{"product_id":"instead-navigating-the-adventures-of-a-childfree-life-a-memoir-9781771606400","title":"Instead: Navigating the Adventures of a Childfree Life - A Memoir","description":"\u003cb\u003eA compelling memoir about opting for adventure instead of motherhood, and the lifelong outcomes of that choice.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eInstead\u003c\/i\u003e captures Maria Coffey's adventurous life through her biggest decisions along the way, including the decision not to have children. It's a vivid travelogue, a love story, and a personal commentary on the risks and rewards of choosing unconventional paths.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter two traumatic experiences during her twenties - a near-drowning in Morocco and her boyfriend's death on Mount Everest - Maria determines to seize every day and explore the world. Mixed with her desire for freedom is a new fear of loss, which convinces her against parenthood. She falls in love with Dag, who shares her dreams, and they begin creating a life of adventure. There is one snag: he wants children and thinks they could include them in their wild exploits.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eInstead\u003c\/i\u003e follows Maria's trajectory as she shares her guilt-ridden relationship with her Irish Catholic mother; her baby debates with Dag in unlikely situations, like kayaking through a storm; the doubts that rear up in remote cultures where her childfree choice is unfathomable; and how children eventually - and surprisingly - come into her life.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn adventure story with a unique twist, \u003ci\u003eInstead\u003c\/i\u003e tackles the universal themes of choice and consequence, agency versus fate. It is a must read for anyone curious about stepping off the beaten track, and a testament to the power of being open to the unexpected.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Rocky Mountain Books Incorporated","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50611048939794,"sku":"9781771606400","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_f6f934f2-91c4-4225-8d62-12e36680e48e.jpg?v=1732355751","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/instead-navigating-the-adventures-of-a-childfree-life-a-memoir-9781771606400","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}