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Still Born
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
13 posts | 10 read | 18 to read
Still Born, Guadalupe Nettel's fourth novel, treats one of the most consequential decisions of early adulthood - whether or not to have children - with the intelligence and originality that have won her international acclaim. Alina and Laura are independent and career-driven women in their mid-thirties, neither of whom have built their future around the prospect of a family. Laura has taken the drastic decision to be sterilized, but as time goes by Alina becomes drawn to the idea of becoming a mother. When complications arise in Alina's pregnancy and Laura becomes attached to her neighbour's son, both women are forced to reckon with the complexity of their emotions. In prose that is as gripping as it is insightful, Guadalupe Nettel explores maternal ambivalence with a surgeon's touch, carefully dissecting the contradictions that make up the lived experiences of women.
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review
Gleefulreader
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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Pickpick

This book was so good and thought provoking, I read it in less than a day. It examines a lot of topics that are fraught, without sentimentality or excessive drama, such as the desire to have children vs the desire not to, what happens if you have a child with a disability, the impact of domestic violence on family relationships and the unexpected relationships and community we sometimes find. Highly recommended but warning for sensitive matter.

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sarahbarnes
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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Pickpick

This book was just so, so good. Its perspectives on motherhood and mothering resonated with me so deeply I was blown away. The book doesn't romanticize or minimize the choice and the weight of being and not being a mother. Thank you again @cinfhen for sending this book my way - I agree with you that I hope it wins the Booker based on the ones I've read!

rockpools Yes to all of this. It was just so well done. Of course it won‘t win, but… 11mo
bnp Another book I'm curious about on mothering and writing is posted above. 11mo
bnp I mean below. 11mo
See All 8 Comments
jlhammar Really want to read this one! 11mo
LeahBergen Great review! I‘ve been eyeing this one. 11mo
BarbaraBB Great review. Happy you loved it so much too! 11mo
Cinfhen Im sooo happy I was able to share this one with you 😁 11mo
batsy Nice review! I hope to read this one soon. 11mo
43 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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TrishB
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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Pickpick

A chaotic, messy insight into motherhood, choice and society‘s expectations around this. It‘s not all doom and gloom, but there are some very sad bits.

91 likes2 stack adds
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TrishB
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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#quicklunchtimeread
My salad place wasn‘t open today 😞

AmyG Boo…that‘s disappointing. (edited) 11mo
LeahBergen Darn it! 11mo
BarbaraBB Enjoying the book? 11mo
See All 7 Comments
TrishB @BarbaraBB I only got chance to read about 50 pages yesterday. But really enjoying so far. 11mo
TrishB @AmyG @LeahBergen I know! How dare they. 11mo
Cathythoughts Look forward to your thoughts on this one 👍🏻 What about that tiny lunch 😬 A nice slice of cake perhaps ? 😄 11mo
TrishB @Cathythoughts a large bag of beef hula hoops 😁 11mo
72 likes7 comments
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sarahbarnes
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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Thank you so much Cindy for sending me your copy of Still Born, along with this really cool card and bookmark! What a fun package to get in the mail today!! 💙😃📖 I can‘t wait to read this one.

@Cinfhen

Cinfhen Yay!! I‘m glad it made it😊once again @BarbaraBB your package is the only one that hasn‘t reached its destination 😩I‘m hoping it still shows up🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 11mo
BarbaraBB You must be kidding! It feels as if I live in some underdeveloped country where the mail doesn‘t work! I hope it will arrive one of these days!!! @Cinfhen (edited) 11mo
BarbaraBB Sarah you‘re in for a treat. A sad one yet a treat. I can‘t wait for your thoughts! 11mo
sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I‘ve started this one and cannot put it down. I‘m already halfway through and it‘s blowing me away. 💔 11mo
Cinfhen I‘m so glad you‘re loving it too, Sarah. I really hope it wins the Booker!!!! 11mo
35 likes5 comments
review
BarbaraBB
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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Pickpick

Laura and Alina are sure they will never become mother, because that implies giving up on life and ambition. During the years that follow Laura‘s perspective remains the same, while Alina gets pregnant. A complicated journey follows during which both women‘s views are put to the test as life gets more complicated than they could have foreseen.
A delicate, sharp and insightful exploration of the complexities of motherhood.

#internationalbooker

BarbaraBB You were so right @Cinfhen I loved it 🤍 12mo
Cinfhen Im so glad you loved it!! I kind of knew you would xxxx 12mo
See All 8 Comments
Cinfhen @sarahbarnes I haven‘t received any emails from you yet… my offer still stands if you would like my copy 🩷 12mo
sarahbarnes Such a great review! 😊 And @cinfhen that is strange-I sent you an email but it must not have gone through! I will send it again! (edited) 12mo
ashw21 Great review! Loved this book 12mo
KarenUK This sounds fantastic…. Stacking 💕 12mo
Megabooks Definitely stacking! Great review! 12mo
75 likes4 stack adds8 comments
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ashw21
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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Pickpick

This is a story of two best friends who never intended to have children. Alina changed her mind and she is faced with an extremely complicated pregnancy. Laura, on the other hand still firm in her decision becomes close to her neighbour‘s son.. this is such a wonderful book on motherhood and learning to deal with the cards we are dealt with .. absolutely loved this book in translation!

