The Farm by Joanne Ramos takes us to a luxury resort in upstate New York where the residents are treated to healthy gourmet meals, personal trainers, massages, yoga, and plenty of fresh air. The best part is not only is it free, it comes with a hefty paycheck at the end of the stay. All that is required is to agree to be a baby surrogate for a very wealthy client. Also, privacy is essentially surrendered along with any bodily agency. Jane is an immigrant and single mother and in desperate need of the generous payout promised to the women in the program. Reagan is a well-educated white woman, making her a "premium host". Lisa is on her third pregnancy with the same set of clients and has become disillusioned with a lot of the things on "The Farm", as the women come to call it. Mae is the head of the program and is hoping to make it as profitable as possible.
This book was fast moving and intriguing. Told from the very different points of view of Jane, Reagan, and Mae, we get to see each of their various motivations and understand their feelings on the use of women as breeding stock. I liked this book, but I didn't love it. There wasn't really anything wrong with it, but it just didn't capture me as much as I'd hoped. Described as "suspenseful and provocative", I think my expectations may have been too high. I kept waiting for something big to happen, or in lieu of that, a deeper commentary on class, wealth, and motherhood. On the other hand, it kept me turning the pages and interested. I am looking forward to discussing it with my book club.
And I'd love to hear your thoughts as well, SmartGirls!
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