Mexican author Guadalupe Nettel’s Still Born follows two friends - both in their mid-thirties, both intensely involved in their careers, both, apparently, united in their decision not to have children.
So convinced is Laura of her decision she becomes sterilised but Alina has changed her mind and is finding it difficult to conceive. Alina and her partner resort to IVF, Laura sharing in their happiness at first grudgingly then with more sincerity until Alina and Aurelio are told that the daughter they have come to love will be born so disabled she’s unlikely to live. Meanwhile, Laura has become increasingly disturbed by her neighbour’s son’s outbursts of abuse aimed at his mother. As Laura tries to help she finds herself drawn to this boy who responds to her so trustingly.
In a cool, detached voice, Laura narrates Nettel’s exploration of the expectations placed upon women by a society in which motherhood is taken as the norm and women are frequently abused. Alina’s experience is a poignant and difficult one as she eventually comes to terms with the loss of a dream while Laura finds there are ways to mother other than the conventional route taken by many of her friends. Hard to sum up my feelings about this one. The ideas discussed certainly interested me enough to happily recommend Nettel’s novel to those attracted by its themes but I had expected to become more emotionally involved with the characters’ dilemmas then I did.

With a feel similar to Elena Ferrante's The Story of the Lost Child, Still Born focuses on two friends and their decision on whether to have children or not. Most of the story is told through the eyes of Laura, who has taken the drastic decision to be sterilised, whereas Alina marries and gets pregnant. What then unfolds is the lives of the women and the consequence of their decisions.

This was a short novel, and I finished it in a couple of days which added to the feeling that I was reading a best friend's diary, or inner most thoughts. I really enjoyed the raw honesty of the women's emotions and actions. The themes of motherhood and regret remain very much taboo, and so I was glad to see the main characters weren't judged in any way, and were rounded, likeable characters.

I loved the beautiful writing and would definitely recommend to fans of Ferrante.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fitzcarraldo Editions for the advanced copy of this book.

Content warning: Problems in pregnancy and birth which may cause upset.

One of the most delicate and thought-provoking takes on the theme of motherhood, Nettel's novel exceeded my expectations.

This is a book which explores maternity and motherhood along a whole spectrum, from the woman who doesn't want motherhood but who still finds herself drawn to the child of a troubled neighbour, to the woman who changes her mind and gets pregnant only to be faced with far more than she ever imagined. It's one of the most nuanced treatments I've read of what has become an increasingly contentious topic and Nettel avoids simplistic positions for a variety of grey areas - and it's this nuance and the avoidance of uncomplicated attitudes and stances that made this such involving reading.

The voice of Laura, the narrator, is one with which I instantly bonded - the writing is clear and unflashy but also intimate and quietly enthralling. A wonderfully fluent translation too by Rosalind Harvey - just a shame that there was less of a sense of Mexico City than I expected: this book could have been transported to London, say, without having to change a thing.

Even before finishing this I was checking out Nettel's back catalogue: this may be hard reading at times but I found it utterly gripping.

This book turned out to be very different to what I expected. A fabulous read that explores differing views to motherhood and the childless person is likeable! Hoorah! (Well the tarot bit was a bit iffy but I forgave that) Very interesting takes on whether you should have children because a partner wants one, your biological clock is ticking, it's something you should do because you are female. Childless women often get either abuse (your selfish, uncaring, a child hater) levelled at them or pity (oh poor you, you haven't been able to fulfil your womanly needs) both of which are utter garbage. Both Laura and Alina were great characters. I enjoyed Laura's connection with Nicholas. The blunt talking of the medical profession was particularly refreshing. So often in books it is couched in ultra soft almost kiddie language. Alina's dilemma was very real and harsh consequences were not glossed over. An excellent , thought provoking read that reached to the heart without being mawkish or making you reach for the sick bucket. The writing was intelligent and treated the reader as if they were too.

Also- superb, brilliant, excellent cover. Please, please, do not change it. I can just imagine the sort of "Hallmark" cover some would come up with. Treat the book with the dignity and intelligence it deserves

Did not translate very well at all. Not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps, stop/starts which really ruined the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me.