What if the only way to reclaim reproductive freedom was to rewrite the very nature of birth itself?

For fans of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale comes Ava, a provocative blend of speculative fiction and social commentary that takes readers on a gripping, thought-provoking journey into the fight for women’s autonomy in a politically charged Southern landscape. 

What if the only way to reclaim reproductive freedom was to rewrite the very nature of birth itself?

Ten years after Roe v. Wade is overturned, twenty-two-year-old biologist Larkin finds herself unexpectedly pregnant in a country where choice is no longer an option. Initially uncertain, she embraces motherhood—until a devastating diagnosis changes everything. Trapped by Tennessee’s strict abortion laws, she is forced to carry her baby to term, only to endure the heartbreak of losing her hours after birth.

Years later, Larkin joins a radical scientific movement that could change everything: a groundbreaking technology that replaces gestation with incubation, allowing women true control over their reproduction. When she uses it to bring her second daughter, Ava, into the world, she believes she has finally reclaimed her autonomy. But as Ava grows and begins to question the very choice that created her, Larkin is challenged in ways she never imagined.

Ava is a powerful, emotionally charged exploration of motherhood, bodily autonomy, and the far-reaching consequences of restrictive legislation. In a future shaped by loss and innovation, mother and daughter must confront the ultimate question: what does it truly mean to have a choice?

Ava is at once compelling, entertaining, and thought-provoking. As an avid reader I always look for books that make a difference, that entertain and also educate. Author Victoria Dillon’s debut novel is all that and more. The lessons in Ava are relevant and important and Dillon weaves these lessons throughout her book in a brilliant way. You will gasp at the twists and turns and after you read the last page, this story will stay with you.

Laura L. Engel, Author of “You’ll Forget This Ever Happened- secrets, shame, and adoption in the 1960s”

 

Ava is a stunning debut that confronts the inevitable intersection of science, motherhood, and bodily autonomy with unflinching honesty. This novel is at once tender and seething, weaving speculative elements with startling realism. Dillon brings a scientist’s precision and a storyteller’s grace to a narrative that is both timely and timeless.

Tanya Chernov, Author of “A Real Emotional Girl”

Victoria Dillon’s novel, Ava is a wise and accomplished blend of storytelling, science and social commentary that explores a woman’s right to choose and the heartbreaking consequences when choice is denied.  With great respect for science and the basic facts of life, this novel spins us into a moving, wonderfully imagined future.

Jill McCorkle, Author of “Hieroglyphics”

Victoria Dillon is a former research scientist, current pediatrician, and writer with a passion for exploring the intersections of politics and science. She has a unique ability to blend speculative fiction with thought-provoking social commentary, creating prose that speaks to both the heart and the mind. She has lived in the South throughout her childhood and career and loves naps with her cat, Americana music, and hunting for her next read at Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN. She currently resides in Middle Tennessee.

Ava provides plenty of room for discussion and is the perfect addition to your book club. 

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