Red Clocks
Red Clocks is a compelling work of feminist dystopian fiction. It presents a world where abortion is once again illegal, and the rights of life, liberty, and property are granted to every embryo. The novel has been named a Best Book of 2018 by several prestigious journals, including Atlantic Monthly, HuffPost, and Washington Post. Additionally, Vulture recognized it as one of the 100 Most Important Books of the 21st Century So Far.
Signed by Zumas on the title page.
Hardcover. First Edition, First Printing. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. New York: Little Brown, 2018. ISBN: 9780316434812. #10635.
Minor ding bottom edge of boards, otherwise fine in fine dust jacket.
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas is a provocative novel set in an America where abortion is once again illegal, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights of life, liberty, and property to every embryo. Published in 2018, it is a powerful piece of feminist literature and a cautionary tale about the broader implications of governmental control over women's bodies.
The novel follows the stories of five women navigating these new restrictions in a small Oregon fishing town. The characters include Ro, a single high-school teacher trying to have a baby on her own while writing a biography of a 19th-century female polar explorer; Susan, a frustrated mother of two young children; Mattie, an adopted teenager seeking an abortion; and Gin, an herbalist who provides, among other services, illegal abortions, and who finds herself targeted as a scapegoat.
Throughout the novel, Zumas explores themes of reproductive rights, freedom, and identity, painting a chilling picture of a world all too recognizable. Red Clocks was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction and became a national bestseller.