Review of “The Destination Birth” by Alexander Bisset

Score: 92+/100 (9.2+ out of 10)

Books are constantly reminding us that many of the most exciting and compelling stories aren't planned or scripted, they just happen. They're unexpected. They're spontaneous. They're raw and they're real.

And that's one of the things we really loved and appreciated about this memoir!

The Destination Birth by Alexander Bisset is the heartwarming, beautiful, and—at times—tense story about the unexpected, surprise birth of a baby to a couple out in the middle of nowhere!

This book follows Alex and his wife, Lauren, who lived in New York City, NY at the start of the events of this book (around 2020 during the pandemic). The couple was aware that Lauren was pregnant, however, they felt that they still had quite a ways to go before the expectancy date. With this in mind, they thought that going to a best friend's wedding in Montana would be no big deal for the yet-to-be-born. Even doctors said it would be fine. Boy, were they wrong!

As fate would have it (and as numerous other memoirs have shown us), life, God, and/or the universe tend to have plans of their own. They don't operate on anyone's schedule but their own. There's an awesome line from “Reality Check” by Mike Sorrentino that goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” God works on his own time and does his own thing.

With that in mind, Alex and Lauren were stunned to learn that Lauren's water had broken in the middle of the trip, turning this “destination wedding” into what the author calls an “unexpected adventure”--an “accidental destination birth.”

There's a real beauty and poetry to this book. For one, it's relentlessly positive and uplifting despite the tense, scary, and anxiety-filled things the couple and their newborn go through. We greatly appreciated that.

There are also a few running themes in this book:

- That the universe works in mysterious, uncontrollable, and exciting ways
- That we're along for the ride
- That things are often more chaotic, unpredictable, spontaneous, and serendipitous than we usually like to think, the key is keeping your cool, keeping your faith, and doing your best no matter what life throws at you
- That life is sacred. It's a blessing, a gift, and a privilege to have it, to hold it, and to give it (as in a birth and/or conception). Never take that for granted.

For those reasons, this book really resonated with us on a deep and profound level that circumvented some of the weaker aspects of the book (like the paragraphs and formatting). It is a really heartfelt, passionate, and inspired book. You really feel like you're along for the ride as this couple frantically seeks to find what they need to ensure the lives of the mother and baby are adequately cared for. The stakes are high, yet there's an aura of hope and excitement in the air as well!

Part of that is just that this book is so funny and the author employs humor so well. There's one scene in which the author/husband says: “Since I am not a food source, I would soon take on a number of other roles, including sherpa/carrier of heavy things, lead blocker for the stroller, and anything necessary to help keep my wife and baby comfortable.” Not only is that funny and charming as heck, but it really demonstrates how great of a human being this dad is. We're already on his side from the get-go! He'll do anything for those he loves even considering his physical limits.

Speaking of which, he also refers to himself as a “cheetah...maybe not a normal cheetah, but a super thicc one that is not particularly coordinated and has dangerously inflexible hamstrings.” The self-deprecating, brutally-honest humor in that line had us rolling with laughter!

And for anyone with a standard mom/dad-bod and/or who has experienced being on the older side, this will really resonate with you.

It's also difficult not to feel for and relate to the mom, Lauren, as well. For example, she lost the precious and unrepeatable ability to have skin-to-skin contact with her baby due to the unusual circumstances of Everly's birth (due to the baby's position in the uterus and the uterus's shape being comparable to a heart).

It's also interesting that they are pretty much the only patients in the entire healthcare facility, giving them a lot of attention and care. That might sound like a good thing, but it also highlights how rare and unexpected this birth was in the area. In fact, the facility 30 minutes away from the initial water breaking was said to be inadequate for a birth, so they had to go to another one. This was compounded by numerous issues that add to the tension and intrigue of this book.

There are also some example of good writing in this book that we wanted briefly mention. As we said before, the book's humor is excellent. The tone is positive. There are also uses of alliteration like with the line “chunky cherub.”

One of our favorite parts of the book was actually when Alex was called “dad” for the first time. He didn't know how to respond and looked around for his own dad. He'd never been called that before and it hadn't occurred to him until that point that he was officially a dad. There's a real power and magic to that moment.

Lastly, we greatly appreciated and enjoyed the portrayal of healthcare and healthcare workers in this book. We are either healthcare workers (or former healthcare workers) ourselves or have family who are. We appreciated that the author really showed a lot of love and appreciation for the sacrifices that these folks make to protect, help, and save lives.

Check it out on Amazon!