Still Born (novel)
Still Born is a 2020 novel by Mexican author Guadalupe Nettel. In 2023, the English translation by Rosalind Harvey was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.
Background
The inspiration for the book was Nettel's observations of her friend's experiences of raising a disabled child and the discrimination that the child faced. Nettel also wanted to explore questions of motherhood and the societal expectation for women to become mothers.Plot
Still Born follows three women: Laura, Doris and Alina. Laura desires not to have children, while her friend Alina wishes to be a mother. Laura also observes her neighbor Doris's struggles with her disabled child.Reception
Rebecca Onion, writing for The Washington Post, said that the voice of Laura, the narrator of the novel, was "perfect for delving into the reversals and contradictions of the story". The Economist called the novel a "transfixing tale of motherhood and friendship" and praised Harvey's translation as "skillful". Sarah Resnick, writing for the London Review of Books, comments that through the events of the novel and the characters' reactions and thoughts, perhaps Nettel posits "that there is no such thing as a 'normal mother'". Argentine publication Página 12 praised the novel for its tone, writing that Nettel successfully avoided an overly sentimental or preachy tone.In 2023, the English translation by Rosalind Harvey was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. The judges referred to "Nettel's exploration of maternal ambivalence" as "sensitive and surgically precise". They also said that the "twisty, enveloping plot" had "language so blunt it burns".