EDITOR’S CHOICE
A tender, heartfelt memoir that beautifully blends travel and healing, offering hope, courage, and the many paths to motherhood.
Nina Little’s Spirit Baby is an intimate and deeply moving memoir that blends personal grief with the transformative power of travel. At its heart, this book is about resilience, healing, and the pursuit of motherhood in the face of heartbreak.
Following years of failed fertility treatments and the silence of a childless home, Nina and her husband Chris set out for China with hopes of adoption. What unfolds is not just a travelogue through historic cities and breathtaking countryside, but also a journey of emotional recovery and renewed strength. Little captures both the grandeur of China’s landscapes and the quiet, contemplative moments that give way to self-discovery.
Her prose is heartfelt without being overly sentimental, balancing raw honesty about loss with a sense of wonder at the world around her. The symbolism of China’s ancient beliefs about women’s “two hearts” provides a poignant thread throughout, reminding readers of the fragility of dreams and the possibility of renewal.
What makes Spirit Baby stand out is its duality: it is both a love letter to China and a testimony to the endurance of hope. The descriptions of bustling Beijing, serene temples, and lush southern scenery transport the reader, while the emotional undercurrent gives the narrative its real depth.
This memoir will resonate with anyone who has experienced longing, loss, or the complicated road to parenthood. Ultimately, it is a story of courage, love, and the different ways families are formed. Uplifting and heartfelt, Spirit Baby leaves the reader with a sense of hope and healing.
