I only read one book this week, but it was a good one. Barbara Kingsolver recommended it, so I figured it might be worth reading (and it was).
Labor is a deeply personal memoir about medicine, family, identity, and women’s reproductive autonomy.
As an OB/GYN, Dr. Mary Afsari has spent her career caring for women, and much of the book explores the tension between the care she wants to provide and the increasingly complicated realities of the medical system. Her decision to leave the traditional hospital setting and create a mobile women’s health clinic becomes both a professional and personal turning point. Her central message is clear: women deserve agency over their own bodies, health care, and lives.
I was interested in the connection between Afsari’s medical career and the mystery surrounding her grandmother Mehry’s death in Iran in the 1950s. Uncovering this part of her family history gives the memoir another dimension, particularly as Afsari considers the ways that culture, family, and expectations shape women’s lives. The sections about Iran and her family history were among the most compelling parts of the book for me. I also appreciated the stories of Afsari’s patients and her efforts to make medical care more personal and compassionate. Her commitment to the women she serves comes through strongly.
That said, I didn’t connect equally with every part of the memoir. At times it felt more like a professional manifesto than a memoir, and some of the discussions of the medical system slowed the narrative for me. I also found myself wishing that certain personal and family stories had been explored more deeply.
Still, Labor raises important questions about who gets to make decisions about women’s bodies and health. Its strongest moments are those in which Dr. Afsari connects her own family history and experiences as a physician to the larger struggle for dignity, autonomy, and compassionate care. A thoughtful memoir with an important message about medicine, women’s health, and the power of reclaiming one’s own path. Three and a half stars rounded up.
Now I'd love to know what you are reading!
Interesting, Bonny! And a most interesting topic...especially in These Times.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting read. I will have to see if my library has it!
ReplyDeleteSounds fascinating. Whenever I think of the future of women's health care I'm glad I don't have any granddaughters. My DIL and almost all of my daughter's friends have had horrific deliveries lately. Several are lucky to be alive. I'm not sure what's going on with women's health care but it's not good.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm past my childbearing years, but I do still care about all the women that still need ob/gyn care, especially post-Roe. It's a scary time indeed.
DeleteThat really does sound fascinating, Bonny. But also . . . disturbing. I'm not sure I need more of that just now, but this sounds quite interesting. (And I continue plowing through my list of ARCs . . . ;-P)
ReplyDeleteI saw Kingsolver's IG post on this book so I'm glad to read your thoughts on the book. I didn't realize that the author has Iranian heritage. That adds additional layers to the story. I also see in the sidebar that you have read Kingsolver's new novel. I am looking forward to reading that novel and your thoughts about it, should you decide to review it here.
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