Bringing Finn is truly an amazing story that many women and couples can relate to. About half of all fertilized eggs die and are lost spontaneously, even before the woman knows she is pregnant. Once a woman knows that she is pregnant, the miscarriage rate is more than 15-20%. These statistics seem staggering, but very comforting. As a woman who has experienced multiple miscarriages, I felt less alone knowing that others had gone before me. The fact that Sara Connell and her husband had struggled with fertility did not surprise me, what surprised and surprised me was the fact that Sara’s 61-year-old mother was a surrogate for the couple. The risk of miscarriage is higher in women over 40, so a 61-year-old woman with a full-term child was in itself 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 Finn is the heartwarming and true story of the family’s fight for fertility, but also the inspiring story of unconditional love. Sara’s writing is thoughtful and inspiring. The honest way you describe your 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 story was helpful and I consider it an eye-opener. I feel like this was a trip for the whole family and not just Sara and Bill’s story, or Finn’s story, but a true family experience. It was easy to connect with the family and it was difficult 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 was Sara’s mother, Kristine … Would I have risked bringing happiness to my daughter and her husband? Could she have released 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. It’s safe to say that this is a heartwarming story that may make you cry, possibly make you laugh, but it will definitely leave your heart changed forever.