One of the most profoundly sad books I've ever read, Letter to a Child Never Born is a deeply personal conversation between a woman and her unborn child. You might call it a monologue, but to me it feels more like a dialogue, even if the child this 'letter' is directed to is still a fetus. The way Fallaci addresses the child makes it seem all too real. Yes, the fetus doesn't directly answer the mother, but one can feel there is a bond, a bond that grows as the novel progresses. Isn't pregnancy one of the greatest mysteries of life? Surely there are many bonds that tie a mother to her child. One might call this book an epistolary novel, as it is (as the title implies) written as a letter from a woman to her unborn child. I've called it a written dialogue, but I don't think it really matters how we classify it, what matter is that it is an exceptional novel.
Clearly, the book is, in many ways, autobiographical. I've just called it a deeply personal book, but it is a also a philosophical one. It questions life, gender roles, personal responsibility and freedom, abortion and parenting. It speaks of difficult topics with intelligence, honesty and bravery. It speaks of what is like to be a woman. A woman that loves her job, that is passionate about her writing and that is afraid to give up her artistic freedom because of pregnancy. Letter To a Child Never Born is a personal tale, but it is also a philosophical discussion. With so many ideas thrown around, discussed it detail and explained with eloquence, at times it seems like a collection of essayist writing, and yet it remains a personal story of an unplanned pregnancy. It's a brilliant novel, in the every sense of the word. Beautifully written, sensitive and sensible recount of what it feels like to be a woman.
I remember seeing some documentary in which it was mentioned that some Italian feminist have accused Fallaci of speaking against abortion, but that is not what this book is about. Quite on the contrary, it could even be called a feminist novel as it can easily be placed within the context of seventies feminism. It was written in a time when feminism still made sense, not like today when it sadly seems to be more about accusing men for everything, then about empowering women. Anyhow, this book is no pamphlet, and it's certainly neither pro or anti abortion. At one point Fallaci even asks the question whether we have the right to bring any child into this world of suffering? Does any child ask to be born? In reality, this is a book that speaks of the complex issues and isn't afraid to ask difficult questions.
The story of a young professional unmarried woman struggling with a difficult decision of whether or not to keep her child is not dated. Life will always present us with difficult choices. One way or another, parenting is always a complex subject. Sometimes not becoming a parent is not a choice, but an unfortunate accident or a result of health problems. Still, the existential questions of parenting are always there, even if we are not fortunate to realize ourselves as parents. There is always guilt and self-questioning, both for parents and childless adults. In this book, the pregnant woman (possibly the author herself) feels herself shunned by society, questioned by her gynecologist but in reality all that is secondary. Perhaps becoming a mother is most often a deeply personal choice. Perhaps it is never an easy one.
I felt that this book captures wonderfully all the complexities of being a woman. It's intelligent, brave and emotional. It was the second book by Fallaci that I have read. It's been years since I read it, but I remember it so clearly. Letter to a Child Never Born is a powerful pregnancy tale is there ever was one. I would recommend it to every adult person.