A raw, honest and moving memoir of caring for a baby with a rare and life-threatening illness.
When Vida is born to Mina and husband Freddie, it is love at first sight. She is perfect. But it is also clear from early on that something is not right.
This is the story of how Vida came to be diagnosed with rare blood disorder Diamond Blackfan Anaemia, and how Mina and her family’s lives were transformed by the experience of having a child with such a serious condition. Together, they move with fierce tenacity into a future that Mina never expected, but one that is rich with love, hope and community.
Intensely personal and yet exploring universal truths, Lifeblood is a beautiful and profound memoir of learning to look beyond the normal and cherish the precious present.
‘I couldn’t put this brave and stunningly written book down. Early motherhood is hard enough . . . I will be forever changed from reading this tender and raw account of one family’s fight to thrive.’ Emma Barnett
‘Memoirs of birth and motherhood tend to follow a well-trodden path, of violence followed by calm. But what if the calm never comes? What if each day is more terrifying than the last? A tender, visceral, candid memoir – by turns raging and desperate – about parenting a child with a life-threatening condition, and how to live, and love, alongside of it.’ Pandora Sykes
‘Such a powerful story, so delicately told. Mina Holland captures the shock and horror of a family’s lifebeing shattered in an unimaginable way, and the extraordinary love and hope of parenthood.’ Hadley Freeman
‘A captivating story of love and of what happens when you are faced with your greatest fear. Told with grace and compassion.’ Anna Jones
‘The condition Mina Holland writes about may be extremely rare, but the story is universal. This book is so beautifully and poignantly written, it lifted me, and gave me strength to keep going. This book is important and an essential, life-enforcing read, especially during the difficult times we are all going through now.’ Olia Hercules
‘A beautiful white-knuckle love song of a book.’ Ella Risbridger