Imogen in Waiting by Lindsay Bartels (Signed Copy)

“Imogen, I need to tell this story so that I can imagine you in my shoes—these shoes that are now on my feet. I don’t really want to look at them, but I have them, which means that you just might, too.”

When twenty-six-year-old Lindsay Bartels is diagnosed with breast cancer, she also learns she is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene. To not pass on the cancer-causing gene, Lindsay and her husband undergo IVF, only to find themselves with three viable embryos: two healthy males and one female—with BRCA1.

Imogen in Waiting is the story of a mother grappling with an impossible decision—whether or not to bring a daughter just like her into being—while also asking some of life’s biggest questions: What makes for a life worth living? How do we live with our decisions? How do we navigate the unknown? Told to her female embryo, Imogen, Lindsay’s story is both human and God-like, about both agency and surrender, capacity and limitations—and how life is always happening in the middle of it all.

About the Author

A native Texan turned Coloradan then Californian—and now Sydney-sider, Lindsay Bartels always pursues bringing the personal into her art. She has a BFA in Filmmaking, graduating with honors for her autobiographical documentary, and an MFA in Interior Architecture, focusing on sustainable design practices. When her firstborn was a year old, she created a workbook for new parents called YOUR BABY MANUAL. Lindsay lives on the Northern Beaches with her husband, their children, and two dogs; delighted to be among such an inclusive and celebrated writing community. IMOGEN IN WAITING: A Memoir of Modern Reproduction (and a Zibby’s Most Anticipated Book for Summer 2026) is her debut.