As a woman in my thirties, the topic of motherhood is inevitably top of mind. Guadalupe Nettel’s book Still Born has been the piece of fiction exploring this topic that has resonated most strongly with me. It follows two best friends, Laura and Alina, both career-driven women in their mid-30s in Mexico City. At the start of the book, their friendship is rocked when Alina becomes pregnant and Laura gets her tubes tied. Nettel explores motherhood through Laura and Alina’s dual trajectories, and also through other relationships in each woman’s life. Alina has a particularly challenging pregnancy and Laura finds herself befriending the child of her depressed neighbor while struggling with her connection to her mother.

The many angles through which Nettel examines the experience of motherhood in this 220 page novel and the extreme nuance with which she conducts this examination is truly impressive. I see why Still Born was longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize. While I’m no closer to making my own decision, I flew through Still Born in a day and have frequently thought back to it since.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced release copy.

Great and telling POVs on motherhood in this. I did enjoy how it showed a woman not easily defined or 100% motivated by the concept of having children in the future. The biggest disappointment was the structure of this. I feel like Alina stole the show and Laura often times took up portions of the plot I could of done without.

Thank you to the publishers for an ecopy.
I understand the love for this book, butttttt this one just didn't do it for me. There was so many little things that I was confused as being part of the book????the purpose of them??? Characters I did not understand/understand why they were part of the story???
I loved Alina's story, and could've read 400 pages on just the struggles of being a mother.
The translation I think is also another thing maybe why I didn't fully like this one at the end?
I definitely had lots of feelings and emotions while reading, but I think that was one of the only thing I really liked about this reading experience.

Shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, STILL BORN by Guadalupe Nettel (translated by Rosalind Harvey) is a novel that examines friendship and decisions around motherhood. Although it was widely praised when it was released, I was hesitant to read it, because I was worried that it would be reductive or one-sided. Instead, it’s a multilayered, nuanced, and incisive look at the pressures that women bear – truly well done.

In their thirties, best friends Alina and Laura are living in Mexico City when Alina decides to get her tubes tied, while Laura resolves to bear a child. Meanwhile, Alina gets embroiled in her neighbor’s troubled relationship with her young son, and Laura has to confront a devastating diagnosis in her fetus.

Through quiet glimpses into these women’s lives, the impossible decisions they face, the various griefs that wash over them, and the bonds they forge, Nettel takes the reader through a journey of the many facets of womanhood and motherhood, child bearing and child rearing. Her restrained, crisp prose is so easy to read, and though this isn’t a plot-driven book, it held enough open questions to keep my attention.

I’d recommend this for readers who’d enjoy introspective reflections on these topics; this would also be perfect for a book group discussion - and a great pick for #WomenInTranslation month! Thank you @bloomsburybooksus for the ARC and @netgalley for the eARC.

This was a well crafted and intelligent book gently guiding the reader into delving deep into important subjects like motherhood, friendship and what a family is. The pace was gentle, allowing for time and reflection and felt like a conversation with a good friend. I was a bit disappointed in the ending but really it was a bit life life - it continues. I can see why it's been nominated for a Booker. Read this!

This is a short novel about motherhood and what it is like to not want it, or not want it but change your mind. It is about unconditional love and how absolutely hard that is sometimes. It’s also about finding connections. I thought this was beautiful and exactly the right length for what it is trying to accomplish. I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Gorgeous intertwining showing the complexity of life. I don’t want to be a mother but I felt it easy to empathize with the need to be a mom.

STILL BORN accomplishes a lot in a relatively short and straightforward book.

The prose was deceptively simple, but in a way that lent itself to great intimacy with our two main characters. It felt like a close friend telling you their deepest feelings, but in the plain way of so many women resigned to their inescapable problems. This is in stark contrast to the content of the book, which concerns itself with the terrors of motherhood and features the worst fears of mothers’ and potential mothers’ coming true for these characters (reading this reaffirmed all my fears about the intensity and seriousness of motherhood; good thing I’m not on the brink of it and have plenty of time to think). This contrast between the terribleness of the situation and the ordinary way it’s described is an apt technique to showcase how women have to deal with our problems as a matter of course every day.

