Baby Dust by Deanna Roy - Review and Giveaway

Since you are all going to scroll down anyway I'll just announce the winner first!  First to let you know how I picked.  I found a website where you put names in a virtual hat and they assign the names.  So, I put everyone's names in the hat, as well as my own, and it assigned the name to me.  That's the person who won the giveaway.  drum roll...  Sarita Boyette!  Please email me your address so I can snail mail you the book.  lilyorange2@yahoo.ca

I was super eager to read this book.  I remember when I lost my son Blaine going to the local library and trying to find anything I could.  They had a total of four books on miscarriage or pregnancy loss.  They were all either medical books or really old.  None of them dealt with the emotions or changes I would go through as I lived through the loss of my child.  "Baby Dust" is a fictional account of 5 woman and their loss.  I say fictional because it is a novel however, it is a unique novel in that Deanna has taken real life stories and compiled them to make these characters.  Whether fictional or not, so much of it rang true for me.  I could see myself in each of the characters but the one I feel I related to the most was Melinda.  The guilt she felt, the hallucinations, the attempts to "look normal," her hesitation to join the group of women and talk about her loss, I remember all of that. 
I really enjoyed the book and as I said there was a little of each story that I could relate to and see myself and my son in.  My only critisizm would be that each story ends with a sense of hope.  The entire book is such a realistic representation of women and loss and yet I felt this was unrealistic.  Yes, it's a novel and obviously a mother reading this, especially one who may be early in her grief, wants to believe that life will get better and easier.  However, we all know that for some that isn't true.  Life only gets harder and sometimes there is no hope.  I would have liked to have seen one of the stories end in that way.  That is just my opinion though.  I would definitely recommend everyone read this book.  It is also a great gift to give someone you may know who is dealing with a new loss or struggling to find resources. 
I want to thank Deanna for allowing us to review the book and for graciously donating a copy of it for giveaway.  I hope it is a huge success and am really hoping she does a follow up novel! 

"Baby Dust" was dedicated by Deanna "For My (her) Angel Babies... Casey Shay December 1997 to April 1998 gestation, Daniel June 2001 to July 2001 gestation and Emma Hope August 2001 to October 2001 gestation."