Elusive Mommyhood: An investigative reporter's personal journey into IVF and surrogacy

“A very important book for everyone, relevant to our times”

Tig Notaro, comedian, podcaster and actor

Out now!

Available on Amazon.com, Bookshop.org, Barnesandnoble.com, Hatchards.co.uk and other independent bookshops and websites! The book recently won a Best Indie Book Award in the Pregnancy/IVF category.

Praise for Elusive Mommyhood:

“Bravo to Ginanne Brownell for this important, moving book that blends her personal IVF and
surrogacy story with a meticulously reported look at the national and international debates on
this critical issue.”

Mary Jordan, Pulitzer Prize winner, Washington Post associate editor, and bestselling
author

“In a powerful blend of intimate memoir and compelling journalism, Ginanne Brownell tackles the many clichés and misunderstandings surrounding IVF and surrogacy, and also offers the reader a nuanced and empathetic view of the painful struggles infertility can bring. She manages to clarify, with honesty, humor and compassion, a topic that is increasingly commonplace, and yet still deeply misunderstood. A must-read for anyone searching to deepen their understanding of a topic too often treated superficially.”

Claire Shipman, Peabody-award winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author

“A forensic look at one of the toughest, and most nuanced, ethical quandaries of modern times. Ginanne threads her own experiences of surrogacy into the history and science behind a process that is helping thousands of people to become parents, giving the book a deeply personal feel. If you think you have a view on surrogacy, infertility, or women’s rights, read this book—then think again.”

Emma Haslett, journalist, author, and co-host of the “Big Fat Negative” podcast

“The journey to becoming a mother has never been more varied than it is at this moment in time—and Ginanne Brownell impressively sheds light on an increasingly important part of this conversation: surrogacy. Through the lens of her own moving story, and weaving in eye-opening research and insight from those on the inside through her journalistic rigor, she pulls back the curtain on a mysterious world still in its infancy but growing at pace. [This world is] still filled with as many misconceptions and complexities as [it is with] connection and joy; [it] stretches from the celebrities of California to the clinics of India and the law courts of her home state of Michigan. Whether surrogacy—or any aspect of fertility or parenthood, for that matter—has touched you or not, this is a breathtaking read in which page after page will leave you looking at life and love and legacy with a fresh perspective.”

Lauren Clark, health journalist

Book synopsis:

I have spent four years writing a book that is both a personal memoir and a journalistic deep-dive that examines assisted reproduction and surrogacy in a broad international context. “Elusive Mommyhood” explores the feminist arguments for and against surrogacy, the global history of surrogacy and IVF, why and how women decide to become carriers, how children born through IVF and surrogacy feel about it, discussions and debates around donor conception, the fight for parentage rights for LGBTQ+ families and why many countries are currently re-examining their IVF and surrogacy laws.

The last chapter of the book is focused on my personal involvement in the passing of the Michigan Family Protection Act, which was signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in April 2024. It is broadly the first piece of legislation nationally around fertility treatments and surrogacy since the Alabama Supreme Court ruling in February 2024.

For further book updates and contact info, head to elusive mommyhood or @elusive.mommyhood