Adriana Bourgoin Nine Months in August

Nine Months in August

Adriana Bourgoin

Kensington, Jun 2007, $14.00

ISBN: 0758217315

In Massachusetts caterer and events planner Gretchen Fox always uses lists to plan her day. However, she is stunned when an unforeseen circumstance nukes the best laid long term plans of mice and married women when she learns she is pregnant.

Her husband Fredrik is euphoric with the news, which just adds guilt to Gretchen's despondency. Her best friends since their Smith College days together, Meredith and Louisa, are ecstatic as the three musketeers are pregnant at the same time; their joy makes Gretchen feel more miserable. Besides coping with morning sickness 24/7, and her mother, Gretchen fears she will lose her position as the family friendly era ended when compassionate conservatism became in. As months towards her August due date pass, Gretchen begins to feel an iota of happiness that with each day grows until she begins to find bliss with the coming of their baby.

This fascinating character study showcases how comparatively marriage makes some important changes in a person's lifestyle, but the altering seems insignificant when compared with how a baby nukes a way of life. Gretchen is the star as she goes through the nine months that feels like eternity in purgatory. Adriana Bourgoin provides a great tale of a pregnant woman whose emotions run the gamut from euphoria to self loathing and deprecation.

Harriet Klausner