- Overview
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This novel examines the difficult position of the "working" pregnant women in Korean society by looking at the hardships faced by four career women in their late 30s to early 40s who became pregnant around the same time.
- Book Intro
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What does it mean to give birth in this era, in this world? This novel depicts the endless hardships that four women face in regards to their bodies, their families and society after they become pregnant, and how they overcome these hardships. It is a novel many women can identify with.
For women, Eunju, Jiwon, Jaehee and Seongyeong are best friends and all in their mid 30s to early 40s. Jaehee, a freelancer, worries over whether to get pregnant or not at the wedding of her friend Eunju, the last of the four to get married; Jiwon, a detective on the verge of taking her dream job in homicide, does not want to get pregnant at all; and Seongyeong, a company worker, desperately wishes to get pregnant. Everybody's perspective is different but they all think that pregnancy will change their lives. Jiwon becomes pregnant out of the blue, just a few weeks after getting promoted. Her husband, also a police officer, is congratulated by colleagues, but Jiwon gets excluded from her team's work. Meanwhile, Jaehee tries artificial insemination because her husband wants to have a baby but she suffers from ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Eunju, the eldest as well as a successful entrepreneur, worries that she is too old to get pregnant. Seongyeong had two previous miscarriages due to her excessive workload, but her earnest desire to have a baby has never diminished. Finally, after several attempts at in vitro fertilization, even being forced to move to a smaller house because of the economic burden, she gives birth to triplets. At work, it is hinted that she should quit her job, but she cannot because of the never-ending expenses. She finally leaves after being greatly humiliated. In the meantime, Eunju gets pregnant unexpectedly and Jiwon, who was transferred to a patrol division, continues to work tenaciously despite other people' disregard . She finally gives birth in her police uniform.
She researched and gathered information before starting to the story, which makes the book feel vivid as a true report. In particular, she focused on the information on pregnancy periods and relevant medical knowledge, based on her personal experience, and had it reviewed by a gynecologist. The author described the aim of the book thus: "This story is a novel on pregnancy but, at the same time, I hope it's a realistic story through which women can learn what happens in their bodies and be able to make choices."
- About the Author
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Jeon Heyjin
(English) Jeon has been writing about women and their stories in the genres of manhwa, webtoons, thrillers, sci-fi, history horror, and even nonfiction. In the field of nonfiction, she brings readers’ attention to the veiled stories of women in Women Who Become Unearthly Ghosts, The Genealogy of Sci-Fi in Romance Manhwa, and Why We Love Math, the latter of which is about 29 women mathematicians. Her novels include The One at a Needle’s End, 280 Days, and Atlantis Girl. Her short stories are included in In This Beautiful World and We Summon Ghosts. She also published a collection of her essays titled By the Cottage Window in the Book Forest.
- Recommendation
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Min Seoyoung (cartoonist of Bitch Aesthetic), 2019, I decided not to give birth after reading this book. I couldn't believe that this book wasn't a dystopia sci-fi.
Yoon Han (cartoonist of Guilty Innocence), 2019, A realistic novel about pregnancy, childbirth and women's lives.
- Selection
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Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), 2019, Good Contents Support Program