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    The Book of Etta
    The Book of Etta
    The Book of Etta
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Book of Etta

    Written by Meg Elison

    Narrated by Adenrele Ojo

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A Philip K. Dick Award nominee.

    In a devastated world, one woman undertakes a desperate journey to rescue the future.

    Etta comes from Nowhere, a village of survivors of the great plague that wiped away the world that was. In the world that is, women are scarce and childbearing is dangerous…yet desperately necessary for humankind’s future. Mothers and midwives are sacred, but Etta has a different calling. As a scavenger. Loyal to the village but living on her own terms, Etta roams the desolate territory beyond: salvaging useful relics of the ruined past and braving the threat of brutal slave traders, who are seeking women and girls to sell and subjugate.

    When slavers seize those she loves, Etta vows to release and avenge them. But her mission will lead her to the stronghold of the Lion—a tyrant who dominates the innocent with terror and violence. There, with no allies and few weapons besides her wits and will, she will risk both body and spirit not only to save lives but also to liberate a new world’s destiny.

    The Book of Etta is the sequel to the Philip K. Dick Award–winning novel The Book of the Unnamed Midwife.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateFeb 21, 2017
    ISBN9781536614282
    The Book of Etta
    Author

    Meg Elison

    Meg Elison is an author and feminist essayist. Her debut, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, won the 2014 Philip K. Dick award. She is a Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Sturgeon, and Otherwise awards finalist. Elison is a high school dropout and a graduate of UC Berkeley. She lives in Oakland, California, with her husband and an ancient, irascible cat.

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    Reviews for The Book of Etta

    4/5

    179 ratings17 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book, a sequel to the book of the unnamed midwife, was just OK. It was not as engaging as the original book in my opinion. I am not sure if I will read the third book in the series now after finishing this.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Great book If you like to listen to manufactured love stories about trans people. The gay agenda is going strong here
    • 4/5
      This feminist, apocalyptic sci-fi series is like no other. In book 1, more than 90% of the world's population has been killed by a plague, but I think only about 10% of the survivors (and those born to them) are born female. In this sequal, several generations later, multiple societies have been created and they all deal with this imbalance in different ways. Many of them are barbaric, none of them are perfect. Elison has created multiple LGBTQIA+ characters who are complex, who have not always experienced the world outside of their own community, and who are not always tolerant when they do
    • 3/5
      Not as good as the first book in the series, but good enough..... Set further in time from the Unameds time Etta is a person called to take up the Unameds Midwife's mantle while also struggling with her own identity.
    • 3/5
      This very much feels like the sexual exploitation version of The Road -- not quite as bleak, more hopeful in the end (I think?), both less and more horrifying on any given page, depending on how you feel about rape/genital mutilation/sexual slavery vs cannibalism.

      On the whole, I liked both the character of Etta/Eddy and her personal inner journey over time. I found the world all too believable. I thought the different way settlements dealt with the lack of women to be fascinating.

      I'm troubled by the ending on so many levels -- that the actual safety/savior is presented as a religious community, that E has to bend, in the end, to her biological fate in this world -- these things are deeply messed up. Perhaps that's the message? People are complicated, things are horrible, keep going (but why?).

      I'm not sure I'll return to this universe, but it was a powerful read.
    • 3/5
      This was okay - but pales in comparison to that amazing first book in this series.
    • 4/5
      The one thing about this book that I want to talk about I feel is a spoiler, so if gender issues in a post-apocalyptic world are your thing, check this one out after you read the first book. I had a good time, except that Alma weirded me out as much as the main character was.
    • 4/5
      Picking up generations after the previous book, this book further fleshes out the new world that has replaced the old. I liked the cast of characters, especially the protagonist, whose struggles to understand self and others were compellingly written. I really don't know what to think about Alma and her seeming magic powers, in a world that otherwise lacks fantastical elements. I guess we'll probably find out in the next book! Overall this fits well into the world of [The Book of the Unnamed Midwife], while having its own distinct voice.
    • 4/5
      This is a more complicated and more difficult read than The Book of the Unnamed Midwife. Its prevailing themes are how to build a functional community and how to construct an identity in this post-apocalyptic context. The themes are so well integrated into the overall adventure plot that I didn't catch on until after I'd finished the novel.

      These themes, and their intersection with gender identity and sexual orientation, carry the novel into troubled waters. I would caution trans readers especially - there is a good bit in the book about working out trans identity in a violent world without the benefit of historical information, narrative, or even language to help construct an identity. This ends up with a lot of transphobic behavior by the characters, although the book implicitly condemns transphobia.

