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Saturday, May 1, 2010

Review & Giveaway: Three Wishes by Goldberg, Jones and Ferdinand

~THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED~
Three Wishes by Carey Goldberg, Beth Jones, and Pamela Ferdinand


What the book says: Carey, Beth, and Pam had succeeded at work but failed at romance, and each resolved to have a baby before time ran out. Just one problem: no men. Carey took the first bold step towards single motherhood, searching anonymous donor banks until she found the perfect match.


What she found was not a father in a vial, but a sort of magic potion. She met a man, fell in love, and got pregnant the old-fashioned way. She passed the vials to Beth, and it happened again. Beth met man, Beth got pregnant. Beth passed the vials to Pam, and the magic struck again. There were setbacks and disappointments, but three women became three families, reveling in the shared joy of love, friendship, and never losing hope.
About the Authors:
Carey Goldberg grew up in Newton, Massachusetts and decided in tenth grade that someday, she wanted to be a foreign correspondent in Moscow. She went to Yale and Harvard and eventually lived out her dream for six years, covering the collapse of the Soviet Union for the Associated Press and then The Los Angeles Times. In 1995, she came home to work for The New York Times and to “get a life.” She quickly rose to be Boston bureau chief of the Times but discovered that a life can be hard to get. When she turned 39, still unwed, she decided to become a single mother, and launched the chain of events described in this book. With the help of a year-long fellowship at MIT, she made the transition from general reporting to science journalism, and worked as a part-time health and science reporter at The Boston Globe for several years, covering brains and other organs. The Globe laid her off amid a sweeping cut of part-timers in early 2009, and she now happily writes books at home in the Brookline, Mass. house that she shares with her family.



From an early age, Beth Jones wanted to be a writer. She would buy blank books and fill them with her own stories. A rebel by age 13, she preferred to write than go to school. She was a student at Bennington College during the 1980s literary heyday with Bret Easton Ellis, Donna Tartt, Jill Eisenstadt, and Jonathan Lethem. After college, she hopped between jobs, moved to Europe with a boyfriend to try the expatriate lifestyle, and, when she returned, was admitted to Boston University’s graduate creative writing program. She’s been in Boston ever since, and is finally fulfilling her life’s ambition of publishing a book.Read an Excerpt

Jones is a freelance writer and educator. She has written for The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and various magazines and websites. She taught writing and literature at Boston University, Emerson College, and in several Massachusetts prisons. She spent seven years running The Education Initiative, a school based behavioral medicine program, under the auspices of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. She taught stress resiliency skills to educators and students from pre-school through college, primarily at inner city schools in Los Angeles, Boston, and Newark, NJ. In addition, she is an occasional contributor to National Public Radio. She lives outside Boston, with her husband and son.

An award-winning journalist for major U.S. newspapers—including The Boston Globe, Miami Herald, and Washington Post—for more than a decade, Pamela covered breaking news from Hurricane Andrew and the crash of TWA Flight 800 to the Roman Catholic church crisis and New England’s connections to the September 11 terrorism attacks. She served as the Washington Post’s New England correspondent in Boston for six years and was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2003-2004.

She has written on a wide range of topics for magazines and Web sites such as The Economist, Boston, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, and National Geographic News, among others, and she has been an associate producer for WBUR-FM in Boston and an adjunct journalism professor at Boston University. She also has enjoyed writer residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Dorset Colony House in Vermont.
A lifelong romantic, she assumed she would meet her soulmate along the way, fall in love, and have children. Nearing 40, she realized that assumption might be wrong and prepared for single motherhood with anonymous donor sperm given to her by “Three Wishes” co-author Beth Jones. (Beth received it from co-author Carey Goldberg.) No sooner had she accepted the vials, then Pam encountered luck and love in unexpected ways. She lives in Chicago with her family and 19-year-old cat, Clementine, and remains a writer and journalist. Only a much happier one than ever before.



Here's what I think:
The first thing that struck me about this book was that it essentially braids together three woman's lives in one book. Each chapter is from a different one of the author's perspective. Usually this is rather frustrating for me because I get annoyed by the constant flip flop of voice. But this book was a pleasant surprise, in that although it was obvious when the story took the on a different point of view, the style of writing didn't change greatly, so it still flowed. As to the story, it is an amazing tale of three women faced (at different stages of life) with the tick tick tock of their biological clock. As I had all my children in my mid twenties, I can not directly related but can definitely empathize on the level that I don't know what life would be like without my children, and frankly don't want to think about it. This story doesn't have your traditional "and they all lived happily ever after" but it has a realistic and satisfying conclusion. A great read that would be great for a book club selection.
BUY IT! You can buy your own copy Amazon.


