CRYBABY
Crying isn’t weakness — it’s power. A quest for queer motherhood collides with cancer, and nothing’s off limits
ABOUT THE BOOK
A self-described crybaby who sees the end of the world lurking around every corner, Cheryl E. Klein has relied on planning and hard work to reach her goals and avoid catastrophe. But when she finds her wish for a baby dashed over and over — first by infertility, then miscarriage, and finally breast cancer — her carefully structured life, marriage, friendships, and belief system begin to crumble. Adding a detour through the fickle world of open adoption seems like the last thing she should do, but where she lacks control, she finds adventure. Empathetic, candid, and often humorous, Crybaby: Infertility, Illness and Other Things That Were not the End of the World is the story of what happens when a failed perfectionist and successful hypochondriac is forced to make room in her life for grief and joy, fear and hope, all at the same time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cheryl E. Klein is the author of two works of fiction, The Commuters (City Works Press) and Lilac Mines (Manic D Press). Her stories and essays have appeared in Blunderbuss Magazine, The Normal School, and several anthologies. Klein writes and edits for MUTHA Magazine and blogs about the intersection of life, art, and carbohydrates at breadandbread.blogspot.com. Klein can be found on Instagram @cherylekleinwrites.
PRAISE & REVIEWS
“A propulsive memoir about living through cancer, infertility, and adoption that weaves its experiences into a cohesive whole, resulting in a personal but universal story of hope. ”
— FOREWORD REVIEWS
“The [book’s] raw emotionality lands like a gut punch. Readers who have dealt with infertility or the adoption process will find this hits very close to home.”
— PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
“Crybaby depicts obstacles of the body, from miscarriage to cancer. Along the way, a triumph of the soul emerges.”
— JESSICA ZUCKER, author of I Had a Miscarriage A Memoir, a Movement
“In this fiercely honest, sharply observed memoir diving into the tumult of relationships, living with cancer, infertility, longing, loss, and complicated hope, Cheryl E. Klein surfaces with insights bright and beautiful as sea glass.”
— SHIRA SPECTOR, author of Red Rock Baby Candy
“I’m grateful to Cheryl Klein for being real about all the messy emotions tied to the strange and powerful desire for a child. I found myself rooting wildly for Klein—and for everyone daring to take on such a common human experience from their most uncommon queer lives.”
— MICHELLE TEA, author of Knocking Myself Up: A Memoir of (In)Fertility
