A heartbreaking and moving memoir of a young mother and her premature twin sons – an unforgettable story of love and loss.

Ingrid Laguna never did things the easy way – she spent much of her young adulthood rebelling against conformism, playing in a mostly girl band and travelling around Australia, before marrying Ben and going to live in Alice Springs.

Pregnancy didn’t come easily either but, through IVF, she finally fell pregnant. And when she went into premature labour at 23 weeks and her twin sons were born – each weighing about the same as a pat of butter and small enough to fit into the palm of her hand – she had to call on all her reserves of strength and stubbornness to see the journey through and be the mother that her sons needed.

Serenade for a Small Family is an earthy, honest and heartbreaking memoir about what it means to love; and about the terrible powerlessness and torment involved when there is fear of losing a child. Yet despite the pain and anguish, Ingrid’s memoir is at its heart about how we can experience unimaginable difficulty – and still somehow find the spirit to come through blazing with love and optimism and even a kind of joy.

With around 8 % of all babies in Australia each year born premature, and many relying on IVF treatment in order to conceive, there are countless families who will find Ingrid’s story inspiring, helpful and moving.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a percussionist, singer and songwriter, Ingrid Laguna has toured Europe, Asia and Australia, recorded several albums, and taken percussion and songwriting workshops. With performance group Ruby Fruit Jungle, she supported Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, playing at Australia’s biggest entertainment venues. In the Australian film industry, Ingrid worked as a crewmember on numerous television commercials, a telemovie and a short film. While in Central Australia, she directed the NT Youth Film Festival and was integral to the Kunka Career Conference for Aboriginal Women, the Indigenous Music Awards and music programs for Aboriginal youths. She is currently studying Media and Communications at Swinburne University in Melbourne. This is her first book.

http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=311&author=853
http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=94&book=9781742372457