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sweet_ness's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
book_concierge's review
4.0
Digital audiobook narrated by Fran de Leon.
Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, is searching for a better opportunity to secure the future for herself and her daughter. So, the chance to become a “host” at Golden Oaks – a luxury resort in New York’s Hudson Valley – seems ideal. She’ll have every amenity: organic meals, a personal fitness trainer, daily massages, and an idyllic setting. All she has to do is be a surrogate mother for someone else’s child. But things at “The Farm” (as Jane and her fellow surrogates refer to it), aren’t as ideal as the brochures promise.
While the original premise seems plausible, the reality of Jane’s situation quickly devolves into a somewhat dystopian nightmare. She seems to be being played by not only those who run the operation but, perhaps, by one or more fellow surrogates. It also seems that the relative she’s entrusted with her daughter’s care while she spends nine months at Golden Oaks isn’t as trustworthy as Jane originally thought. All this adds to the tension … both for Jane and for the reader.
It certainly held my attention and I really wanted to see how Jane would fare in this scenario. I think this would be a work that book clubs would love to discuss.
Fran de Leon does a fine job narrating the audio. She has good diction and keep a good pace. There are a lot of characters, most of them female, and there were a few times when I got confused about who was speaking, but I quickly caught up.
Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, is searching for a better opportunity to secure the future for herself and her daughter. So, the chance to become a “host” at Golden Oaks – a luxury resort in New York’s Hudson Valley – seems ideal. She’ll have every amenity: organic meals, a personal fitness trainer, daily massages, and an idyllic setting. All she has to do is be a surrogate mother for someone else’s child. But things at “The Farm” (as Jane and her fellow surrogates refer to it), aren’t as ideal as the brochures promise.
While the original premise seems plausible, the reality of Jane’s situation quickly devolves into a somewhat dystopian nightmare. She seems to be being played by not only those who run the operation but, perhaps, by one or more fellow surrogates. It also seems that the relative she’s entrusted with her daughter’s care while she spends nine months at Golden Oaks isn’t as trustworthy as Jane originally thought. All this adds to the tension … both for Jane and for the reader.
It certainly held my attention and I really wanted to see how Jane would fare in this scenario. I think this would be a work that book clubs would love to discuss.
Fran de Leon does a fine job narrating the audio. She has good diction and keep a good pace. There are a lot of characters, most of them female, and there were a few times when I got confused about who was speaking, but I quickly caught up.
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
3.0
Exploration of class and race, colourism and motherhood through surrogacy. Set in USA I liked it but I was not surprised by it and did not really warm to the characters. I think it missed some of the complexities of surrogacy. It portrayed exploitation of women in poverty well.
safpearl's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
3.5
I wish it was more fleshed out. could have been a other 100 pages
shareen17's review
3.0
The farm is a surrogate-mother business where everything is controlled for the maximum benefit of the newborn's health. It explores somewhat the immigrant experience and extreme wealth division, although it doesn't make any conclusions about these issues. Super-unsatisfying ending in my opinion!
ellathorpe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
shelfexplanatory's review against another edition
3.0
Not as hard hitting as I had hoped it would be, given the concept. It was actually more a commentary about class and race than women's reproductive rights, which was interesting but not what I was wanting from the book. The ending was disappointing and was made even weaker by the epilogue.
booksarebreadcrumbs's review
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
3.75
I really enjoyed this read. Solid writing and a very interesting premise. I think the author says it best in her note at the end of the book: “…The Farm is a culmination of a running dialogue I’ve had with myself for the past twenty-five years - about just desserts and luck, assimilation and otherness, class and family and sacrifice. I didn’t write it to come up with the answers, because I don’t have them. Instead, the book is meant to explore…questions of who we are, what we cherish, and how we see those who are different from ourselves.” She certainly nailed that with this book.
moreglittermorefur's review
4.0
#justice4jane
Heavy hitting commentary on the intersection of race and socioeconomics in the baby selling industry. Thought I was getting into a book about a cult but was not disappointed.
Heavy hitting commentary on the intersection of race and socioeconomics in the baby selling industry. Thought I was getting into a book about a cult but was not disappointed.
caakle's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0