      (The spoilery paragraph below doesn't go into more detail about that, but covers my feelings about the book's ending.)
      I was relieved to see that this book is the second in a trilogy, because nothing feels resolved at the end. I have so many questions, both in terms of the plot and identity questions the book poses. What's the deal with Alma's seeming mystical powers? Will Flora and Etta/Eddy end up together? How will Etta/Eddy resolve their identity issues - not just around gender, but also around violence and how to forge a life in a broken world?

      This book troubled me, as I think it was intended to. I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The Unnamed Midwife, but I think it's a better book.
    • 4/5
      THE BOOK OF ETTA (THE ROAD TO NOWHERE 2) is a heavy piece of dark, post-apocalyptic fiction.

      This story picks up about 100 years after THE BOOK OF THE UNNAMED MIDWIFE. The Unnamed created the city of Nowhere and now they have developed their own way of life. Since the plague that started everything, women are scarce and children even more so. As such, Nowhere honors women and to keep the human race going, women there have created hives-a group of men/lovers who help that woman with chores and who also provide regular loving- with the hopes of childbirth as the result. According to the elders of Nowhere, this is the chief role of women now. Period.

      Here, we meet Etta, who feels constrained in Nowhere. Etta has no time for hives or for childbirth, and she wants no part of it. She goes out as a raider instead-looking for goods from the old world which can be made useful again. On her travels, she binds herself up to pass for a man and calls herself Eddie. There are more reasons for that other than the plain fact that it's safer to travel as a man, but I'll let you discover those reasons on your own. As Eddie, he comes across several towns, all with their own ways of doing things, (the world building here is impressive), and then he comes across the town of STL. (I see other reviews calling it Estiel, but I listened to the audio and I just assumed it was STL, so I'm sticking with that.) In STL reigns a man called "The Lion." What he has going on in HIS city is a travesty and an injustice-one that Eddie cannot let stand. Will he be successful in putting an end to the practices of The Lion? Will he survive? Will humanity survive? You'll have to read this to find out!

      I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first, but I think that's because it took me a little time to get used to the voices of Etta/Eddie. Once I did, though, I settled down and let the story wash over me. As I said above the world-building here is so interesting, each town having their own beliefs about women and children and how to keep humankind going, it provided a lot to think about. Also, it was sad to see what happened to America in the wake of the plague-how many things had been forgotten, the uses for implements lost to history, and of course, what happened to personal freedoms and choices. It's hard for women to live in this world right now, just imagine how hard it would be in a world with no medicines, no birth control, no choices at all for women in general. These were the aspects of this world that interested me the most.

      As a note of caution to potential readers-there are all kinds of unpleasant happenings in this book. None of it surprised or shocked me, avid horror reader that I am, but it might shock some. Rapes, pedophiles, genital mutilation, child abuse and other things are part of the post plague world and if those things really get to you, you might want to take a pass.

      That said, I recommend this book if you enjoyed the first in the trilogy. No, it's not the same as THE UNNAMED, and no, it's not even the same world as the first book because things have changed so much, but Etta and Eddie have a lot to say and I, for one, was happy to listen. I'm intrigued and excited for the last book THE BOOK OF FLORA, which I've already requested from NetGalley.

