Eighteen Moons (by Andi Webb) is a truly inspiring and interesting book. I am so glad I picked it for my first read after a three-year gap from reading. Surprisingly, I finished it in three days (even though I am a very slow reader) reading late nights as I just couldn’t put it down!
The book (available here) is the true story of a gay couple, Andi and John from the UK, determined to have a family complete with kids. The book takes you through their extraordinary journey of becoming parents to five wonderful kids through surrogacy. How they go through an unbelievable amount of struggle but stay strong and determined in the face of adversity is commendable and inspiring. Whatever problems you are facing today, not just related to surrogacy, the perseverance that the couple shows will make you want to never give up, come what may!
Read this amazing book that will take you on a surrogacy journey to three countries – India, Nepal and Thailand. With every trip, there’s a lot of doubt whether or not the couple would be able to bring their surrogate newborns home. Andi stays in foreign countries for several months, away from his beloved and very supportive partner John, manages newborns, and struggles to find the right nannies and places to stay. Meanwhile, John struggles in his own country to be able to meet and bring home his newborns. Seeing them being the victims of bureaucracy amid changing laws related to surrogacy makes you feel the helplessness the couple goes through. At times you wonder if they would give up, but wow they are so patient and determined!
Such is the excellent writing of the author, that you wish if only you could have known them then and done something to help. The couple stays apart for a long time as one of them doesn’t get the right Visa with the system being, as we all know, far from perfect. And as if the changing laws, cheats and a blackmailing surrogate mother are not enough, there’s an earthquake and a possible jail time. There are tears and fears, smiles and hopes, and both the good and the bad sides of humanity playing their parts.
The pace of the book is awesome and the uncertainty involved keeps you hooked from the beginning to the last page hoping that maybe things will work out on the next page. And the kids are so cute, you can picture them as the author describes them with so much love. Read the book Eighteen Moons by Andi Webb to find out how they navigate through all the struggles. I absolutely recommend this book.
The book is available on Amazon UK here. For all other locations, just search Andi Webb on your Amazon browser.