Information

Published 2026 by Left Unread (Bindery Books)

Page Numbers: 384

ISBN: 978-1967967261

A dystopian novel that is uncomfortably too close to reality.

Set in what is referred to as the Arizona Territory, a midwife is arrested for providing health care to women. She is sent to a prison where her skills are used to care for the paramilitary’s teenage drone pilots. With the frame being focused on the

The pacing is of high-stakes with an urgent momentum. There is tension that alternates between quieter moments. Bursts of escalation keep it flowing.

The protagonist, Mae, is morally driven. She defines herself by her principles as a midwife, which creates internal conflict between her ethics to use her skills to help those in need and to that of her protecting her sons. There is also heavy tension that explores institutions vs. individualism.

The storyline explores complicity and resistance and deciding if she should protect herself or operate against the system.

The frame of this book feels plausible. Readers will be able to identify extensions of the current political climate. There are carceral environments that increase the sense of isolation and inability to escape.

Publishing date: September 22, 2026. ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Left Unread. Read my official review.