MacDonald writes with honesty, heartbreak, and the truth of a time in the 60's when getting pregnant gave you no choice but to be send away and give the baby up for adoption. The reality of the impact of delivery and pain of loss that shapes your life from that moment forward. As much as you want to put on a happy face and move forward MacDonald's story is one in which she has struggled with decisions made for her. Surrender is a look back to how family and shape you or lead to patterns of making the same errors. I feel we all want to belong and be loved and in reading this story it made me relate to women who have tried to reach perfection only to realize that mistakes happen and we must forgive ourselves. I've read other stories by this author and her writing into human emotion is spot on. The cover of the book is beautiful and gives you hope and she seems to walk forward and away from the past.