What I Thought I Knew...

What I Thought I Knew: a Memoir by Alice Eve Cohen

Nothing goes as planned in this brave and candid memoir. At age 44 Alice Even Cohen finally felt like her life was finally going in the right direction. She survived a difficult divorce, her career as a writer and performer was taking off, she loved raising her adopted daughter and was ready to try married life again. Around that time, she began to have a combination of health issues that were diagnosed as early menopause. Six months later, she discovers her health issues were really due to pregnancy despite the fact that she had been told years earlier that she was infertile. She feels guilt and shame as she questions whether she can love her surprise baby who has received no prenatal care. Cohen wrestles with conflicting ideas about what the future holds for her baby, herself and her family. Everyone has advice for her, but in the end she must come to terms on her own about the challenges she faces. Cohen honestly discusses her emotions to create a suspenseful account of her experience which is heartbreaking at times, but uplifting in the end.

Read an excerpt from What I Thought I Knew