Still: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Motherhood

by Emma Hansen

Overview

“Still is one of those rare books that catches you up and does not let you go. With grace, courage, and honesty, Emma Hansen adds an important voice to this tragic and too-often silenced subject. I loved this book.”
—Beth Powning, author of Shadow Child: An Apprenticeship in Love and Loss

A moving, candid account of one woman’s experience with stillbirth.

Emma Hansen is 39 weeks and 6 days pregnant when she feels her baby go quiet inside of her. At the hospital, her worst fears are confirmed: doctors explain that her baby has died, and she will need to deliver him, still.

Hansen gives birth to her son, Reid, amidst an avalanche of grief. Nine days later, she publishes a candid essay on her website sharing photos from the delivery room. Much to her surprise, her essay goes viral, sparking positive reactions around the world. Still shares what comes next: a struggle with grief and confusion alongside a desire to better understand stillbirth, which is experienced by more than two million women annually, but rarely talked about in public.

At once honest, brave, and uplifting, Still is about one woman’s search for her own definition of motherhood, even as she faces one of life’s greatest challenges: learning to live after loss.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771643917
Publisher:	Greystone Books
Publication date:	04/04/2020
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Emma Hansen is a writer and model whose blog post about the passing of her first son, Reid, due to a true knot in his umbilical cord, went viral in 2015. Today, Hansen is trained as a full-spectrum doula and lives in Vancouver, Canada. She is the daughter of Rick Hansen, a former Paralympian and world-renowned disability activist.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Vulnerable and powerful... Still is a story that strengthens our bonds as humans.”
—Christy Turlington Burns, founder, Every Mother Counts

"One of those rare books that catches you up and does not let you go. Both enriching and ultimately uplifting. Still adds an important voice to this tragic and too-often silenced subject."— Beth Powning, author of Shadow Child

“ Still will help you understand, evolve your empathy, and give you a glimpse of what it truly means to have lived.”
—Mira Ptacin, author of Poor Your Soul and The In-Betweens

“The world needs Emma Hansen’s beautiful memoir. Still creates a window into the heartbreaking experience of letting go of a precious child, and gives permission to integrate him with love into the fabric of a family.”
—Anna Whiston-Donaldson, author of Rare Bird

“ Still is an exceptionally authentic story of love and loss. As a grief therapist, I am grateful to have this resource."
—Patrick O’Malley, PhD, author of Getting Grief Right

“Raw, powerful, and poetic.”
—Amelia Kathryn Barnes, author of Landon’s Legacy

" This poignant love story gifts readers with insight intro grief and loss that have had the courage to examine so authentically. Emma Hansen writes from the heart and gently holds the hand of her reader as she navigates living after loss while loving always.”
— Dr. Katherine Kortes-Miller, author of Talking about Death Won't Kill You

Editorial Reviews

02/24/2020

Hansen debuts with the moving story of the loss of her first child, Reid, who was stillborn still at 40 weeks due to an undetected knot in his umbilical cord. Hansen writes of waking up on the morning before her due date in 2015 and sensing no motion from her usually active baby. She went to the hospital, where the doctor confirmed with an ultrasound that there was no movement, saying, “I’m so sorry but your baby is dead.” Just over a week later, she created a blog for sharing her experience, which went viral. She educated herself (she learned that than two and half million women experience stillbirths annually), immersed herself in yoga teacher training courses, and waited nearly a year until her doctor allowed her to try to conceive again. She writes that “healing after losing a child isn’t a linear progression,” and less than two years after the stillbirth gives birth to a boy. This ultimately uplifting memoir will resonate with readers long after the last page is turned. (Apr.)Correction: The author's last name was misspelled in an earlier version of this review.

Publishers Weekly

This ultimately uplifting memoir will resonate with readers long after the last page is turned.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Vulnerable and powerful... Still is a story that strengthens our bonds as humans.”
—Christy Turlington Burns, founder, Every Mother Counts

"One of those rare books that catches you up and does not let you go. Both enriching and ultimately uplifting. Still adds an important voice to this tragic and too-often silenced subject."—Beth Powning, author of Shadow Child

“Still will help you understand, evolve your empathy, and give you a glimpse of what it truly means to have lived.”
—Mira Ptacin, author of Poor Your Soul and The In-Betweens

“The world needs Emma Hansen’s beautiful memoir. Still creates a window into the heartbreaking experience of letting go of a precious child, and gives permission to integrate him with love into the fabric of a family.”
—Anna Whiston-Donaldson, author of Rare Bird

“Still is an exceptionally authentic story of love and loss. As a grief therapist, I am grateful to have this resource."
—Patrick O’Malley, PhD, author ofGetting Grief Right

“Raw, powerful, and poetic.”
—Amelia Kathryn Barnes, author ofLandon’s Legacy

"This poignant love story gifts readers with insight intro grief and loss that have had the courage to examine so authentically. Emma Hansen writes from the heart and gently holds the hand of her reader as she navigates living after loss while loving always.”
—Dr. Katherine Kortes-Miller, author of Talking about Death Won't Kill You

From the Publisher