There’s a saying that writers and other creators have heard for decades: If you want to send a message, call Western Union. (Does Western Union even exist anymore?) But some of our most celebrated works have been inspired by their authors’ need to say something: Uncle Tom’s Cabin. 1984. Animal Farm. The Handmaid’s Tale. As the United States seemingly continues its descent into fascism, brave voices will continue to speak out (and hopefully be published by major corporations) in both fiction and nonfiction.
One brave voice belongs to Tennessee author Victoria Dillon, a pediatrician and former research scientist who studied avian genes. Spurred on by the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade, Dillon wrote Ava, a futuristic look at life under a government that routinely takes away women’s bodily autonomy, and how renegade geneticists fight back.
When 22-year-old research scientist Larkin unexpectedly becomes pregnant in Tennessee in the early 2030s, her initial shock turns to joy—and then horror when the baby is diagnosed with a fatal birth defect. Tennessee’s laws mean that not only will she be forced to carry the baby to birth, but she’ll be arrested if she tries to go to another state for an abortion. The pregnancy and heartbreak of being forced to hold her baby in her arms as she dies spurns Larkin to take part in an enormous underground project—find a way to genetically rewire women so they no longer gestate. Led by a doctor who lost his mother to pre-eclampsia, the scientists find their inspiration from chickens.
Published by She Writes Press, Ava has a lot to offer as well as numerous issues. It’s a sweeping project that covers decades and generations, chronicling a nation that goes deeper and deeper into religious fundamentalism and the destruction of women’s rights in a scarily realistic way. And it goes thoroughly and descriptively into the science of genetics and biology, leading to unintentionally funny scenes such as a teenage girl laying an egg.
Even with its issues, the book contains breathtaking scenes, such as when Larkin holds her dying baby, and, years later, when she goes into a pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test and is told she’ll need to take the test in the store and immediately become part of the state’s registry. Dillon really shines when she shows the personal ramifications of these laws on her characters.
As an avid reader and strong advocate for women’s rights, I wish Dillon had concentrated on how Larkin and her best friend Audrey grew up and older while their rights were stripped away, and left the chicken storyline for another book. The Handmaid’s Tale portions of the book are insightful, scary, and compelling, while the genetics sections run the gamut from textbookish to easily parodied.
Still, I would recommend Ava to anyone who worries about the future for women’s rights in this country. Dillon is a talented, knowledgeable writer with an impressive background and a lot to offer. She’ll learn a lot from this book and apply those lessons to her next one.
Unfortunately, the current political environment gives her a lot to work with. Republicans in Tennessee just proposed a bill to give the death penalty to women who have abortions.
Thanks to Books Forward for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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