At twenty-seven years old, Robin Silbergleid decided to become a single mother. Not as a backup or “Plan B,” but as first choice. In her memoir Texas Girl, she raises fundamental questions about the nature of family and maternity at the turn of the twenty-first century. At a moment when SMCs grace the covers of magazines and Hollywood films, Texas Girl adds the perspective of someone who boldly side-steps the social expectation for a woman to take a life-partner before she has a child. Beginning with a metaphorical conception, Texas Girl charts a long four-year journey, including infertility, miscarriage, and high-risk pregnancy, traveling from Indiana to Texas and back to the snowy north. In this compelling coming-of-age narrative, Silbergleid explores the notion of the chosen family, as close female friends provide perspective, support, and comic relief along the way. A must-read for anyone contemplating single motherhood, this bitingly honest memoir will resonate with anyone concerned with the vital feminist issue of what reproductive choice really means and the obstacles we face in pursuit of it.
Praise for TEXAS GIRL
“What does it mean to be a single woman desperately longing for a baby in the middle of North Texas? A beautiful portrait of mother love that gives new meaning to the word ‘choice.’” –Susan Gubar, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English, Indiana University, and author of Memoir of a Debulked Woman
“Texas Girl reminds us that becoming a parent is a blessing, that we have more power to make our futures than we often believe, and that we are responsible for our own happiness, even when there are outcomes we can’t control. A story of struggle and triumph. My heart was in my throat for Robin throughout reading the book and I felt an enormous sense of relief and release when her heartfelt desire was within grasp.” –J.L. Powers, author of Amina and editor of Labor Pains and Birth Stories: Essays on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Becoming a Parent
“a rich tale of the road to single motherhood.”–Melissa Ford, author of Navigating the Land of If: Understanding Infertility and Exploring Your Options
REVIEWS
In Mom Egg Review.
In Nursing Clio
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Robin Silbergleid 