Bringing Finn home is truly an amazing story that many women and couples can relate to. About half of all fertilized eggs die and are lost spontaneously, before the woman knows that she is pregnant. Once a woman knows that she is pregnant, the miscarriage rate is more like 15-20%. These statistics seem staggering, but very comforting. As a woman who has suffered multiple miscarriages, I felt less alone knowing that others had gone before me. The fact that Sara Connell and her husband had fertility problems did not surprise me, what shocked and surprised me was the fact that Sara’s 61-year-old mother was the couple’s surrogate mother. The risk of miscarriage is higher in women over the age of 40, so a 61-year-old woman carrying a child to term was enough to make Bringing in Finn quite an engaging read.

Sara Connell’s mother, Kristine, carried Sara and Bill’s son, Finnean, to term, making Kristine the oldest woman in Chicago to give birth. Bringing in Finn is the true and moving story of the family’s struggle with fertility, but also the inspiring tale of unconditional love. Sara’s writing is thoughtful and inspiring. The honest way in which she describes her miscarriages is incredibly painful, but if the reader can get through the tough times, there will certainly be triumph in the end.

I didn’t know anything about IVF (in vitro fertilization) and Connell’s account was helpful and I consider it an eye opener. I feel like this was a family trip and not just the Sara and Bill story, or the Finn story, but a real family experience. It was easy to connect with family and hard to put the book down. I found myself wondering what I would have done in Sara’s situation and then wondering what I would have done if I were Sara’s mother, Kristine…would I have put myself on the line to bring happiness to my daughter and her husband? Would she have been able to let go of the child she was carrying? Would I feel like a grandmother or more like a mother to Finnean? I find myself thinking about Sara and her family and it’s been weeks since I finished Bringing Finn up. It’s safe to say that this is a moving story that may make you cry, possibly make you laugh, but it will definitely change your heart forever.