The Mother of All Decisions Audiobook By Betsy Armstrong cover art

The Mother of All Decisions

A Memoir of Mother Loss, Legacy, and Adopting Kids in Midlife

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The Mother of All Decisions

By: Betsy Armstrong
Narrated by: Betsy Armstrong
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About this listen

What is legacy, and how will I leave one?

Betsy Armstrong asks herself this question after her forty-six-year-old mother dies with a list of regrets and her stepfather completely disinherits her. Alone, Betsy sets about building a life of no regrets: becoming a marathon runner and Ironman triathlete, quitting a cushy corporate job to lead a life of service, and overcoming a crippling fear of commitment to marry. Still, she’s always running from the grief she can’t escape. As Betsy’s forty-seventh birthday approaches, she finally confronts her losses and begins reflecting on the one thing she’d never considered: children.

Inspired by a friend’s adoption, Betsy and her husband, Doug, choose that path but face daunting obstacles—a failed adoption, a Russian courtroom drama, and a medical crisis in a tiny Russian town seven time zones away from Moscow. As the outcome of the adoption waxes and wanes, Betsy is forced to make the biggest decision of her life: How far will she go to become a mother?

©2025 Betsy Armstrong (P)2025 SheWrites Press Adoption & Fostering Dysfunctional Families Grief & Loss Parenting & Families Personal Development Relationships Adoption
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Every riveting chapter evoked gasping, weeping and/or clutching my chest with heartwarming relief. Betsy’s triumphant journey, not without what seemed to be hurdles of impossibility, is incredibly, bold, vulnerable and inspiring.

You’ll emote out loud with every chapter!

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