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Jenna Keleman has a problem. She and her husband, Joe, are young, upwardly mobile professionals in their early thirties but not yet ready for parenthood. When she discovers she is pregnant, the news is disturbing. Luckily for Jenna, she lives in an era of enlightenment. She has several options in the year 2032. No longer chained to the mythological standards of old religions, most people subscribe to a more intelligent type of spiritualism based on scientific knowledge. Even ideas of personhood have been challenged in the court system, leading to intellectual views that have advanced humanity beyond the darkness of ancient beliefs. Yet, she becomes troubled by a disturbing dream and an unexpected gift. Both lead her to question her strongly held beliefs. As she searches for truth, she finds herself conflicted. Can she resolve her spiritual questions, or is she making too much of nothing?
This thought-provoking tale is a disturbing read that imagines a world in which only the productive life is the valuable life. Fonner’s novel comes across as a dystopian nightmare, a futuristic horror story of a world in which science rules and religion is considered cultish. The use of ancient texts and New Age philosophy is brilliantly effective in tackling the volatile subject of abortion. This unique look at what constitutes human life is examined in a way that engages the reader. Setting the book in the future and allowing the argument to naturally evolve within the narrative renders the novel compelling to readers on both sides of the political issue. The author has created a unsettling view of the future while at the same time offering up a valuable and timely addition to this controversial subject.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review