ENDORSEMENTS & REVIEWS

“With wit and bravery, Rebecca Thompson corrals two of life's most terrifying prospects—becoming a parent and becoming a doctor. Her deeply personal narrative is intertwined with the voices of other women who've navigated the complicated shoals of pregnancy, birth, family, and parenthood. Their stories are remarkable for the complexity of human experience and for the commonality of everyday courage. Inspiring!”

— Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, author of Incidental Findings: Lessons from My Patients in the Art of Medicine

"Thompson’s moving book proves that there are as many different ways of becoming a family as there are mothers — a personal, compelling reminder of why women’s reproductive healthcare matters, and why one size does not fit all.”

— Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“This tapestry of intimate stories is a testament to the common humanity found after loss and the beauty found in connection. Thrumming with sorrow and hope, Held Together will comfort those facing challenges on their path to creating families—the families they are born into and the ones they choose.”
— Mimi Zieman, MD, author of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure and coauthor of Managing Contraception

“Immersive, compassionate, and vulnerable, Held Together invites us to walk with Dr. Thompson as she navigates her own journey to parenthood and the beautiful, messy, uplifting stories of the families she cares for along the way.”

— Lori Gottlieb, MFT, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed

“We are, indeed, held together–by love, by stories, by what we have in common and also by how we are unique. This book does not seem like a book. It seems like a quilt that weaves together stories to create a treasure, and reading it is a healing. The message rings true, as Tess’s words assure us: ‘Telling our stories might save us all.’ 

“The women within these pages share the impact of deep loss, fear, self-doubt, and surprises both agonizing and wondrous. Their intimate and honest stories break open the myth of maternal ease and happiness to remind us that the real journeys, both toward and within motherhood, are nearly indescribable–or, rather, they would be, if not for the courage and community, the deep listening and deft hand of literary weaving, brought seamlessly together in the creation of this book.

“As I read, I was with these women, sitting before them like the receptive and open pages of a journal, absorbing their truths. I wished that each of them had always felt, could always feel, the compassion toward themselves that I felt toward them as I took in their stories. I cried, I wanted to reach out to touch, to hug, to bring a cup of tea, to say, We see you, we learn from you, your voice is an absolutely essential part of the world. I hung on every word, and here are just a few, from Eriko’s story, that I will carry with me: ‘We do not try to hide the past. We have shaped these moments into beauty. We were never beyond repair.’ It is a comfort to know that there is still so much humanity in this world.

“Held Together should be required reading for every healthcare professional, to increase the chances that they feel compelled, as Rebecca Thompson has written, ‘to serve as the informed and compassionate clinician I had wished for when other doctors were belittling my concerns.’ The sensitivity or insensitivity of every person we encounter when it is, inevitably, our turn to find ourselves in the role of the patient has power beyond measure. The shared knowledge in these pages is as important as an anatomy chart to truly make a difference in the healthiest delivery of care.”

— Wendy N. Davis, PhD, PMH-C, President and CEO of Postpartum Support International

“Riveting, relatable, and occasionally gutting, Rebecca Thompson’s Held Together is the most perfect book I could possibly recommend to gift to your best friend. Beautifully written and beautifully paced, this compilation of women’s voices is an absolute gem.”

— Kimmery Martin, MD, author of Doctors and Friends and The Antidote for Everything

“On a canoe trip, I once saw a white pine that had been flattened against a slab of granite by a winter storm. Its roots were torn and exposed, and yet, instead of withering away over the intervening years, the tree had done something quite extraordinary: one of the spindly lower branches, reoriented by the crash to point toward the sky, had found a way to become the trunk. Rebecca Thompson’s Held Together explores the wilderness of motherhood with raw honesty and deep clarity, documenting the stories of a remarkable group of women who have weathered storms and transformed their challenges into new ways of being in the world. Thompson’s interwoven narratives provide an intimate view into their diverse lives and perspectives as they navigate the profound changes that becoming a mother demands. Each of the voices in this spectacular and important book touched me, moved me, and made my heart ache in the best possible way. I’m profoundly grateful for this emotional—but never sentimental—reminder that we are not alone on the journey.” 

