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A review by myliteraryshelf
Ruth & Pen by Emilie Pine
5.0
TW: Miscarriage, self-harm
Ruth & Pen follows both characters over the course of one day in Dublin. Ruth is facing uncertainty over her marriage after failed IVF cycles and sixteen-year-old Pen is preparing to bunk off school with Alice.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and finished it within 48 hours. Emilie Pine brilliantly weaves together themes of communication, female relationships and love. This is an emotional read - the pain and loss of failed IVF cycles and miscarriage and the frustration that comes with making connections when you're neurodiverse. Motherhood was explored through both characters and was written with tenderness and honesty. I very much enjoyed the portrayal of the male perspective of IVF, a view that is rarely shared in mainstream media.
I've already ordered Pine's previous essay collection and look forward to any future fiction from her.
Ruth & Pen follows both characters over the course of one day in Dublin. Ruth is facing uncertainty over her marriage after failed IVF cycles and sixteen-year-old Pen is preparing to bunk off school with Alice.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and finished it within 48 hours. Emilie Pine brilliantly weaves together themes of communication, female relationships and love. This is an emotional read - the pain and loss of failed IVF cycles and miscarriage and the frustration that comes with making connections when you're neurodiverse. Motherhood was explored through both characters and was written with tenderness and honesty. I very much enjoyed the portrayal of the male perspective of IVF, a view that is rarely shared in mainstream media.
I've already ordered Pine's previous essay collection and look forward to any future fiction from her.