      I bought this audiobook with my hard earned cash. This review is my honest opinion.
    • 3/5
      "Maybe you just show up one day and everyone thinks you’re part of a story that’s already happening and what you really think doesn’t matter. Maybe that’s what happened to the Unnamed. I wonder if she ever thought we’d be reading about her, years later, trying to be like her. Did she even want that?"The Book of Etta is the second book in Meg Elison’s The Road to Nowhere series. It picks up about 100 years after the Unnamed Midwife arrived in Nowhere. In Nowhere, a woman is expected to be either a Mother or a Midwife and have a Hive of men to help repopulate humanity after a mysterious plague wiped out most of the population. However, Etta doesn’t want any of that; she is different. Instead, she is a raider – going out beyond the city to scavenge for old-world items of value as well as rescuing girls and women from the slave traders. When she comes across Estiel and a man who calls himself the Lion, she will be tested in new ways as she vows to save the women he has stolen.There is a lot to unpack from this book, and so many interesting concepts – for example: gender norms, gender fluidity, racism, slavery, morality, and how different societies develop differently whilst in isolation from each other, etc. – but unfortunately, I couldn’t get over how much I disliked Etta/Eddy’s character. They were self-centered and stubborn with a rigid set of morality that was very black and white. Etta/Eddy saw the world in black and white – they were good, and slavers were bad; she was Etta at home, but he was Eddy on the road; Etta could become Eddy out of necessity, but anyone else’s gender fluidity was inexcusable; women were safe, and men were not. I know there was a reason their character was that way as they were suffering from a traumatic event in their past, and I appreciate what the author did with their character, but I was never able to muster much sympathy for them and so I couldn’t really get into the book as much as I would have liked.However, I will mention that Flora was one of my favorite characters, and I can’t wait to follow her and learn more about her in the next book in the The Road to Nowhere series - The Book of Flora .Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      I loved The Book of the Unnamed Midwife when I read it a few years ago. At the time, I had no idea it was the first of a series.Number 3 in the series is coming out soon (and I have a galley!), so I had to read this first.This novel takes place over 100 years after the first book. Which means the world is completely different--it also meant I didn't really know what to expect, and Elison had to do some real world building. In some ways this book and its worlds reminds of the middle grade The City of Ember series, though they both go in very different ways. And this book is clearly for adults.Still, while The Unnamed Midwife successfully traveled and found a community where she was welcome, Etta's world consists of isolated communities--some in old cities and towns, some in new places. Most people stay close to home, as their is a real fear of being attacked by some band or other. Strangers can be feared--women are still valued, and are stolen and sold by slavers. The plague's after effects of miscarriage and girl babies seldom surviving has eased somewhat. But there is not large population growth. Etta's town reveres The Unnamed Midwife as their founder, and midwifes and mothers run the town. Etta chooses to be a raider--traveling the countryside scrounging items from the old days. She dresses as a boy, Eddy, when among strangers. For her own safety.As she searches for places to trade, she braves meeting The Lion in Estiel (previously St Louis--STL), and trades with him. But will that have been a mistake?I found the different towns Elison created to be very interesting. As women are highly valued, different towns treat them differently--either as slaves or as the revered and worshipped. Looking forward to book 3.
    • 4/5
      The Book of Etta is the second book in author Meg Elison’s The Road to Nowhere Series. This story takes us along a number of generations from the first book. The world is now composed of small groups or towns that keep themselves isolated and unaware of each other, except for the adventurous few who travel out to trade or scavenge old world items. There are still very few females and childbearing is extremely dangerous, so women have very different roles depending on their particular location. In some places they are the Queen Bees with a number of men in their hives, while in others they are leaders of their communities with the men providing the labor and their skills in exchange for sexual favors. Unfortunately, with women being such a valuable commodity, there are still slavers who buy and sell females, and communities that hold their females as slaves. In a world where there are so few females, it is strongly believed that men and women should be together for the purpose of childbearing and re-populating the world. Those people whose gender identity or sexual orientation is different have a difficult time finding where they fit in. In the community that the Unnamed Midwife formed, the women are the leaders and most are either designated “Mothers” or “Midwives”. Etta, born into this community desires neither to be a Mother or a Midwife and so chooses to become a trader. Following in the role of her hero, the Unnamed Midwife, she travels middle America disguised as a man, and although she spends time both as a trader and a scavenger, she never returns to her hometown without having rescued a female from slavery. But then one day she returns to find her town was overrun by slavers and all the women taken. It is obvious that the author is planning on writing more stories about this apocalyptic world that she has invented, and indeed the next book is scheduled to be out in the spring of 2019. The Book of Etta felt like a bridge from the past to the future and although I enjoyed the story, I can see where the author is setting up for further exploration of this world. The story is interesting and fast-moving but for me the character of Etta felt a little unfinished and the end of the book felt a little rushed. Be advised that this book can be quite graphic in it’s depiction of the brutality and violence that are a big part of this world.
    • 4/5
      I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

      After reading The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, I was very excited to read the sequel. My experience with The Book of the Unnamed Midwife was amazing; I loved how gritty and harsh the story was, and how it really didn't mince words. I liked the main character and the way the author portrayed every aspect of every situation, avoiding all bias or favoritism. In the end, it was a spellbinding book that is still at the top of my list in terms of dystopian novels. You can see why I was so excited to read this sequel, and read about how the author imagined the future of her dystopian society.