— Amber J. Keyser, PhD, author of The V-Word: True Stories about First-Time Sex, The Way Back from Broken, and Underneath It All: A History of Women’s Underwear

“These intricate, interwoven stories speak the truths women too often leave unsaid, the losses we keep to ourselves. They contrast the dichotomies medicine sometimes presents with the uncertain gray areas where so many of us have found ourselves—and even doctors are not immune, as Held Together gently proves. The wide breadth of experiences in these pages can help the rest of us make sense of our own lives. Many books tell us how to care for others, but far fewer show us how we might heal ourselves. Thankfully, there is such a book now.”

— Amy Wilson, cohost of What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood and author of Happy to Help

“Held Together is a simply wonderful collection, beautifully written, of deep stories of women who have undergone personal loss and have come out on the other side. It is about pain, suffering, danger, endurance, survival, and transcendence. It is so experientially rich that I couldn't put this book down without wanting to know what would come next. Rebecca Thompson has caught life itself and shared it with us. Mothers, husbands, grandparents, doctors, and nurses should read it and will come away with something so very rare — hard-earned wisdom for the art of living!”

— Arthur Kleinman, MD, Harvard University Professor of Psychiatry, Anthropology, and Global Health and Social Medicine and author of The Soul of Care

“Rebecca Thompson shares stories that exemplify what mental strength looks like during the darkest days, shedding light on topics that are rarely discussed and showing us that we aren't alone in our pain.”

— Amy Morin, LCSW, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do

"In this timely and touching memoir, Rebecca Thompson captures the heartfelt stories of an incredibly diverse group of women. She approaches these women and their families as the thoughtful and experienced physician that she is, recording intimate and sensitive accounts that add critical understanding about complex periods of human development. Held Together is at once powerful and tender—essential reading not only for mothers but for anyone concerned with building a constructive future in a troubled era." 

— Robin Karr-Morse, MEd, LPC, Family Therapist, former Director of Parents’ Training for the Oregon Child Welfare System and Executive Director of The Parenting Institute, Founding Director of the Children's Trust Fund of Oregon, and coauthor of Ghosts From the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence and Scared Sick: The Role of Childhood Trauma in Adult Disease

"Wow, these stories moved me. Each chapter that I read had me tearing up at some point, and the grief I felt at the end of Lia's story shook my body. These are powerful stories, and Rebecca Thompson is a powerful writer. Her storytelling methods are very effective--dropping us into a conflict, building up the tension with episodes of rising action that each seem to be resolved until the next episode begins, showing a believable climax, and then offering a literary resolution, even when the medical or emotional issue isn't really resolved. And she does a wonderful job of circling back to the opening situation to help each essay feel tied up." 

— Ali McCart Shaw, Executive Editor, Indigo Editing & Publications. Director, Sledgehammer Writing Contest. Freelance writer and memoirist.

“The pieces read so easily and smoothly, letting the stories carry the reader away without distraction. That’s a gift to the reader. There’s just the right tone and just the right amount of heart in them, too. I love the medical information, but the humanity comes through brilliantly.” 

— Sandy Poole Keiter, Oregonian guest columnist, former KATU-TV reporter, and professional interviewer/video producer

"I felt Devorah’s grief so palpably--it took me back to that time. The story captures her voice and who she is. It's very raw and authentic, and it portrays a measure of her healing after having her own kids. As a person who knows and loves Devorah, I want to say that I think [this is] a really thoughtful and honest story that accurately reflects the complicated and amazing woman she is.” 

— J.C., MD, MS. Community obstetrician/gynecologist and genetic counselor, and close friend of one of the collaborators, on reading that collaborator’s story