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An achingly poignant, speculative look at Motherhood, perhaps the ultimate in narcissism, or could it be the exact opposite – a no-holds-barred absorption of identity, choice, and being, into the single-minded pursuit of the well-being and nurturance of another.

With mounting insight, the author examines the choices we make as mothers, – steeped in inequality and entirely shaped by culture and economics – from those serving the basest needs for survival and necessity, to the vastness of the playing-field representing the freedom, luxury, and convenience of the rich and powerful.

Seen mainly through the lenses of two major protagonists, the story unfolds as we meet:

• Jane, a Filipino woman willing to do whatever it takes as a nanny, cleaner, or baby-nurse, in an effort to provide a better life for her child in America
• and Mae, a corporately-successful New York business-leader, who caters to the gestational whims of wealthy (for enormous profit).

As Jane’s world narrows with terrifying intensity, the hard choices she wrestles with continually backfiring and constraining her, the reader cannot help but wonder –

Just how far, ethically, is too far to go in our quest to better the world of our progeny?

Is time with your child, traded in and never to be regained, suitable barter towards a better life?

Just how much “missing out” now, can be compensated for, later?

Somewhat reminiscent of the best of Margaret Atwood, and at it’s core a somewhat-horrifying story, populated with authentic and complex characters, this tale is riddled with interesting and emotionally challenging insights, which in today’s world take it perhaps only one-small-step into the world of speculative fiction.

A wonderful choice for this reader’s local library bookclub, this unmissable book sparked much discussion, and is definitely one to be savored (and shared).