Red Clocks

A National Bestseller and a New York Times Editor's Choice, this novel presents a chilling vision of a future where abortion is illegal, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights to embryos. Set in a small Oregon fishing town, five diverse women confront new barriers while grappling with timeless questions about motherhood, identity, and freedom. Ro, a single high-school teacher, aspires to become a mother while writing a biography of a 19th-century female polar explorer. Susan, feeling trapped in her crumbling marriage, struggles with her role as a mother of two. Mattie, Ro's talented student and adopted daughter of loving parents, faces an unplanned pregnancy with no support. Gin, a skilled herbalist known as a "mender," becomes the focal point when she is arrested in a modern-day witch hunt, intertwining the fates of these women. This riveting drama unfolds with magnetic energy, blending compelling storytelling with profound ideas. Leni Zumas fearlessly examines the complexities of female experience, evoking themes of resilience, transformation, and hope in challenging times, reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood and Eileen Myles.