Born

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Born: The Untold History of Childbirth by Lucy Inglis, read by Avita Jay.

Women have been fighting for control over their bodies for thousands of years. From Neolithic hunter-gatherers to the reversal of Roe v. Wade, this is their story.

Acclaimed cultural historian Lucy Inglis takes the reader on an epic journey through the stories of women over hundreds of thousands of years. From ancient Mesopotamian birthing practices to the lost contraceptives of Ancient Rome and the strange story of the feminists who fought for the right to forget childbirth, this is a truly sweeping history that explores the competing ideologies and lived realities that have shaped so many lives.

Lucy Inglis charts the battle for control throughout history over reproduction, birth and women’s bodies - a fight still raging in many places across the world. With birth rates falling and infant mortality in many societies on the rise once more, this bold and timely book raises vital questions about how we think about motherhood and pregnancy today. Lucy Inglis has spent over a decade researching the history of childbirth, drawing on new and unseen sources from a wide-ranging array of disciplines.

Charting the powerful interests and dedicated scientists that have shaped women’s maternal experiences, this is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand how we all came to be here.

Critics Review

Deeply researched, smart, poignant, and witty… By placing birth – rather than violence, language, or even taxes – as humanity’s constant, Inglis offers a compelling new view of both history and the present.
Karen Bloom Gevirtz, author of 'The Apothecary's Wife'
Moving from prehistory to the present, Lucy Inglis draws long overdue attention to the cultural history of childbirth. Born is a compelling read, considering subjects as diverse as caesareans, eugenics and religious theorising on birth, while taking readers on a journey through this most important of life events. Impeccably researched, Born is essential reading for anyone interested in the human condition.
Dr. Elizabeth Norton, author of ‘The Lives of Tudor Women’
A fascinating exploration of a long overlooked area of history. Shaped by meticulous research, Inglis writes with clarity, pace and a sharp eye for surprising details. She takes the reader on a tumultuous rollercoaster through time, and achieves that most difficult of things: bringing the strange lives of our ancestors vividly to life.
Alice Loxton, author of 'Eighteen' and 'Uproar!'
Inglis treats childbirth with the academic rigour and insightful compassion it deserves.
Leah Hazard, author of 'WOMB'
[An] eloquent account from historian Inglis (Milk of Paradise). Childbirth, she argues, has always been fraught with danger, underscored by hope, and communal, with 'every successful birth...a small victory for humanity.' With birth stories from the author’s own family gracefully woven in, the result is a nuanced and tender look at an intimate yet universal human experience.
Publishers Weekly
compelling
The Independent

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