I Cannot Control Everything Forever

A Memoir of Motherhood, Science, and Art

De: Emily C. Bloom

Narrado por: Emily C. Bloom

This is Emily Bloom’s journey towards and through motherhood, a path that has become, for the average woman, laden with data and medical technology. Emily faces decisions regarding genetic testing and diagnosis, technologies that offer the illusion of certainty but carry the weight of hard decisions. Her desire to know more thrusts her back into the history of science, as she traces the discoveries that impacted the modern state of pregnancy and motherhood. With the birth of their daughter, who is diagnosed with congenital deafness and later, Type 1 diabetes, Emily and her husband find their life centered around medical data, devices, and doctor’s visits, but also made richer and fuller by parenting an exceptional child.

As Emily learns, technology and data do not reduce the labor of caretaking. These things often fall, as the pandemic starkly revealed, on mothers. Trying to find a way out of the loneliness and individualism of 21st century parenthood, Emily finds joy in reaching outwards, towards art and literature–such as the maternal messiness of Louise Bourgeois or Greek myths about the power of fate—as well as the collective sustenance of friends and community. With lyrical and enchanting prose, I Cannot Control Everything Forever is an inspired meditation on art, science, and motherhood.

©2024 Emily C. Bloom (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

Beautifully written

4.5⭐️This was a very pleasant surprise of an audiobook for me. I’m actually not sure how I came across this, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will probably be purchasing a hard copy to annotate.

Bloom not only presents some very educational and interesting medical information but she writes her experiences with such beautiful prose that for the first time, I found myself bookmarking clips of an audiobook.

This a very personal and inside look at dealing with hereditary illnesses and disabilities. What I think I enjoyed most of Bloom’s story was how every time some other medical issue/hurdle came up, she extensively researched the issue, her options and even differing opinions. Even though she had obviously already made decisions on what was right for her and her family, Bloom presents the information from many view points giving varying opinions. I found that listening to this on audiobook was excellent. Listening to the author retell her experience was very powerful, an impact I think would have been missed reading the physical copy. I highly recommend!

A lovely mix of science and memoir - even for a non-parent

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book as a woman who isn’t a mother - it’s a lovely exploration of science and the difficulty of life choices without a clear “right” answer. I appreciate the raw, vulnerable honesty of making tough choices that have long lasting implications, and the ways those decisions can weigh heavily while also opening up beautiful possibilities.