      Etta comes from Nowhere, a village full of survivors of the plague that wiped away the old world. In Nowhere, mothers and midwives are considered sacred, and everyone reveres the teachings of the Unnamed Midwife. Etta, however, doesn't feel the same way about the role of a midwife or a mother. She would much rather be a scavenger, who roams the territories surrounding Nowhere, salvaging useful relics and saving women and girls being sold by slave traders. When slavers capture those she loves, Etta vows to avenge them. As her mission leads her to the stronghold of the Lion, a tyrant who claims currency through a bounty of weapons and women, Etta will have to risk her body and spirit to not only save lives but also to discover her own destiny.

      Let me begin by saying that it is imperative that you read the first book in this trilogy or else the concepts and impact of this story really won't make sense. That being said, this novel takes on the issue of gender in a completely different way than The Book of the Unnamed Midwife. While in the first book the focus was on struggling to be a woman, this novel is all about gender fluidity. As usual, the author conveys her story in that gritty, no-holds-bar style that I love and she really doesn't shy away from disturbing content. There are graphic depictions of rape and abuse, so consider this a warning for those wary of this kind of content. Unlike the first story which centered on the survival of a whole gender, this novel is much more of an identity quest where Etta/Eddy discovers who he/she really is amidst a society that doesn't really support lesbian/gay relations or even the concept of being transgendered. This novel pulled me in but I found myself more drawn to the internal struggles rather than the actual action parts of the story. While it felt like this novel moved slower than its predecessor, I didn't mind because it gave me the time to really think deeply on the ideas that the author is presenting. I still think the first book in this series was the better of the two, but this novel is by no means bad. Overall, another gripping story that tackles difficult issues in a dystopian setting. I can't wait to see what the author will publish next in this fascinating series!
    • 3/5
      I found this another interesting read but less so than the first book. Mainly because it is so bleak and wearing its agenda too obviously on its sleeve. The first book was bleak but at least ended on a hopeful note. This started out hopeful and then got bleaker with an open ending. Will there be a 3rd book?
    • 4/5
      I didn't think The Book of the Unnamed Midwife needed a sequel, but I'd argue this isn't one: set 100 years later, it explores a world still failing to find equilibrium in the wake of a pandemic that has all but wiped out womankind. Mankind, sadly, has responded in the worst possible ways.Isolated communities have adopted different social models for survival; Etta is from matriarchal Nowhere, but rejects the traditional roles of Mother or Midwife to journey beyond its walls as trader and scavenger. Etta comes face to face with brutality and must confront both gender and sexual identity as it becomes clear that Nowhere's fragile peace is under threat from an empire-building tyrant.Expect introspection and commentary on reproductive rights, identity and intersectional feminism - packaged up in a taut, nail-biting narrative.Full reviewI received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
    • 5/5
      In this sequel to the wonderful "Book of the Unnamed Midwife", a century has passed since a virus killed most women. Those who survived and later got pregnant usually died. The Unnamed Midwife did what she could to spread birth control, disguising herself as a man most of the time to avoid captivity and rape, the typical fate of unprotected women. In Nowhere, a fort in the Midwest where the Midwife finally settled, women are now divided into Mothers and Midwives. Those who choose and survive pregnancy are revered, but all women are highly valued. Most residents of Nowhere live in hives: collections of men who form a family with one woman. Women and men all take part in decision-making and work, and the town council always has a majority of women.Etta, the "living daughter" of one of the elder women, has chosen to be a raider, someone who travels from the town in search for old-world items which can be used for trade. Etta also has a secondary goal: the rescue of abused girls and women and the death of their captors. Etta seems to be in her early 20s. On the road she disguises herself Eddy, having shaved her head and learned male body-language. But it's obvious Etta has experienced a profound trauma in her raiding, and it's not too hard to figure out what that entailed. Her Eddy identity is slowly edging out Etta's, and her fury over what's happened to her alienates her from her mother and the other women with whom she's close. Eventually she determines to leave Nowhere and try to find San Francisco, the Midwife's original hometown. Her journey brings her into contact with a variety of towns which have solved the woman shortage in quite diverse ways, some reverential, some cruel and hopeless.Etta is a complex and difficult character. She's not particularly likable, but it's a very difficult world in which she works. It's hard to tell if she's truly having a sexual identity crisis or is so damaged by what's happened to her that she's almost a split personality. Either way, the author's portrait of the future continues in this entry to be profound, sometimes appalling, and always surprising. I sincerely hope there will be another sequel.