meg elison the book of the unnamed midwife

Neither the title nor the cover suggests a post-apocalyptic world to me.

The book’s cover, a bleak scene of a snowy road in the Rocky Mountains, didn’t grab my attention, either. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife makes me think historical fiction set in the 1800’s.

But as the world continues to grapple with its terrible circumstances, she’ll discover a role greater than chasing a pale imitation of independence.Īfter all, if humanity is to be reborn, someone must be its guide.ĭiscussion: The book’s regrettable, clunky title is one of the reasons that I wasn’t enthusiastic about reading it. To preserve her freedom, she dons men’s clothing, goes by false names, and avoids as many people as possible. Even fewer are safe from the clans of men, who, driven by fear, seek to control those remaining. All that remains is power-and the strong who possess it.Ī few women like her survived, though they are scarce. 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. When she fell asleep, the world was doomed.

I hoped that the library wouldn’t have them so I’d have a good reason to say no, but my local library system is fantastic. I had never heard of Meg Elison before, so I was wary of having to read two of her books. I really did not want to read this book because I disliked both of the books I reviewed for last year’s Philip K. Why I Chose It: I read this book because its sequel, The Book of Etta, is nominated for the 2018 Philip K.

Meg elison the book of the unnamed midwife