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Labor: One Woman's Work
A powerful memoir of medicine, identity, and family secrets from an esteemed OB/GYN as she unravels her grandmother’s mysterious death while reimagining women’s health care from a mobile clinic—for readers of The Beauty in Breaking and The In-Between.
In One Woman’s Work, Dr. Mary Afsari takes us on a deeply personal and transformative journey through her life as an OB/GYN. Set against the vivid backdrops of Portland, Oregon, and Shiraz, Iran, this powerful memoir intertwines the complexities of her professional life with the hidden truths of her family’s past, exploring the intersection of medicine, identity, and the enduring search for agency.
The story begins in the bustling corridors of an Oregon hospital, where Mary dedicates herself wholeheartedly to her patients—often at great personal cost. At the same time, Mary uncovers a long-buried family the tragic story of her grandmother Mehry’s death in 1950s Iran. This revelation propels her on a quest to untangle the threads of her family’s history while confronting the forces that have shaped her identity and her professional mission.
As Mary struggles with the oppressive realities of the medical-industrial complex and the growing attacks on women’s reproductive rights, she chooses a path of bold defiance. Inspired by her grandmother’s legacy and her own commitment to compassionate care, she decides to take her work out of the hospital and on the she converts an RV into a mobile women’s health clinic. This innovative act allows her to deliver personalized, critical reproductive health care services across the Pacific Northwest, creating community and enduring friendships along the way.
“When women don’t have a choice, bad things happen,” Mary writes. Labor is an intimate, immersive personal story, a rallying cry in a post-Roe world, and an inspiring example of what women can do when they do have a choice. Rich with the voices of her patients and the vibrant cultural threads of her Iranian heritage, Mary’s story challenges us to rethink the boundaries of health care and reclaim the autonomy of women’s bodies and lives. With warmth, insight, and humor, Labor ultimately offers a vision of transformation, resilience, and the power of reclaiming one’s path and saving other people’s lives in the process.
In One Woman’s Work, Dr. Mary Afsari takes us on a deeply personal and transformative journey through her life as an OB/GYN. Set against the vivid backdrops of Portland, Oregon, and Shiraz, Iran, this powerful memoir intertwines the complexities of her professional life with the hidden truths of her family’s past, exploring the intersection of medicine, identity, and the enduring search for agency.
The story begins in the bustling corridors of an Oregon hospital, where Mary dedicates herself wholeheartedly to her patients—often at great personal cost. At the same time, Mary uncovers a long-buried family the tragic story of her grandmother Mehry’s death in 1950s Iran. This revelation propels her on a quest to untangle the threads of her family’s history while confronting the forces that have shaped her identity and her professional mission.
As Mary struggles with the oppressive realities of the medical-industrial complex and the growing attacks on women’s reproductive rights, she chooses a path of bold defiance. Inspired by her grandmother’s legacy and her own commitment to compassionate care, she decides to take her work out of the hospital and on the she converts an RV into a mobile women’s health clinic. This innovative act allows her to deliver personalized, critical reproductive health care services across the Pacific Northwest, creating community and enduring friendships along the way.
“When women don’t have a choice, bad things happen,” Mary writes. Labor is an intimate, immersive personal story, a rallying cry in a post-Roe world, and an inspiring example of what women can do when they do have a choice. Rich with the voices of her patients and the vibrant cultural threads of her Iranian heritage, Mary’s story challenges us to rethink the boundaries of health care and reclaim the autonomy of women’s bodies and lives. With warmth, insight, and humor, Labor ultimately offers a vision of transformation, resilience, and the power of reclaiming one’s path and saving other people’s lives in the process.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published April 7, 2026
51 people are currently reading
5666 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 19, 2026
So so so good, to all my OB girlies, this is a must read ♥️ we love a local OB legend
April 28, 2026
I didn't get to it by release date, but I have to shout out this gorgeous memoir. I am surprised I didn't know about it before I did my library's holds list - I needed to order a copy to fulfill holds, and I quickly downloaded the ARC, so I thank Edelweiss for the last-minute read. Afsari relates her experience as an OB/GYN through her life, from internship and residency through hospital and private practice and then a small mobile clinic she runs herself. She describes her experience juxtaposed with her memories of her two grandmothers, especially her maternal grandmother, whom she's named for. Every story is moving and powerful, and the entire book shows just how important women's health is to both our society and to individuals. Afsari is a gem.
April 23, 2026
Labor is a memoir written by a doctor born to Iranian immigrants. She is an OB/GYN, so she has a significant amount of knowledge when it comes to abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths, and Dr. Afsari realizes that the story of her grandmother's death was a lie hiding an attempt to lose a pregnancy. That being said, this story is not fully woven throughout the memoir, but appears in pieces throughout other stories/essays related to a person's choice to have a child. This memoir is incredibly easy to read, and is extremely relevant in our current political climate. I wish there was a bit more weaving of the narrative related to her grandmother throughout, but it was enjoyable nevertheless.
Thank you to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2026
Short and not as emotionally involved as I usually prefer, but very thought provoking
April 12, 2026
I heard about this book while listening to NPR, and knew I needed to read it.
I inhaled it in one day.
Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari weaves details from her own fascinating family history with her professional life as an OB-GYN doctor who decides to leave a standard hospital setting to create a drive-in van tricked out to go to patients who live far from hospitals in the part of Oregon where she lives with her family.
It's a fascinating read that filled my heart with gratitude for her openness and sense of community, espcially in these times of denial and/or cutback regarding the necessities of women's access to maternal health in our nation.
I inhaled it in one day.
Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari weaves details from her own fascinating family history with her professional life as an OB-GYN doctor who decides to leave a standard hospital setting to create a drive-in van tricked out to go to patients who live far from hospitals in the part of Oregon where she lives with her family.