This book covered a lot of emotional ground, but it never tried to come to any conclusions. Motherhood is fraught with complicated emotions and Nettel untangled them and poked at them, but most importantly, let them all sit and coexist. These mothers love their children deeply and still wonder if they’d have been better off without them. They do what they can and also have to accept it may not be enough. No judgement is passed, just acknowledgement that this is how it is sometimes.

Ultimately this was an honest and sometimes intense portrait of motherhood, rather than the gentle, sugarcoated stereotype we see in movies. I really appreciated this story, and as I’m not even mother, I hope those who are might also find acceptance in it.

I'd recommend reviewing content warnings for this one:
pregnancy, medical trauma, child death, domestic abuse, alcoholism, infertility, grief

I began this novel months ago and then needed to put it down, both because it was affecting me so deeply and because I wanted to wait for its US publication, and to read the novel with the physical book in hand. What a gorgeous, humane work. Absolutely stunning.

Beautifully written emotionally moving a book of friendship of motherhood .Have been recommending it would make great book for discussion.#netgalley #bloomsbury

I loved this book, it definitely deserved the International Booker Prize shortlist. The format was unique, balancing the protagonist's point of view with her best friend's unfolding story. It was a very tender and real portrayal of motherhood, maternal instincts, showing up for your community, and finding yourself. I would recommend!

I liked the ideas approached in this novel, but I found the translation to be confusing and fragmented at times. This took away from the overall impact of the thematic content. I am giving a generous 3 stars since I did really enjoy the premise and attempt.

I loved this novel for its swerves and surprises and its vivid language. The characters are amazing, and the writing is completely fascinating.

Still Born was such a beautiful story about women and motherhood. Having personal experiences with infertility, I loved the various perspectives presented in the story- and the exploration of the many ways that women can be mothers.

This is the first book I've read by Guadalupe Nettel and after digesting this story and her writing style, I'm in love with it all. I do, however, notice that I'm going back and forth with one detail that she decided to add to the ending of this book that didn't have to be included, for me. I won't be mentioned it here due to spoilers but it left me thinking about so much which maybe that's what the author intended to do. Regardless, it was very interesting to look inward and see why I was feeling that way about that specific moment.

Anyhow, this story talks about motherhood, womanhood, and relationships, in general, we women have with each other. Whether that's friendships, sisters, neighbors, mother-daughter, etc. The way Nettel wrote about all these subjects, especially motherhood was absolutely gorgeous. The conversations between friends, mothers, and daughters were smart and introspective. What does it mean to be a mother? Our human nature and desire to care for our kids or to step in to help and take care of other kids and all the ugliness that comes with it. Post Partum depression, guilt, generational trauma, the judgment of others and to ourselves. The societal pressure some women battle with of having to become a mom at a certain age, especially in traditional homes. Guadalupe even taps into the definitive decision of not wanting kids and what that mean to Laura our main character.

What I love about this short novel was the conversations between Laura and her best friend Alina and the inner dialog Laura keeps having with herself about not wanting to be a mother. It was very interesting.

Thank You to NetGalley for allowing me to read this beautiful piece of literature. I thoroughly enjoy it and highly recommend it.

4.5/5

“Still Born” by Guadalupe Nettle is a beautiful story centering on motherhood, friendship, and community. Nettle deals with aspects of motherhood in such careful and meaningful prose, not sugarcoating the truth of some harder-to-deal-with subjects. We focus primarily on Laura, a woman in her 30s who is childless by choice, but she is surrounded by other women who are dealing with different things in their life related to pregnancy, motherhood, and choice.

- Alina, her best friend, while sharing the same sentiments about children with Laura in her younger years, decides to get pregnant as she has gotten older. This, however, brings complications that no one was expecting.
- Doris, a woman who lives next to Laura in her apartment complex, is dealing with the death of her abusive husband while navigating her son, Nicolas, and his outbursts.

