by Lyz Lenz
First published 2020
American pregnancy culture kills women. The United States leads developed nations in maternal deaths while these rates climb higher each year. Journalist Lyz Lenz exposes the misogynistic logic behind cultural stories about pregnancy that treat women as vessels or goddesses but never as themselves. She traces these narratives from religious myths to historical assumptions that police pregnant people and demand pointless sacrifices. Lenz draws from her own pregnancies to show how society alternately worships and controls expecting mothers. She argues that right-wing attacks on reproductive rights create a world where embryos gain more protections than the people carrying them. Women become potential incubators whether pregnant or not. Through wit and raw honesty, Lenz calls for new stories that center wholeness and choice. She demands that medicine, law, and daily interactions reflect these values instead of ancient myths that harm women.
Genres: gender-studies, american, feminism, social-issues, non-fiction, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-experience, social-commentary
Setting: United States
Period: 21st-century
224 pages · Hardcover · Bold Type Books
Content warnings: sexism