She Looks Just Like You: A Memoir of (Nonbiological Lesbian) Motherhood
Choosing parenthood is a complex, daunting journey, with no guarantees except plenty of challenges and surprises. Nonbiological lesbian mom Miller delights in her longtime partner’s pregnancy yet discovers years of expectation and preparation still leave her unready. She is shocked and awed by the delivery, where all is “white and red. The white lights and walls of the surgical room; the red of Jane’s blood” from an unexpected C-section. Once the moms are home with baby Hannah, the nontraditional parents share all-too-common ground with most first-time parents, “thrust in a parallel universe where planning and time are irrelevant . . . our goals have been reduced to the lowest common denominator: run a load of laundry, get Hannah to eat more, try to sleep.” Miller’s distinctly less common fear, that Hannah won’t distinguish between “Mama” and “Mommy,” is triggered when at eight months, the child just babbles instead of venturing a “Ma-ma.” But surprise! Hannah smiles at her and says, “Da-da.” Readers should smile, too, at this sweetly humorous and insightful account of uncommon motherhood. --Whitney Scott