THE FARM
BY JOANNE RAMOS
What a strange, albeit interesting concept. “The Farm” is called Golden Oaks, and it’s a luxurious, resort-like place where women come to spend their pregnancies and deliver babies – for other women. Women who are ultra-wealthy, and can afford to hire the surrogate of their choice to be implanted with fertilized eggs. Women who either can’t carry their own children, or can’t be bothered with the body-changing, lifestyle-interrupting challenges that being pregnant brings.
This book deals with many socioeconomic themes, as well as walking a fine line between what is ethical and what is absolutely wrong. I was interested in the characters and why they chose to do what they did, including the founder of Golden Oaks, Mae Yu, who had the best intentions led by ulterior motives.
I found the book thought-provoking and disturbing, and I was saddened by the ending, which basically brought one of the main characters, Jane, to a place that she didn’t even realize was no better than where she began.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC and my apologies for a much delayed review.
House of Black and Blue 