Book Review & Interview with Authors: Called to Carry

Called to Carry is a Christian devotional journal that pairs scripture with real stories from surrogates and intended parents. It was written by Crystal Chiang and Katy Encalade of Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions (ED&SS), two women with a personal connection to surrogacy: Crystal is a parent through surrogacy, and Katy is a former gestational surrogate. Across fourteen accounts, contributors describe how their faith drew them to surrogacy or carried them through it, often moving from doubt to trust and forming lifelong friendships along the way. The result is a unique starting point for anyone wondering how faith and surrogacy fit together.

We saw Called to Carry being promoted on Facebook forums and were curious what it was about, so we requested a review copy and had questions for the authors about their book:

Q: What inspired you to write Called to Carry?

Crystal: “In some ways we felt like we knew a secret. Our team had a window into one of the most beautiful and deeply human processes on Earth. Again and again, we saw women helping women and families helping families. I built my own family through surrogacy, and Katy helped another family build theirs. Of course, surrogacy involves financial, medical, and legal considerations. But at its heart, we kept seeing people serve one another in ways they could not serve themselves. It felt like a tangible picture of the Great Commandment (love God and love one another), yet almost no one was talking about it that way.

When I began my own journey, I wondered how my faith fit into surrogacy and what to make of it theologically. Katy has answered faith and surrogacy questions for her friends and neighbors for nearly two decades. After living this personally, we wanted to leave a light on for other women asking those same questions. That desire became the inspiration for this devotional.”

Q: How did you find the surrogates and intended parents whose stories appear in the book?

Crystal: “Over the years, we have heard women share their stories of faith and how it drew them to this process or supported them on the journey to their family. They’re all friends and people we’ve worked with personally. No one was recruited or compensated. Each woman generously shared her story in hopes of helping others.”

Q: How were the stories prepared? Was it all written by you?

Crystal and Katy: “First, we did lots of interviewing and recording. Each story represents hours of questions, storytelling, and circling back. Then, we pulled the key information from each person’s story to share the milestones without including so many details that the reader got lost. In fact, the hardest part of this process was knowing where to cut or abbreviate, because each story was so beautiful.”

Q: What did your editing process look like? Did you shape the stories to follow a common structure?

Crystal and Katy: “So much of this book was inspired by the way surrogacy journeys mirror the Great Commandment found in Matthew 22. Essentially, when asked what the most important commandment is, Jesus responds with one idea and then another: first, love God; then, love your neighbor as yourself. So that’s where we began.

The devotional is divided into two sections. The first half focuses on ‘loving God.’ It wrestles with questions about faith, trust, and what ‘God’s will’ looks like in these uncharted waters, and it encourages the reader to explore what this means for their own relationship with God first. The second half focuses on what it looks like, practically, to ‘love your neighbor’ in surrogacy. It’s not just about carrying a baby for your neighbor. It includes real stories of intended parents and surrogates who advocated for each other, navigated conflict together, and faced unimaginable decisions collaboratively because they cared for each other in the process.”

Q: Who is the book for? At what stage of the journey do you want it to be read?

Crystal and Katy: “This book is for surrogates, intended parents, and professionals who want to explore how their faith intersects with the needs of others and the science that makes surrogacy possible. We hope people read it whenever those questions arise, whether they’re just considering the journey or already in the middle of it.”

Q: How did you choose the scripture passage paired with each story?

Crystal and Katy: “Often, the scripture came up in the interview conversations themselves. And in some cases, even when a particular passage didn’t come up in conversation, it fit the story so beautifully that the pairing felt undeniable.”

Q: What feedback have you received?

Crystal and Katy: “The first and most important feedback was from the women interviewed. We asked each woman to review her story. We wanted her to feel proud of how the work represented her, her family, and ultimately the child’s story. So many of them came back with phrases like ‘happy tears’ or ‘so grateful!’

Many other readers have shared how the book has truly inspired them or helped them put words to why they said yes. There are also people who question the intersection of faith and science, and the book has served as a bridge for quite a few of those readers.”

Q: Who is eligible to receive a copy?

Crystal and Katy: “Anyone is eligible to receive a copy. It can be ordered online through Amazon, or a free copy can be requested on our website. We want this to be a resource and even help create some initial talking points for women of faith considering surrogacy.”

Q: Will you consider sending the book to other agencies to distribute to prospective Christian intended parents and surrogates?

C&K: “We have had other agencies request a copy, and we have sent it their way at no cost. The book is equally available to surrogates and parents who use the services of other agencies. Although Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions made the publishing and distribution possible, the book is not exclusively for ED&SS clients. We truly want it to be a resource for the community at large.”

Legal and Realistic Aspects:

As usual for our reviews, we look at how the book lines up with the realities of a surrogacy journey.

The stories in Called to Carry are not polished success stories. Several contributors describe starting out with doubt that turned into trust through prayer and what they describe as visions from God. Some surrogates described opposition from their own communities and were given hurtful labels, which is an experience many surrogates will recognize. Readers going through something similar will be reassured to know they are not alone. Each story is paired with a cited scripture passage, so readers can compare the authors’ interpretation with the text itself, and each ends with a self-reflection section that invites readers to apply the questions to their own circumstances.

Although this is a faith book rather than a legal one, the authors acknowledge that surrogacy involves financial, medical, and legal considerations. The second half focuses on stories of intended parents and surrogates who navigated conflict and faced difficult decisions together show why values and expectations should be discussed early. A well-drafted gestational surrogacy agreement addresses many of these issues, such as communication, medical decision-making, and how disagreements will be handled, before pregnancy begins. For intended parents and surrogates of faith, those conversations are also a good time to confirm that their beliefs and expectations align. 

The book is a little short at 67 pages, but the stories are more spring boards for ideas. As a devotional, the reader adds their own content by adding their own thoughts in the spots for journaling. For agencies that are considering giving the book to their intended parents or surrogates, be aware that ED&SS is mentioned at least once during the stories and a page at the end

For further reading, check out our interview with Dr. Grace Kao, a progressive Christian theologian and former surrogate, on her defense of surrogacy in My Body, Their Baby: The Ethics of Surrogacy here.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, in a time when the media and politicians are unfairly critiquing surrogacy, Called to Carry could offer some respite for Christian surrogates and intended parents looking for direction on how their faith can align with third party reproduction. Its short stories are honest about the doubts and challenges along the way, and the devotional aspect can serve as a bridge for readers who want to put into words what surrogacy means to their faith, whether they are just considering the journey or are already in the middle of it. The book is available on Amazon, and a free copy can be requested through the EDSS’s website.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with the reader. This review is not an endorsement of any agency. Tsong Law Group is neither affiliated with nor represents Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions, and the views of the writers are their own.