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| The Book of the Unnamed Midwife (The Road to Nowhere #1) by Meg Elison |
When she fell asleep, the world was doomed. When she awoke, it was dead.
Goodreads Summary: In the wake of a fever that decimated the earth’s population—killing women and children and making childbirth deadly for the mother and infant—the midwife must pick her way through the bones of the world she once knew to find her place in this dangerous new one. Gone are the pillars of civilization. All that remains is power—and the strong who possess it. A few women like her survived, though they are scarce. Even fewer are safe from the clans of men, who, driven by fear, seek to control those remaining. To preserve her freedom, she dons men’s clothing, goes by false names, and avoids as many people as possible. But as the world continues to grapple with its terrible circumstances, she’ll discover a role greater than chasing a pale imitation of independence. After all, if humanity is to be reborn, someone must be its guide.
My Review:
First published in 2014, this debut novel has been on my radar for years, but as reading lists go...I just hadn't gotten to it yet. I decided to circle back and check it out after becoming a bit jilted regarding the current deluge of (unfortunately mostly subpar) feminist dystopian fiction. This story inspired me to move up several other feminist dystopian backlist releases that have gotten pushed back on my reading list.
After a worldwide plague wipes out almost all women and babies, the unnamed protagonist of this story disguises herself as a man and ventures out in search of women to save or help. As a labor and delivery nurse she is knowledgable about women's health and she is equipped with birth control and medicine to help the women she can't save. (As a logical mind can imagine almost all of the remaining women are being used as sex slaves). The unnamed midwife keeps a journal of her experiences and her memories which serve as insight into her humanity and sexuality. It was fascinating to imagine a fierce woman determined to not only survive in this new world but to help fellow women in any way she can, no matter the danger. As a Philip K. Dick Award Winner for Distinguished Science Fiction, this novel is a true feminist dystopian masterpiece and I highly recommend it.
2 comments
This one sounds quite good. We have had a deluge of this type of story, and no surprise, I say. Still, like anything else, some are better than others. I had not even heard of this one, so thanks!
This is the first in a series with the second one already released and the third will be releasing April 2019.
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