Scattered throughout the book, we encounter other women in Laura’s life, giving her new perspectives on the intricacies of motherhood and caregiving. I related to Laura the most out of all the women we see throughout the book since I also don’t want kids –ever. To some people that might seem unbelievable, but that’s my choice and I love how Laura embraces this decision. This book explores every choice a woman can make in terms of parenthood in a careful and empathetic way, not discounting any woman’s decision and exploring what some more difficult consequences of those decisions might be. Some scenes are difficult to read and may make you uncomfortable, but those moments are surrounded by tender and loving ones as well – a great balance in my opinion. I was able to read the ebook version because of NetGalley, but I'm going to buy the physical copy as soon as I can!

Still Born is about two women in their 30s (Laura and Alina) whose friendship is strengthened by their choice to defy societal expectations and not have children. But then Alina changes her mind and takes great pains to have a child, only for her daughter to be born with special needs. Laura, meanwhile, remains confident in her decision but finds herself drawn to her troublesome neighbours, a single mom and young boy with behavioural problems. The book prods readers to examine motherhood and challenge standards that mothers inevitably face.

I enjoyed this book. There is a gap in contemporary literature for millennials who are entering motherhood and it was refreshing to read about women who I could relate to presently. The translation, i think, was done well and i really connected with the author’s prose. So much so that i highlighted a few passages of the book that struck me. I liked how the author handled sensitive topics with rawness and authenticity. I also liked the direct narration style. I did find the ending - Laura’s specifically - a bit confusing and would have loved for it to be less ambiguous.

Overall i would recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic who’s looking for poignant writing.

I have to say I have been battling on how to rate this book. For about 3/4 of the book it was at a solid 3 stars for me, but the last chapters really got to me.

The story is about Alina and Laura, two Mexican friends who met while studying abroad in Paris, and later find themselves back home and stil nurturing their friendship, despite the different priorities in each of their lives: one wants to have a family, the other one wants nothing to do with it and instead focuses on her career. I felt identified with the both their stories and I thought the author was able to recreate what it’s like to live in Mexico City, and to make friends so easily, even in your 30s. The last part of the book was difficult for me to read because I have an infant daughter, but at the same time it made grateful and gave me hope.

This Gripping novel by Guadalupe Nettel explores one of life’s most consequential decisions – whether or not to have children.

Summary 📖

Still Born is the story of two friends who made opposite choices in life. Alina and Laura are independent and career-driven women in their mid-thirties.

When Alina’s daughter survives childbirth – after a diagnosis that predicted the opposite – and Laura becomes attached to her neighbour’s son, both women are forced to reckon with the complexity of their emotions.

My Thoughts 💭

I loved Nettel’s writing pattern and really hoping to read more books by her. This book certainly gave me a ride of emotional roller coaster but at the end of the day, I could connect with both of their emotions. After all, I know how difficult yet beautiful motherhood can be!

Publication Date - Aug 8, 2023 (English Translation)
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Thank you @bloomsburypublishing for sending me the Advanced Reader Copy.

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for my edition of STILL BORN on Netgalley, out on 8/8/23 and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2023.

When I first started Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel (translated by Rosalind Harvey), I didn’t know if I was going to like it or hate it. It follows two women, Alina and Laura, exploring one of life’s most consequential decisions asked of women over and over and over… should I have children?

As I’m nearing thirty as a single woman who is career-driven and fulfilled in many ways, it’s a question I am forced to reckon with every single day, every month and after every failed Hinge date. This book was very personal to me and while I found myself reeling with more questions than answers, I have to say... I loved it and didn’t want it to end. I wanted to know more and more of Laura and Alina’s thoughts, and flaws, and questions, and decisions. I wanted to be a part of their lives. I wanted to have a cup of coffee with them. I wanted to go on a long walk and ask them how they are. No, really, how are you?

Neither woman has built their future around the prospect of a family, but when Laura makes the drastic decision to be sterilized, Alina decides she is now drawn to the idea of being a mother. Complications arise with Alina’s pregnancy and she is forced to make a difficult decision, one that only a mother can make. Laura becomes attached to her neighbor’s son, whose mother is dealing with deepening depression. Both women are forced to reckon with the complexity of their experiences and their emotions. Just like the synopsis says, it truly does dissect the contradictions that make up womanhood. To be a woman is a more profound and depth-defying experience than it is to just be human. It’s something you can’t put into words, you have to live it, well… unless you’re Guadalupe Nettel.