A lawyer with a well-stamped passport and a passion for human
rights, Lisa-Jo Baker never wanted to be a mom. And then she had
kids. Having lost her own mother to cancer as a teenager, Lisa-Jo
felt lost on her journey to womanhood and wholly unprepared to
raise children.
Surprised by Motherhood is Lisa-Jo’s story of becoming and
being a mom, and in the process, discovering that all the “what to
expect” and “how to” books in the world can never truly prepare you
for the sheer exhilaration, joy, and terrifying love that
accompanies motherhood.
Set partly in South Africa and partly in the US (with a slight
detour to Ukraine along the way), Surprised by Motherhood is
a poignant memoir of one woman’s dawning realization that being a
mom isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being present.