Winner of the British Medical Association Popular Medicine Book Award

'Illuminating and consoling' JULIA SAMUEL, author of GRIEF WORKS

Though approximately one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, it remains a rarely talked about, under-researched, and largely misunderstood area of women's health. This award-winning and profoundly necessary book - the first comprehensive portrait of the psychological, emotional, medical, and cultural aspects of miscarriage - aims to help break that silence.

In this groundbreaking book, psychotherapist Julia Bueno draws on historical and psychological research alongside her personal story and those of people she's helped. Straightforward and supportive, she shines a light on the different ways that miscarriages can happen and how we might allow for our grief, offer comfort and break the silence.

'It's the sort of book that women have long been searching for, and it feels like real progress. I'm so thankful she wrote it' MEAGHAN O'CONNELL, author of And Now We Have Everything

'Profound insight, rare courage' ZOE WILLIAMS

'Opening the door to more candid conversations' OBSERVER

'Intuitive and compassionate' SATHNAM SANGHERA

***Runner-Up - The British Psychological Society Book Award 2021***

About the Author
Julia Bueno practises as a psychotherapist in London. She has a particular expertise in working with people who have experienced a loss in pregnancy or a struggle to conceive. She was a trustee of the Miscarriage Association and now helps to run a support group for the charity. Her writing has been published in The Times, The Sunday Times, The Express, Therapy Today and welldoing.org. The Brink of Being is her first book.

Reviews
A much needed book on this difficult and often unspoken loss, that of early pregnancy. Julia Bueno talks powerfully from her personal experience as well as professionally which is both illuminating and consoling * Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works *
Bueno's choice of language is considered and thoughtful, unpacking difficult issues that are so often avoided for fear of causing distress. She writes with sensitivity and compassion?, filling a much-needed void in discussion around the subject, and opening the door to more candid conversations * Observer *
An intelligent, sensitive, and utterly candid book about miscarriage. Thanks to Bueno's radical empathy and openness, the reader comes away more consoled than heartbroken, and more curious than afraid. It's the sort of book that women have long been searching for, and it feels like real progress. I'm so thankful she wrote it * Meaghan O'Connell, author of And Now We Have Everything *
This is a book of profound insight, rare courage and calm, searching compassion. It made me reflect, not just on miscarriage, but on the solace of the intellect, and the euphoric rush of a broken silence * Zoe Williams *
Julia is one of the most intuitive and compassionate and curious psychotherapists around, and in her approach to miscarriage all of these qualities are shown * Sathnam Sanghera *
A thoughtful work that identifies and honours an important passage of life for a great many women * Julia Leigh, author of Avalanche *
Wise and compassionate, Bueno is the friend (and expert) you want when you or a loved one suffers miscarriage. This is a profound game-changer of a book that can not only support women, but can help reshape a society that often ignores or sweeps women's issues under that proverbial rug * Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Is this Tomorrow *
Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, The Brink of Being is vital reading, both for those who have experienced miscarriage and for the people who want to support them. I think a lot of people are going to be stronger for reading this * Keith Stuart, author of The Boy Made of Blocks *
Bueno's choice of language is considered and thoughtful, unpacking difficult issues that are so often avoided for fear of causing distress. She writes with sensitivity and compassion, filling a muchneeded void in discussion around the subject, and opening the door to more candid conversations -- Katy Lindemann * Observer *
The book is most viscerally a memoir of Bueno's own first pregnancy and miscarriage . . . She argues for institutionally sanctioned rituals of mourning. But more work needs to be done to find language and practices that heal rather than harm . . . Part of Julia Bueno's point, too: there is no right or uniform way of responding to miscarriage -- Michele Pridmore-Brown * Times Literary Supplement *
A much needed book on this difficult and often unspoken loss, that of early pregnancy. Julia Bueno talks powerfully from her personal experience as well as professionally which is both illuminating and consoling * Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works *


Awards
Winner of BMA Medical Book Awards Popular medicine category 2021 (UK). Short-listed for BMA Medical Book of the Year 2021 (UK) and British Psychological Book Award - Popular Science category 2021 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9780349010779
Author Julia Bueno
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Virago Press Ltd
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 225g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 126mm * 22mm