Expecting Adam

A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic

By: Martha Beck

Narrated by: Joyce Bean

"He says you'll never be hurt as much by being open as you have been by remaining closed."

The messenger is a school janitor with a master's in art history who claims to be channeling "from both sides of the veil." "He" is Adam, a three-year-old who has never spoken an intelligible word. And the message is intended for Martha Beck, Adam's mother, who doesn't know whether to make a mad dash for the door to escape a raving lunatic (after all, how many conversations like this one can you have before you stop getting dinner party invitations and start pushing a mop yourself?) or accept another in a series of life lessons from an impeccable but mysterious source.

From the moment Martha and her husband, John, accidentally conceived their second child, all hell broke loose. They were a couple obsessed with success. After years of matching IQs and test scores with less driven peers, they had two Harvard degrees apiece and were gunning for more. They'd plotted out a future in the most vaunted ivory tower of academe. But the dream had begun to disintegrate. Then, when their unborn son, Adam, was diagnosed with Down syndrome, doctors, advisers, and friends in the Harvard community warned them that if they decided to keep the baby, they would lose all hope of achieving their carefully crafted goals. Fortunately, that's exactly what happened.

Expecting Adam is a poignant, challenging, and achingly funny chronicle of the extraordinary nine months of Martha's pregnancy. By the time Adam was born, Martha and John were propelled into a world in which they were forced to redefine everything of value to them, put all their faith in miracles, and trust that they could fly without a net. And it worked.

Martha's riveting, beautifully written memoir captures the abject terror and exhilarating freedom of facing impending parentdom, being forced to question one's deepest beliefs, and rewriting life's rules. It is an unforgettable celebration of the everyday magic that connects human souls to each other.

©1999, 2011 Martha N. Beck, Ph.D. (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Wickedly funny and wrenchingly sad memoirs of a young mother awaiting the birth of a Down syndrome baby while simultaneously pursuing a doctorate at Harvard.... Even skeptics will find magic in this story, and parents of a Down syndrome child will cherish it." ( Kirkus)

Pure Truth

I can’t even find the words to describe how this book touched me. Just read it and find your truth in it.

Raw honesty

I loved the humorous and utterly honest way in which she shared her journey expecting Adam.

Also a DS mom

This was a great story! I love listening to the experiences Martha had while pregnant win Adam. My only complaint is Adam being called a retarded child. I cringed every time it was said.

Moving

As a special needs mom myself this book has become one of my all time favorite. Eloquent, deep, funny and truly moving.

Beautiful

Best book I have listened to/read in a very long time. I felt like she was talking to me. This story is so personal it made me feel every emotion she portrayed. Absolutely beautiful!