The Underachieving Ovary by J.T. Lawrence Narrator: Jennifer Swanepoel
Published by Fire Finch Press on 03-05-18
Genres: Memoirs
Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
Format: Audiobook
Source: Author
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Overal Rating:
Will there be light at the end of the birth canal?
Does the word ‘endometriosis’ make you want to stick a fork in your eye? No? Then perhaps this book isn’t for you. It’s funny, and (sometimes alarmingly) frank. It contains an impressive array of synonyms for ‘vagina’ and it’s certainly NSFW.
It’s about having a devil womb and a hot knife lodged in my shoulder. It’s about becoming blackly bitter and twisted in my infertility, and then slowly finding a way to untwist myself.
It’s part memoir, part dark comedy, wrapped up loosely as a journal full of TMI and quirk.
Let me put it this way: If Helen Fielding and Marian Keyes were to go through IVF, and use Caitlin Moran as a surrogate, this book would be their baby.
Being J.T. Lawrence one of my favorite authors, I was curious about a memoir written by her. Reading this book really opened my eyes to the reality of the author of the When Tomorrow Comes series, and I see now where her inspiration came from.
In this book Janita speaks from the bottom of her heart, explaining how her condition put her dreams in danger, and how hard the struggle was during that time. Despite the humor she took it with, it’s really heartbreaking to witness what she went through. The writing style is direct, honest, and candid, and even though I am in a very different situation, I found it impossible not to be deeply touched by her words and moved by her wishes. I almost wanted to make babies myself!
Jennifer Swanepoel’s narration was really expressive, making me forget that I was listening to a narrator. It was as if she was telling her own story. There was a tiny setback, and it is that the pauses at the end of the chapters were not consistent. Some were okay, but many were too short, making it a bit confusing since they felt shorter than pauses between paragraphs. The narration felt a bit insecure at first, with short pauses that affected the flow, but it quickly improved throughout the book. Swanepoel made up for it transmitting powerful emotions.
I think this is a must read, not only for her fans or women who are in the same situation, but for anyone who would like to read an amazingly well written book, full of humor, tragedy, strength, and love. Thank you, Janita, for sharing this piece of you, and for showing us that we all have battles to fight. You are an amazing person!
I received a copy of this book in audio format from the author in exchange for an honest review.| Story (Plot) |
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My name is Elena. Since I was a little child I loved science fiction and fantasy, and I can’t resist a good novel. In 2015, while wait I started to listen to audiobooks and I discovered the pleasure in being able to read while doing my daily tasks, so there’s always an audiobook playing on my phone. If you see me with my Bluetooth headphones on, please be gentle, I get easily startled.
I live with my boyfriend, which I met during my six-year stay in Belgium, four cockatiels, eight lovebirds, and a hamster in Madrid, Spain; and I like to spend my free time knitting and sewing while listening to audiobooks.