WIN IT! - Anna at HBG has agreed to send 3 lucky readers their own copy of Three Wishes!






So here is how you can win:



Mandatory Entry:
Tell me how old you were when you had your first child - I was 23. (open to US residents only, must provide mailing address - no PO Boxes - if you win)(you must do this one first or I will be forced to remove all of your entries)


 Get More Entries: (LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY)
Become a Follower of Busy Moms Who Love to Read using Google Friends Connect (see sidebar)
Tweet about this Giveaway (include @1outnumberedmom and #giveaway in your tweet) (Daily Tweets allowed)
Follow me on
Twitter @1outnumberedmom
Become a Facebook Fan (see sidebar)
Become a follower of My CookBook Review Site -
Cooking Up Reviews
Enter one of my other giveaways
Add a comment to another post on this blog (a real comment, please)
List your book giveaways on my
Book Giveaway Linky!
Grab my button (see sidebar) and put it on your blog (include a link to your blog in your comment) (5 entries)
Add a post to your own blog about this giveaway (include a link to your post in your comment) (8 entries)


I wish you the best of luck! All entries but be received by 11:59pm PST on May 12, 2010 to be counted.


Disclaimer: Although I did receive a free copy of this book for review (Thanks,
HBG), I was in no other way compensated to post this review. These are my real and honest opinions.


If you are an author or publisher and you would like for me to review your book, please contact me directly: polsen11[at]comcast[dot]net

58 comments:

  1. 29. Last baby - 39
    2416 North 1400 East
    Lehi, UT 84043

    You can also send money. Really. I won't mind.

    ntaylor228 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had a twelve year old when I got married in 2007 at the age of 27. The pain was unbearable... No, actually my stepson is wonderful. Now we are trying for one (or two) of our own and hopefully a mommy again at 30.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a facebook fan! BTW I found your blog on the blog hop and I love it!!! Can't wait to read more!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am a Google Friend Connect follower.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My giveaways are listed on your Book Giveaway Linky. (Proud Book Nerd)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Button is on my blog. #1

    http://proudbooknerd.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Button is on my blog. #2

    http://proudbooknerd.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. Button is on my blog. #3

    http://proudbooknerd.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Button is on my blog. #4

    http://proudbooknerd.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Button is on my blog. #5

    http://proudbooknerd.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. 34 1/2..

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I was 26 when I had my first child (missed 27 by a few days)

    jessalicious01 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm a follower on gfc
    jessalicious01 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. following on twitter
    jessalicious01 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. following cooking up reviews
    jessalicious01 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I was 35 when I had my first, and just had my 2nd at 38 (pushing 39).
    Caseycg(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I was 33 when I had my son. Not sure when number two will be coming...

    teresasreadingcorner at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great give away! I was 25 when my daughter was born.

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    l_meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm following via GFC
    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    L_Meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm following on twitter
    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    L_Meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm following your cookbook review site.

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    L_Meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm a face book fan.

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    L_Meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I entered my book giveaway on your linky! #13 (Debbie Macomber)

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    L_Meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. 1. Added your button to my right sidebar!

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    l_meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. 2. Added your button to my right sidebar!

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    l_meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. 3. Added your button to my right sidebar!

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    l_meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. 4. Added your button to my right sidebar!

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    l_meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. 5. Added your button to my right sidebar!

    ~Lauri
    http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    l_meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. 25. Thanks for the contest.

    Laura_in_TX
    123yes456@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I'm a new follower!

    Laura_in_TX
    123yes456@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I entered your giveaway on your book linky post.

    ~Lauri
    Http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    l_meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I left a comment on our 3/29 post about irritable moms!

    ~Lauri
    Http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com
    l_meinhardt@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I was 23 also when I had my oldest child.

    kerrie@mayansfamily.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I follow your blog with gfc as degood

    kerrie@mayansfamily.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. I follow you on twitter as kmayans

    kerrie@mayansfamily.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. no children yet - but looking forward to it
    june_spirit2628 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  37. I had #1Son when I was 30.

    JHS
    Colloquium

    admin at jhsiess dot com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Already following you on Google.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Also entered your "Still the One" giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I was, and am, 23!

    six_one_nine_girlie86 (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  41. I never had the good fortune to be blessed with any children. *Thanks* for the giveaway!
    theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  42. Publicly following Busy Moms Cooking Up Reviews with Google Friend Connect [Cheryl F. {The Lucky Ladybug}]
    theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  43. I had my first baby at 23

    jeaninecrane[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  44. facebook fan

    jeaninecrane[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  45. I was 40 when my husband and I adopted our daughter. Old!

    dlodden at frontiernet dot net

    ReplyDelete