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The Birth Yard
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
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The Birth Yard
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Publisher's Summary
A debut novel for readers and listeners of The Handmaid's Tale and The Girls, The Birth Yard is a gripping story of a young woman's rebellion against the rules that control her body
Sable Ursu has just turned 18, which means she is ready to breed. Within the confines of her world, a patriarchal cult known as the Den, female fertility and sexuality are wholly controlled by Men. In the season they come of age, Sable and her friends Mamie and Dinah are each paired with a Match with the purpose of conceiving a child. Sable is paired with Ambrose, the son of a favoured Man in the Den. Others are not so lucky.
In their second trimester, girls are sent to the Birth Yard, where they are prepared for giving birth and motherhood, but are also regularly drugged and monitored by their midwives. Sable is unable to ignore her unease about the pills they are forced to swallow and the punishments they receive for stepping out of line. Too many of the girls, including Mamie and Dinah, have secrets and it is impossible to know whom to trust. When Sable's loyalty is questioned and her safety within the Den is threatened, she must rebel against the only life she has ever known - the only life she has been designed for.
Mallory Tater weaves an intricate narrative, equal parts suspense and action, while twisting contemporary social anxieties to dizzying extremes. She meticulously deconstructs the intricate relationships between womanhood, government, and the female body. A startling and important debut novel, The Birth Yard echoes Margaret Atwood's dark and cautionary classic The Handmaid's Tale. But this is no dystopian world; there is no totalitarian government. The Den exists now.
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What listeners say about The Birth Yard
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kris6
- 2023-05-19
Left me wanting more
Great story, but ended before it was over. I wish there was an epilogue or sequel.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Helen
- 2020-06-10
Sparks the senses
I don’t usually read non-fiction audio books, but Mallory Tater kindly gifted me this, and I’m so grateful as I just couldn’t wait for the paper copy to be available in the UK.
This novel was nothing short of terrifying, with women being reduced to reproductive machines, and men being controlled by a small cult dictatorship.
Close to nature with vividly descriptive settings, sights and smells...this book sparks the senses and invokes fear, sadness and anger.
You can’t help but compare it to the Handmaids tale with the same clear themes running through the novel, and whilst it is not as original as Attwood’s dystopian world and therefore doesn’t quite give the same big impact, the real life and real time cult aspect does make Tater’s concept all the more frightening.
My only criticism would be that the final section felt rushed to a conclusion, and didn’t maintain the same level of tension or the dark, sinister tone Tater took the time to build in the first two parts of the novel.
A brilliant debut novel, and I am excited to see what Tater writes next!!!!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- NePatsGirl
- 2020-04-09
Pretty good - unsure of ending
Enjoyed the book. Narration was good. Story was good - enjoyed . Not sure what I was expecting for an ending ... was somewhat surprised by the way it ended. Worth listening to- would recommend
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jasmine Davey
- 2020-04-04
Good listen.
it's a good listen for the most part, the narrator does a great job but it ends quite abruptly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-04-09
If you like dystopian cult stories this is for you
I didn’t want it to end. I was intrigued by the characters and story line. I wonder if it was adapted from a true account of events?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- kelly mckay
- 2020-04-18
The birth yard
Great book it shows you how women can survive if push comes to shove. I like how the author shows the emotional challenge these women had to endure. I feel sorry in this day and age that some women have to still put up with this.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Maggie Reid
- 2020-04-16
Very interesting
I was totally drawn into the story. I felt like this could happen in the world quite easily. I binge listened to it and enjoyed it all until the end. Totally fell off at the end! What a disappointment. I would still recommend but be prepared not to like the last minute of the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tea
- 2021-06-23
this book caught my eye.
and it was amazing. it lived up to my expectations of it and more. I really hope it has a second book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sheena E
- 2020-03-14
I couldn’t stop listening.
While current society is ousting The Men for their behaviour, this story is a stark reminder of how quickly and easily women give their power to men. And how men take it. Hearing the brave and courageous Sable question her life, teachings and what her true thoughts were eye opening and deep. I felt connected to her and was rooting for her through the whole book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Julie Cooke
- 2020-09-17
Cool story
A nod to Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaids Tale”, this story’s theme of the oppressed woman in a dystopian society is relevant and interesting. It is well written and the audiobook and simply produced. I enjoy these ones where it’s simply someone reading, no sound effects or accents or changing narrators. Would recommend.
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