Firstborn: A Memoir

New York Times book editor Christensen debuts with a devastating account of her decision to terminate a dangerous pregnancy. When Christensen became pregnant in the early 2020s, she was surprised, as her disordered eating had sabotaged her periods throughout much of her 20s and early 30s. But she and her husband, Gabriel, were thrilled by the prospect of becoming parents and tentatively named their unborn daughter Simone. During Christensen’s second trimester, however, the couple learned that Simone had a chromosomal abnormality that would kill her—and possibly Christensen—if she was carried to term. The decision, according to Christensen’s doctors, was between aborting at 22 weeks or facing a significant risk of preeclampsia. Christensen intertwines her account of the turbulent decision process with an unpacking of her difficult relationship with her own mother, whose frequent business trips left Christensen feeling abandoned as a child. The tragedy helped repair their bond, however (“My need for my mother felt as mighty as my need for motherhood,” Christensen writes). With admirable candor, Christensen mines the complexities of life, grief, and family through the prism of her own devastation. It’s a stunning achievement. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency. (Mar.)