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We’re always updating our book list. Got a recommendation or resource? Email us at hello@artfam.org.au, we’d love to hear from you!

We’re always updating our book list. Got a recommendation or resource? Email us at hello@artfam.org.au, we’d love to hear from you!

Books written by ASMBC Members

As an Amazon Associate, ARTFam earn from qualifying purchases.

Inconceivable

Alexandra Collier

Alexandra Collier has been a valued member of ASMBC since 2018. Her powerful memoir, Inconceivable, chronicles her unexpected journey to solo motherhood after leaving behind a seemingly perfect life in a sunlit Brooklyn brownstone. When the desire to have a child overtook her and her partner didn’t share that dream, Alexandra made the bold decision to forge a new path.

Inconceivable is a candid and beautifully written exploration of heartbreak, resilience, and redefining family. ASMBC and its founder Michelle Galea are proudly featured in the book as pivotal supports in Alexandra’s journey, offering community and guidance when she needed it most.

In addition to her writing, Alexandra generously contributes her skills to ASMBC’s advocacy efforts, including helping draft submissions for donor conception law reform and supporting the group’s ongoing mission to improve outcomes for solo mother families.

‘An inspiring and necessary book that challenges the narratives we set for our lives and reveals the beauty beyond them.’

– CLEMENTINE FORD

Donor Conception: A Step-by-Step Guide

Gail Pasoce

Gail Pascoe was a dedicated mother and member of ASMBC from 2019 until her passing in early 2024, just one week before the publication of her invaluable book, Donor Conception: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Drawing from her personal experience using an American sperm donor and the profound discovery that her daughter has over 100 siblings, Gail crafted a comprehensive and compassionate resource for those considering or navigating the donor conception journey. Her book delves into the emotional, ethical, and practical aspects of this path to parenthood, offering clarity and support for others walking a similar road. Gail’s legacy lives on through her words, and her book now stands as a guiding light —

ASMBC is proud to honour Gail’s contribution as this book will assist anyone who is interested in conceiving a child via a donor. All proceeds from the book go toward the care of her daughter.

Solo Mum By Choice

Lorena Otes

An intimate and fiercely honest memoir about one woman’s journey to motherhood – without a partner, but with unwavering determination.
After a string of failed relationships, Lorena Otes stumbles upon the growing community of women choosing to have children on their own. What follows is a deeply personal ride through IVF heartbreaks, medical mayhem, and the navigation of life as a solo parent – told with warmth, grit, and sharp self-awareness.

An intimate and fiercely honest memoir about one woman’s journey to motherhood – without a partner, but with unwavering determination.
After a string of failed relationships, Lorena Otes stumbles upon the growing community of women choosing to have children on their own. What follows is a deeply personal ride through IVF heartbreaks, medical mayhem, and the navigation of life as a solo parent – told with warmth, grit, and sharp self-awareness.

Born and bred on Sydney’s Northern beaches, Lorena Otes is a mother, author, and dance teacher. Her deeply personal memoir, Solo Mum by Choice (Hawkeye Publishing), tells of her journey to and through a unique but exponentially growing version of solo motherhood through the lens of her own experience. It placed runner-up in the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize 2024.

The Beauty of Broken Things

Melissa Sharman

Melissa Sharman is a writer, advocate, and domestic violence specialist whose life is a testament to resilience and transformation. Once trapped in an abusive marriage, Melissa found the courage to break free, later using her voice to help change Queensland’s domestic violence laws by speaking in parliament and presenting a petition signed by nearly 100,000 Australians.

Beyond her advocacy, Melissa has given hope in the most personal way imaginable – helping create twenty-two babies for fourteen families through egg donation and surrogacy. Her work as the founder of Egg Donation Australia and Australians Against Domestic Violence has provided support, education, and community to countless people navigating trauma and infertility.

Melissa’s writing is shaped by lived experience, raw honesty, and unexpected humour. Featured on The Project, The Today Show, ABC Radio National, Australian Women’s Weekly, and international media including Cosmopolitan USA, she continues to speak out for those who feel unseen.

ARTFam & ASMBC Book Picks

Books for Solo Mum Families – Children’s Books.

Our Story: How We Became a Family (Series)

Blueprints: A Sperm Donor Conception Story

ARTFam & ASMBC Book Picks

Books for Solo Mum Families – Adult Books

Books for Children- Inclusive

Books for Mum and Dad families – Children Books

Our Story: How We Became a Family (Series)

Blueprints: A Sperm Donor Conception Story

Books for two mum families – Children Books

Our Story: How We Became a Family (Series)

Books for two dad families – Children Books

Books for Adults

Books by Donor Conceived Adults

Other Parenting Books

DISCLAIMER: We are a fully volunteer-run organisation. If you find any information on this website you believe is incorrect or needs updating, please let us know at hello@artfam.com.au.

Acknowledgement of Country

ARTFam & ASMBC acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work, and build our families. We pay our respects to the Elders past and present, and we honour the strength, knowledge, and enduring connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to family, community, culture and Country.

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