cover image FOLLOWING FOO (The Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man)

FOLLOWING FOO (The Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man)

B. D. Wong, . . Harper Entertainment, $24.95 (400pp) ISBN 978-0-06-052953-6

In this charismatic parenting memoir, Tony Award–winning actor Wong details the days following the premature birth of his biological twin boys via surrogate mother. Based on e-mail messages Wong sent to family and friends, the book recounts Wong's and his partner's remarkable highs and lows on the road to parenthood. When surrogate mother Shauna goes into labor two months early in California, Wong, on location on the West Coast, rushes with her to the hospital. In the following hours, Wong becomes a father, but loses one son, a victim of "twin to twin transfusion syndrome," a serious condition not uncommon in identical twin pregnancies. Facing the death of Boaz and the delicate survival of Jackson Foo is not easy. Dealing with bereavement and jubilation at once, Wong says farewell to Boaz and devotes the next three months to Foo's survival in the ICU, where he encounters a challenging roller-coaster ride of experiences and emotions. Foo (born at two pounds, 14 ounces) is a fighter, and with the love of his dads and a strong supporting cast, readers follow his progress to eventual triumph. Written with humor and wit, Wong's memoir often compares his real-life experiences to TV or movies; he writes of medical personnel with compassion and includes e-mail from friends and family in the narration of his tiny hero's journey. Wong's is a story of fatherhood, struggle and the rejuvenating power of love that will undoubtedly garner a standing ovation from parents, particularly those who have met with close calls of their own. (June)

Forecast:Wong's celebrity status is sure to help move this book of an alternative family—and the lively, hip cover will likely make the book jump out from other parenting titles.