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A review by steveatwaywords
The Farm by Joanne Ramos
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Writing about government/corporate control of pregnancy in the shadow of Atwood is a brave act, but Ramos has a unique angle on this story, almost backgrounding the dystopic element (not in plot but in theme) in order to paint other characters in social relief. While her protagonist Jane is Filipino, most of those around her come largely from backgrounds of extraordinary wealth and privilege: navigating these petty and powerful structures is a delicate and sometimes mysterious matter, where any in a service industry find success at whim rather than merely hard or competent work. Troublesome, then, is a Jane who desires a future for her daughter, but who is not altogether competent in her judgment.
The action of the story is fair enough, with plenty of expected scenes from holding a large number of pregnant women in captivity (hardly a spoiler for being on the dust jacket!); and each of the primary characters is drawn to serve a social-political function rather than one of real nuance: the rebellious and narcissistic one, the privileged and compassionate one, etc. These are weaknesses in the crafting of the novel, but they aren't deal-breaking.
More difficult for me was a resolution that did not address these functions adequately, at least in that the groundwork laid (again, that background dystopia) is not s0 fully addressed that the resolution is satisfying.(Horrifying? Fulfilling? What are we to make of a grand vision of enterprise against women growing still, but at its heart two characters who find a positive future only because one was motivated by shame and guilt? And both admonish us to change our attitudes?)
Yes, capitalism is a powerful force--so much so, that every character bows before it, from beginning to end. The semi-competent Jane doesn't stand a prayer; but neither do her antagonists, in the end. And while a good number of pages are spent rationalizing a "happy" domestic ending for some of them, I can't help thinking that the horror of the novel is that very little effort is spent actually reflecting on its implications here. Morality is found only in legalese and enterprising policy-making.
In short, there is something in this novel to enrage just about everyone outside of its story--from characters as ironically blind at its end as they were at its start to the finger Ramos points at each of its readers for their part in a future we are all working so hard to reach.
The action of the story is fair enough, with plenty of expected scenes from holding a large number of pregnant women in captivity (hardly a spoiler for being on the dust jacket!); and each of the primary characters is drawn to serve a social-political function rather than one of real nuance: the rebellious and narcissistic one, the privileged and compassionate one, etc. These are weaknesses in the crafting of the novel, but they aren't deal-breaking.
More difficult for me was a resolution that did not address these functions adequately, at least in that the groundwork laid (again, that background dystopia) is not s0 fully addressed that the resolution is satisfying.
Yes, capitalism is a powerful force--so much so, that every character bows before it, from beginning to end. The semi-competent Jane doesn't stand a prayer; but neither do her antagonists, in the end.
In short, there is something in this novel to enrage just about everyone outside of its story--from characters as ironically blind at its end as they were at its start to the finger Ramos points at each of its readers for their part in a future we are all working so hard to reach.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content