One Good Egg

Like many ambitious, driven women, Becker (All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat)%E2%80%94a former Clinton administration fellow, founder of AIDS fundraiser RideFAR, and creator of Widget Factory greeting cards%E2%80%94put off starting a family until she was nearly 40. By the time she and her partner Lorene were "ready", Becker needed help in two forms: the first was in-vitro fertilization treatment, followed by a suitable sperm donor. In her touching and very funny illustrated memoir, Becker chronicles the relationships she had with everyone in her life during this strange and often harrowing process, and writes about the successful pregnancy and birth of her child. The first half of the book manages to humorously cover the very serious and sad realities of IVF. Even the infamous insensitivity of the fertility clinic staff became fodder for endless jokes. This book is bordering on essential for both moms-to-be with flagging fertility and for lesbian couples hoping to become parents, but is an absolutely beautiful book about love and determination that will be enjoyed by a wide variety of readers. Becker's fantastic, on-point cartoon illustrations cover all manner of observations and worries, and every woman who has ever been pregnant will relate. (May)