard for me to fully relate to some other miscarriage books which referred to the losses as “angel babies,” as that wasn’t exactly how I saw my own miscarriages, necessarily. Jennie seems able to give voice to those of who comprehend the experience slightly differently, but still grieve nonetheless.

Finally, *spoiler* the book offers some hope as Jennie eventually gives birth to a healthy baby boy. This was encouraging to me during times I was running out of my own hope.

I’ve learned from the author’s Instagram that she has not had as many sales as expected, and this seems deeply unfortunate, as her book is, in my opinion, a must-have on the topic. If you’re someone who likes to understand the complex feelings, science, and sociological factors behind our bad experiences in life, this book will be a satisfying read. I hope my review will help encourage anyone on the fence to check it out.

[Dalila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite possibly one of my favourite books of 2024.
I think everyone should read this book.
Life, Almost is a perfect blend of part memoir and part scientific study. Women's health has been failed by medicine for eons. We are underrepresented in medical studies, clinical trials and conversations around health. Women's reproductive health being an area that suffers particularly with a considerate lack of knowledge around miscarriages and the early stages of pregnancy. There are so many areas of women's health that we don't know about or are stigmatized including contraception, conception and loss. So much information is provided in this book including useful studies, podcasts, websites and further reading.
This is a book I will re-read in the future. I learnt so much from it and if you do anything this year, it should be reading this book.

[Marinna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennie Agg’s book is a beautiful mix of personal experience and research. After enduring four miscarriages, she shares her experience with her fifth pregnancy. Interspersed throughout are explorations of language used in reproductive medicine, protocols, and history related to pregnancy, miscarriage, and birth.

I found this to be a beautiful telling of such a personal experience. I think this would be a comforting book for women going through a loss.

[Katie Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not gone through a miscarriage myself, yet I wanted to read this book to understand and learn about a topic that is so misunderstood. I highly recommend this book which combines personal experience and carefully researched facts on miscarriage. I've learnt a lot from this book, yet there is still so much more we can learn and understand about miscarriage and women's bodies. I hope more research will be dedicated to this vital topic.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book just after I had my third miscarriage and it helped me so much. One of the worst things about recurrent miscarriage is how alone it makes you feel. It was a huge comfort to discover that Jennie's story (which she bravely shares in a huge amount of detail) had a lot of parallels with my own. The book is beautifully written and hugely informative. I learnt more from reading it than I did from any of the doctors I spoke to.

[Kate Pendlenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt and detailed examination of the pain of infertility and miscarriage, although thankfully the author does eventually carry a child to term.

Only losing a star because of references to 'pregnant people'. Please use the word 'women', it's only women who get pregnant.

[Anna Kettle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a helpful read on recurrent miscarriage

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I've read all year, for the worst reason.

[Jeni Bushman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because of its intersection between memoir and science journalism. Alas, I have never been pregnant or had a miscarriage, but I found many aspects of Jennie Agg's story relatable to my own health struggles.

The book was thoroughly cited, both factual and emotional, and beautifully written without being try-hard. There were many moments of reflection when my jaw literally dropped because I was seeing my own feelings expressed perfectly for the first time (ex: "to push for improvements in this area of medicine is to continue to acknowledge something openly that many are uncomfortable with: that there was something you wanted from life, but didn't get.")

I look forward to reading her next book.

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book i have been looking for… thank you