BarbaraBB Great review. I am in the midst of this one and loving it too. 12mo
ashw21 @BarbaraBB that‘s so great to hear .. it was a 5⭐️ read for me! 12mo
15 likes2 comments
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BarbaraBB
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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#WeeklyForecast 17/23

Before the #CampLitsy23 longlist will be announced and my bookhunting probably will go all over the place, I‘m trying to stick to my original plans 🤣:
The tagged one for the #InternationalBooker shortlist (thanks to you Cindy 🩷) and The Woman Next Door for some challenges (also thanks to you 😊).
But first I‘m about to finish the Cummins, a perfect weekend read (it‘s Sunday morning and I‘m still in bed). Have a good week!

Cinfhen Can‘t wait to see how you get on with 12mo
squirrelbrain Have a good week! I‘m still updating the spreadsheet! 12mo
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain That‘ll take some time I am sure. Fortunately there are no more nominations 😉 12mo
See All 11 Comments
sarahbarnes Can‘t wait to hear your thoughts on Still Born. I can‘t get it at my library and am trying to decide whether to buy it. 12mo
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I am very curious about it thanks to @Cinfhen ‘s review 🤞🏽 12mo
sarahbarnes Ah, I see that now! Glad to hear you liked it @Cinfhen ! 12mo
Cinfhen I can mail you my copy @sarahbarnes 💜 12mo
sarahbarnes @Cinfhen wow, that is so generous of you!! I hope I can return the favor someday soon! 💙 12mo
Cinfhen My pleasure 💕just send me your address @sarahbarnes Cindyh666 at iCloud dot com 😉 12mo
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Lucky you! Cindy is the best 🤍 12mo
sarahbarnes @Cinfhen thank you!! Will do! And @BarbaraBB she really is! 😊💙 12mo
61 likes11 comments
review
Cinfhen
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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Pickpick

Loved this book from the #bookerinternational23longlist ♥️The translation was a expertly crafted and the story of two friends navigating motherhood in all of its complexity was flawless! This would be an excellent choice for #bookclub 🤓Im thinking of you @Simona as I attempt the longlist and would love your thoughts on this one😘 @BarbaraBB I‘m pretty sure you‘d love this book!!!

shawnmooney Color me interested! ♥️ 12mo
BarbaraBB Thank you, I‘m sure I will if you think so! I‘ll check it out 💕 12mo
Cinfhen Hi @shawnmooney 🫶🏼 I can definitely see you enjoying this book 😎 12mo
79 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Cinfhen
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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#BookMail 🥳I‘m still sooooo distraught over BD - I feel like I‘ll be panic buying for the next two weeks. I bought two from the #InternationalBookerLongList that caught my attention

TrishB Are there any sales on? 13mo
Cinfhen Not yet @TrishB but I‘m watching & hoping 🙏🏼 13mo
LeahBergen I doubt that there‘ll be any sales as Amazon will just swallow the extra stock. 😠 And I‘ve “panic-bought” several books myself, too. 😆 13mo
See All 7 Comments
Cinfhen Yeah, I totally agree about Amazon and the GREAT BIG STOCKPILE @LeahBergen @TrishB 13mo
BarbaraBB Me too @LeahBergen and @Cinfhen , I doubt it but I have been buying too. We‘ll announce #CampLitsy23 before Bd shuts down so there might come lots of inspiration your way! 13mo
LeahBergen @BarbaraBB Yay! 👏👏 12mo
75 likes7 comments
review
rockpools
Still Born | Guadalupe Nettel
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Pickpick

Sometimes life doesn‘t work out as you planned. And sometimes that‘s ok.

Two women, best friends, who never intended to have children. But Alina‘s views change as she gets older, leading to a difficult, life-changing pregnancy that neither she nor the doctors foresaw. Meanwhile Laura unexpectedly starts taking on a mothering role to her neighbour‘s child.

I really enjoyed this. It‘s messy and complicated, and people change their minds and love

rockpools their children to bits, even as they think the worst or feel guilty or can‘t cope. It‘s a very different and non-judgmental look at motherhood and non-motherhood and mothering, set against the backdrop of Mexico City, and a society which expects a woman to become a biological mother.

The writing feels very real - the main character talks like a close friend, while, when she tells Alina‘s story it feels almost like a human-interest news report.
2y
rockpools And yet somehow it works to build a very affecting story without being manipulative or mawkish. Major content warnings for everything around pregnancies that don‘t work out as expected.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #FitzcarraldoEditions who gave me this as a free ARC. I read it in the space of an evening, which is very unusual.
2y
squirrelbrain Great review! 2y
See All 7 Comments
Cinfhen Just ordered this one from #BookDepository - sounds promising 13mo
rockpools @Cinfhen 🤞It did several things I wasn‘t expecting - so far it‘s the one I‘d like to win the International Booker, and I‘ll be very surprised if it doesn‘t make the shortlist. That‘ll stop that happening then! I need to review this for the IBP blog now, and it‘s so long so I read it, I should probably re-read. Hmm 🤔 13mo
BarbaraBB Reading this now and loving your review. 12mo
rockpools @BarbaraBB Thank you. I may re-read this. I think I‘d like it to win. 12mo
51 likes3 stack adds7 comments