At twenty-seven, Ophelia was working full-time & pursuing her doctorate when she found she was pregnant, despite using two forms of birth control religiously. She was dismayed to find pregnancy books assumed either she planned this baby & was thrilled to be pregnant, or she was fifteen & had gotten knocked up in the backseat of a Chevy. Nowhere could she find a book geared towards women like herself- successful, independent adults, facing a surprise pregnancy in their later twenties or thirties. Surprise Motherhood is aimed directly at that gap. It tells the real stories, of Ophelia & of other women, who have faced pregnancy at a time when they least expected it & society expected them to be thrilled. In a direct, clear, & often humorous voice, she takes you on a journey from shock to acceptance.