(published in English as Still Born ) by Guadalupe Nettel is a profound contemporary novel that explores the diverse and often conflicting realities of motherhood, caregiving, and feminine identity. Shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize , the story follows three women in Mexico City whose lives intersect through their different experiences with parenting and community. Core Plot and Character Overview

: Laura’s neighbor, a single mother struggling with grief and her young son Nicolás's behavioral issues. Major Themes Guadelupe Nettel On Writing Still Born - Service95

: Laura’s close friend who initially shares her ambivalence toward motherhood but later decides to have a child. Her pregnancy faces a devastating complication when her daughter, Inés, is diagnosed with microlissencephaly, a condition that doctors predict will be fatal shortly after birth.

The narrative is driven by the perspectives and choices of three central figures:

: The narrator, an academic who is fiercely child-free and undergoes sterilization to ensure her independence.