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Carey, Beth, and Pam had succeeded at work but failed at romance, and each resolved to have a baby before time ran out. Just one problem: no men. Carey took the first bold step towards single motherhood, searching anonymous donor banks until she found the perfect match.
What she found was not a father in a vial, but a sort of magic potion. She met a man, fell in love, and got pregnant the old-fashioned way. She passed the vials to Beth, and it happened again. Beth met man, Beth got pregnant. Beth passed the vials to Pam, and the magic struck again. There were setbacks and disappointments, but three women became three families, reveling in the shared joy of love, friendship, and never losing hope.
A "Tome of the Brave"
—The Oprah Magazine, June 2010 selection
"An 'incredible tale' and 'Oprah-esque yarn"
—The Toronto Star
"...an incredibly wise, witty and powerful memoir...[The authors] forged an incredible sisterhood that speaks to the importance of friendship in women's lives and shows how empowering friends can be."
—Irene Levine, The Huffington Post (added by author)
"This true story is a love story--but not a typical one....[The] book's message is pretty good: when you decide to pursue your dreams, good things will find a way of happening."
—Woman's Day(added by author)
"The book is a riveting account of their journey to motherhood, which takes some unexpected twists and turns..."
—Ladies Home Journal(added by author)
"As a Moscow correspondent for the L.A. Times and a reporter for the New York Times, Goldberg's life was driven by career deadlines. Yet, like her friends Jones, a recently divorced writer, and Ferdinand, a single reporter for the Washington Post, Goldberg longed for a child. Having just ended a relationship, Goldberg decided to order eight vials of sperm from California Cryobank, a deceptively hopeful maneuver that pushed all three down the path toward motherhood. That they actually make it, and find long-term relationships along the way, makes for a happy journey, but the power of this three-pronged narrative is the trio's candor regarding the compromises and complications that arise in the process of becoming mothers. Ironically, the anonymous vials of sperm never fulfill their intended purpose, but instead become a symbol of empowerment, giving each woman the green light to let go of bad relationships, find fulfilling new connections, and determine their own destinies. This personal, carefully recounted tale will resonate with any career woman wondering if it's too late to have it all.”
—Publishers Weekly starred Web exclusive review, May 2010
"Reading Three Wishes is like being let into the juiciest of confidences. I dare you not to root for these tough and gentle women."
—Jill Eisenstadt, author of From Rockaway and Kiss Out
"Three Wishes is a true-life sisterhood tale of friendship, love, amazing luck, and sperm. I was drawn into each woman's life, and their quest for love and motherhood, although not necessarily in that order. A must-read for the 21st century woman on the same journey."
—Alice Domar, PhD, author of Be Happy without Being Perfect and Conquering Infertility
"Three Wishes is a page-turner--full of twists and turns, great and small--that proves life is still a mystery and nothing, if we want it badly enough, is impossible."
—Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry and Piece of Work
"Riveting, seriously riveting!...It's so triumphant, too, in the best possible way."
—Julia Sweeney, author of God Said, Ha!
"This braided story--of longing, persistence, plans gone awry, the gifts of good luck--is at its center about love in its many forms. With its magic numbers and precious vials, it might be a fairy tale, were it not, in its details, so bracingly, bravely contemporary and real."
—Elizabeth Graver, author of The Honey Thief and Awake
"like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for adults. Lots of women out there will want to read this book."
—Library Journal Barbara Hoffert
"a fascinating collaborative memoir"
—Publishers Weekly Gwenda Bond
"Three Wishes is a memoir-times-three about what happens when co-author Carey Goldberg decides to go to a sperm bank. The eight vials she purchases turn out to have an unexpected effect: As each woman consider using the vials, she falls in love and becomes pregnant without an assist from science. Goldberg, Beth Jones and Pamela Ferdinand take turns sharing their stories, which are not without heartbreak, but happiness and hope ultimately prevail in this surprising tribute to friendship and motherhood, despite the odds."
—Bookpage Linda M. Castellitto
About the Authors
Carey Goldberg has been Boston bureau chief of the New York Times, Moscow correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, and most recently a health-and-science reporter at the Boston Globe. She now writes happily at home.
Beth Jones is a freelance writer and educator who has contributed to the Boston Globe, New York Times, and numerous academic journals. She plans to climb many more frozen waterfalls.
Pamela Ferdinand is an award-winning freelance journalist and former reporter for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, and Miami Herald. She remains an incorrigible romantic. Carey and Beth live near Boston with their families; Pamela and her family live outside Chicago. Still close, they continue to believe that with good friends, love, and a little luck, almost anything is possible.
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Three Wishes