Second Life

A thought-provoking, moving and wryly funny memoir about the author's experience of having a baby with a rare genetic disorder - and how this feels in the age of the internet

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At Amanda Hess's seven-month scan, the doctor analysing the ultrasound saw something he 'didn't like' - a potentially serious abnormality in her baby. Telling the moving story of this moment and everything that happened afterwards, Amanda Hess explores how it feels to become a parent in a culture in which everything is mediated by the internet and technology, in which the click of a mouse can conjure infinite information at any time - along with infinite opinions, suggestions and judgements.

Exploring the outer reaches of different approaches to parenthood - from genetic testing and the pursuit of 'a normal baby' to freebirthers' refusal of any medical care or intervention into pregnancy - she explores compelling questions about how technology is changing culture, our relationships and our most fundamental human experiences. At the heart of the book is her own deeply emotional story - told in brilliantly stylish prose, alive with sharp insight and wry humour.