Juniper, Thomas French
Juniper, Thomas French
List: $24.98 | Sale: $17.49
Club: $12.49

Juniper
The Girl Who Was Born Too Soon

Author: Thomas French, Kelley French

Narrator: Kelley French, Thomas French

Unabridged: 8 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/13/2016


Synopsis

A micro-preemie fights for survival in this extraordinary and gorgeously told memoir by her parents, both award-winning journalists.

Juniper French was born four months early, at 23 weeks' gestation. She weighed 1 pound, 4 ounces, and her twiggy body was the length of a Barbie doll. Her head was smaller than a tennis ball, her skin was nearly translucent, and through her chest you could see her flickering heart. Babies like Juniper, born at the edge of viability, trigger the question: Which is the greater act of love -- to save her, or to let her go?

Kelley and Thomas French chose to fight for Juniper's life, and this is their incredible tale. In one exquisite memoir, the authors explore the border between what is possible and what is right. They marvel at the science that conceived and sustained their daughter and the love that made the difference. They probe the bond between a mother and a baby, between a husband and a wife. They trace the journey of their family from its fragile beginning to the miraculous survival of their now thriving daughter.

About Thomas French

Thomas French was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and many other honors for his writing during three decades as a reporter at the St. Petersburg Times. He is the author of Unanswered Cries and South of Heaven, and he currently teaches journalism at Indiana University. Thomas also is a writing fellow at the Poynter Institute.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Diane on September 28, 2016

I could not quit reading this book. I honestly didn't do anything I was supposed to do for an entire day. I was 100% enthralled with the journey of this family's experiences with their precious micro-premie, Junebug. Once she started grabbing on to her parents' pinkies, I just knew she was going to......more

Goodreads review by Jen on September 08, 2016

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I found it difficult to rate this book. There were some parts that were 5 star touching and there were some parts that were so bothersome that I wanted throw the book across the room. Let's start with the touching and positive. This book for the......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on November 04, 2017

Juniper is the star of this story! Her parents are flawed as we all are, but one thing is certain is that they loved their baby and they were incredibly kind to the medical team. The infiltrated PICC line, the PICC line in the heart which caused a blood clot to form in her heart. Horrid medical mist......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on October 20, 2016

As a podcast, this story moved me to tears. But as a book, it provided distasteful backstory on Tom and Kelley French, who spent at least a year sneaking behind his then-girlfriend's back - a move that is passed off as a love story (?), and about the huge health risks Kelley selfishly took while pre......more

Goodreads review by Jeannette on June 21, 2017

So. Very. Wonderful. I am currently pregnant with a baby that I know will have problems when it's born. Reading about a baby born so premature that they jumped from one complication to another made me SO thankful that our baby will (most likely) be born full term, and only have 1 problem. I can deal......more


Quotes

"Raw, rough and wrenchingly tender....An almost universal story of love and determination and strength."—USA Today

"An extraordinary memoir."—O, the Oprah Magazine

"Beautifully written...it will stay with you long after you finish."—Good Housekeeping

"Riveting."—Tampa Bay Times

"This book is a tender, fierce and breathtaking miracle."—People

"Two skilled journalists collaborate on the most personal of stories: their extremely premature daughter's struggle to survive....A fierce and fact-filled love story with few holds barred."—Kirkus Reviews

"I probably would have read Juniper in one sitting, but I had to stop because I was crying too hard....The Frenches make their fear, panic and grief real....A well-told, fast-paced and emotionally affecting memoir."—Terri Rupar, Washington Post

"A twisting, harrowing, at times painful but powerful memoir, fiercely reported and written with exquisite sensitivity and openness."—Dallas News

"[A] mom must-read....Juniper will capture your attention and heart from its difficult beginning to its hard-won happy ending."—Parents

"The Frenches put forth a love story about their daughter, with highs and lows throughout and moments of sheer joy that will keep readers involved until the very last page. This achingly tender memoir is also a roller-coaster....The narrative sparks a need to reassess the meaning of a miracle, and the story will resonate for days after the last word. With sharp prose, honoring the simple and the profound, this book should be in the hands of every parent--indeed, of everyone."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)