'The Farm' by Joanne Ramos is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the world of surrogacy, focusing on a business where wealthy clients hire women to carry their babies under strict conditions at Golden Oaks. The story follows the lives of immigrant women like Jane, who make difficult choices to earn money through surrogacy, while grappling with themes of motherhood, race, and commodification of fertility. The narrative unfolds at a luxurious yet monitored setting, raising questions about power dynamics, exploitation, and the complexities of relationships among the characters.

Characters:

The characters are complex and multifaceted, representing a range of backgrounds and motivations, from desperate immigrants to privileged individuals seeking personal fulfillment.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is engaging and multi-perspective, capturing the complex emotions and ethical issues surrounding surrogacy while drawing readers into the characters' struggles.

Plot/Storyline:

The story revolves around women who serve as surrogates in a luxurious but controlling environment, highlighting the emotional and ethical implications of surrogacy within a framework of financial desperation and class disparity.

Setting:

The setting is a luxurious surrogacy center that starkly contrasts the lives of the impoverished women who serve as hosts, highlighting themes of class disparity.

Pacing:

The novel has a slow pacing, especially initially, building tension over time but occasionally becoming meandering before impactful moments.

THE EMERGENCY ROOM IS AN assault. There are too many people, and the din of their voices is too loud. Jane is sweating—it is hot outside, and the walk from the subway was long. She stands at the entra...

Notes:

The Farm is set in a high-end surrogacy center called Golden Oaks.

The hosts, primarily immigrant women, are paid to carry babies for wealthy clients.

Jane, a Filipina single mother, becomes a host to support her daughter.

Strict rules and surveillance control the lives of the hosts.

Mae Yu, a Harvard graduate, runs the surrogacy program with questionable ethics.

The story explores themes of race, class, and exploitation in the context of surrogacy.

The narrative is told from multiple perspectives, shedding light on various characters' experiences.

The hosts receive luxurious accommodations, including organic meals and personal trainers, but their freedom is severely restricted.

Many characters struggle with the emotional toll of being away from their own children while pregnant for others.

The novel raises questions about the ethics of commodifying women's bodies for profit.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of exploitation, emotional distress related to motherhood, and the moral ambiguities of surrogacy.

From The Publisher:

A gripping story about race, money and motherhood that asks: what would you sacrifice for a new life?

'A firecracker of a novel'

Madeline Miller

'Intelligent, thought-provoking, slyly satirical'

Sunday Times

'About everything a book should be about: race and class, power and inequality - and it's dark and funny'

Joanna Cannon

'An unsettling, unputdownable read'

Elle

'Ramos has crafted a real page-turner' The Times

Ambitious businesswoman Mae Yu runs Golden Oaks - a luxury retreat transforming the fertility industry. There, women get the very best of everything: organic meals, fitness trainers, daily massages and big money. Provided they dedicate themselves to producing the perfect baby. For someone else.

Jane is a young immigrant in search of a better future. Stuck living in a cramped dorm with her baby daughter and her shrewd aunt Ate, she sees an unmissable chance to change her life. But at what cost?

Chosen as a book of the summer by the Guardian, Telegraph, Evening Standard and Cosmopolitan

Ratings (5)

Loved It (1)
It Was OK (3)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (14):

Read It (6)
Want To Read (7)
Not Interested (1)

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About the Author:

JOANNE RAMOS was born in the Philippines and moved to Wisconsin when she was six. She graduated with a BA from Princeton University. After working in investment banking and private-equity investing for several years, she became a staff writer at…

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The Farm

Joanne Ramos