The Farm by Joanne Ramos

In The Farm, Joanne Ramos examines motherhood in this dystopian novel set in present day.

Hidden away in the Catskills, there is a luxury retreat for pregnant women. At Golden Oaks, you are given everything you could need to have a happy and healthy pregnancy: fitness classes, chef prepared organic meals, luxury clothing, and world class doctors checking in on their health and that of their unborn babies.

But you’re not carrying your child. You’re a “Host”, carrying a baby for a “Client” who can’t (or chooses not to) have a baby themselves. At the end of your pregnancy with the delivery of a healthy baby, you receive a large payment.

The novel follows Reagan and Jane, two hosts, each hand picked to be a host but both motivated by vastly different circumstances.

The Farm is a thought provoking examination of motherhood. Is it okay to pay someone to carry your child if you can? Is it more acceptable if you are unable to conceive? Does the surrogate have a say in whether or not a pregnancy is terminated? Is it exploitative to have immigrant women act as surrogates? Is it predatory to pay them a bonus for delivering a healthy child?

The world of The Farm isn’t too far in the future. Paid surrogacy is a controversial topic that is currently being debated in states across the nation. While a work of fiction, it explores the exploitative side that paid surrogacy can create.

Overall, a great book that should be read by all. If you liked A Handmaid’s Tale, you’ll enjoy Joanne Ramos novel The Farm.

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