Wild Egg: A Story Of One Woman's Search For Her Childfree Life

How do you learn to trust yourself and hear your own truth?Based on a true story, Wild Egg explores one woman's struggle to break through the deadlock of ambivalence to decide whether becoming a biological mother is her wholehearted choice, or simply what she has been programmed to believe.When her usual rational approach to problem solving fails to work, Hollie Hardwick finds herself tumbling down an existential rabbit hole, as she unearths more questions than answers in a bid to avoid living with future regret.Confused and frustrated, Hollie resorts to increasingly desperate measures to achieve a breakthrough and, in the process, unwittingly opens a spiritual Pandora's Box that cannot be closed.By the time she makes an empowered choice to be childfree, Hollie is left with a burning question: what does a meaningful childfree life look like?Her search for an answer takes her on a wild ride, from mindfulness circles with a motley crew of characters, to a Scottish island full of Buddhist monks and nuns.Hollie digs deep into her soul where she confronts a gnawing feeling of emptiness and not enough-ness, and eventually finds the courage to break open to become her most powerful, unapologetic and joyful childfree self as she wrestles with another major life decision.Author, Jennifer Flint, was (like Hollie) a successful but unfulfilled HR Director.During lockdown she signed up to a writing course determined to fulfil her dream of writing a novel inspired by her father's early life.To her surprise, Wild Egg showed up."Nine years ago, when I was in the darkest depth of existential maybe-baby hell, I remember feeling so alone, desperately wanting to find a deep, intimate account of another woman's journey that I could hold onto in the darkness. I read some great books but was left feeling unsatisfied; like I was nibbling on a tapas of dishes, when what I really wanted was to feast on a relatable shame shit story.When Wild Egg began downloading, I realised I was being invited to share my journey and write the book I had longed for all those years ago."Jennifer says that writing Wild Egg has been like graduating from what she calls her 'vulnerability apprenticeship' that began the moment her own husband unexpectedly confronted her with wanting a baby."I finished writing the draft manuscript on the eve of my fiftieth birthday and it felt like putting a big, beautiful full stop at the end of my first half of life.Wild Egg is not only a backward reflection of my journey to becoming joyfully childfree, but has become an invitation to live my most unbound and audacious life.I hope it may inspire other women to trust themselves enough to do the same." Jennifer is a leadership coach, mentor, independent celebrant and speaker.She lives by the seaside in the North-East of England with her dog, Pip, and enjoys spending free time in her off-grid cabin in Northumberland.Marcia Drut-Davis, author of "Confessions of a Childfree Woman" and "What? You Don't Want Children?"and childfree pioneer has described Wild Egg as: "A powerful story and page-turning must read novel for women feeling the pronatalistic push/pull of motherhood as an expected choice.(And, equally important to those who love them unconditionally.)Along the way, Wild Egg will have you wondering if you're happy or joyful and if you're the egg or the eggcup. Brava!"Merle Bombardieri, MSW, LICSW, author of 'The Baby Decision: How to Make the Most Important Choice of your Life', psychotherapist and international decision coach said: "This book is beautiful, brilliant, serious and funny.Flint gives us the gift of Hollie, a lovable, courageous role model for the childfree choice.Flint also uses original language and metaphors to depict the frustration, determination and creativity of parenthood/childfree decision-making.Readers will feel seen, heard and less alone in their own decision-making."

• | Author: Jennifer Flint
• | Publisher: The Unbound Press
• | Publication Date: Jul 07, 2022
• | Number of Pages: 406 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback
• | ISBN-10: 1913590569
• | ISBN-13: 9781913590567