It's a fascinating read that filled my heart with gratitude for her openness and sense of community, espcially in these times of denial and/or cutback regarding the necessities of women's access to maternal health in our nation.
November 14, 2025
"It's not an act of love if you make her / You make me do too much labor"
From the modern, beeping, activity-filled halls of a Portland, Oregon medical center to the sun-drenched home of her doomed grandmother in 1950s Iran, Mary - an OB/GYN straddling two worlds takes readers on a journey between past and present, identity and belonging, family and personal missions, as she unravels the ghosts of her family's past while confronting the realities of reproductive healthcare access in America.
"When women don't have a choice, bad things happen"
In the face of the battle being waged on women's healthcare and reproductive access, Mary - inspired by her grandmother's legacy - opens a mobile women's health clinic, retrofitting an RV to bring healthcare to those who need it most but who may not be able to access it for any number of reasons. Bold and defiant in the face of a post-Roe world, Mary serves as an example of what women can do when they DO have a choice. Rich in history, memory, resilience, loss, love, friendships, and the yearning for what could have been and what could be, "One Woman's Work" is a rallying cry for healthcare workers and private citizens alike to rethink the boundaries of health care and reclaim the autonomy of women’s bodies and lives.
I absolutely devoured this book - as someone who thought long and hard about OB/GYN as a career path and for whom reproductive justice and women's health remain incredibly vital pillars of medicine as a career, this was an incredible memoir. I remember where I was and what I was doing when Roe fell, and for the past several years each new story in the news of a right lost, a life snuffed due to inadequate healthcare access, and a freedom stripped away has been incredibly disheartening. Mary's story - her personal journey through medicine, her motivations, the family secrets which lit a fire in her to offer something new and radical in the sometimes rigidly inflexible realm of healthcare, and her dedication in the face of insurmountable personal and financial struggles was incredibly inspiring.
There are good people out there trying to do what is right even when it isn't easy, and in the face of such injustice in the world - especially for the most vulnerable among us - knowing people like Mary are out in the world, bringing healthcare to those who need it one gas station visit and generator refill at a time is inspiring, heartwarming, and definitely has me looking at what local organizations I can devote some of my time and resources towards. Congratulations to Mary on a fantastic book and accomplishment in the founding of her mobile clinic, and I look forward to following along with her work in Oregon!
From the modern, beeping, activity-filled halls of a Portland, Oregon medical center to the sun-drenched home of her doomed grandmother in 1950s Iran, Mary - an OB/GYN straddling two worlds takes readers on a journey between past and present, identity and belonging, family and personal missions, as she unravels the ghosts of her family's past while confronting the realities of reproductive healthcare access in America.
"When women don't have a choice, bad things happen"
In the face of the battle being waged on women's healthcare and reproductive access, Mary - inspired by her grandmother's legacy - opens a mobile women's health clinic, retrofitting an RV to bring healthcare to those who need it most but who may not be able to access it for any number of reasons. Bold and defiant in the face of a post-Roe world, Mary serves as an example of what women can do when they DO have a choice. Rich in history, memory, resilience, loss, love, friendships, and the yearning for what could have been and what could be, "One Woman's Work" is a rallying cry for healthcare workers and private citizens alike to rethink the boundaries of health care and reclaim the autonomy of women’s bodies and lives.
I absolutely devoured this book - as someone who thought long and hard about OB/GYN as a career path and for whom reproductive justice and women's health remain incredibly vital pillars of medicine as a career, this was an incredible memoir. I remember where I was and what I was doing when Roe fell, and for the past several years each new story in the news of a right lost, a life snuffed due to inadequate healthcare access, and a freedom stripped away has been incredibly disheartening. Mary's story - her personal journey through medicine, her motivations, the family secrets which lit a fire in her to offer something new and radical in the sometimes rigidly inflexible realm of healthcare, and her dedication in the face of insurmountable personal and financial struggles was incredibly inspiring.
There are good people out there trying to do what is right even when it isn't easy, and in the face of such injustice in the world - especially for the most vulnerable among us - knowing people like Mary are out in the world, bringing healthcare to those who need it one gas station visit and generator refill at a time is inspiring, heartwarming, and definitely has me looking at what local organizations I can devote some of my time and resources towards. Congratulations to Mary on a fantastic book and accomplishment in the founding of her mobile clinic, and I look forward to following along with her work in Oregon!
December 5, 2025
In this powerful memoir, an ob-gyn shaped by her family’s Iranian immigrant roots reflects on her years practicing medicine in Oregon—years marked by tireless commitment to patients and a growing heartbreak at the system’s persistent failures in women’s safety and care. As she confronts the daily realities of a healthcare structure that too often sidelines women’s needs, she undergoes a profound personal and professional transformation.
Threaded through her story is the legacy of her grandmother, Mehry, whose tragic death in childbirth becomes a generational echo of what can happen when reproductive care is shrouded in silence and stigma. Her grandmother’s experience—steeped in cultural constraint, unspoken expectations, and the absence of accessible support—shapes the author’s understanding of the stakes of her work and the urgency of advocating for women who have been historically unheard.
Haunted by the stories she inherits and the ones she encounters in clinics and delivery rooms, she begins searching for new ways to care more deeply and more directly. What follows is a journey of reinvention—from burnout to bold self-expression, from quiet reflection to the creation of a mobile ob-gyn clinic that allows her to meet women where they are, especially those most marginalized by traditional healthcare.
As Roe v. Wade falls and reproductive rights constrict nationwide, her mission sharpens. With access shrinking and fear rising, she steps forward, determined to provide care in a landscape increasingly defined by abandonment.
Bold, intimate, and fiercely compassionate, this memoir charts one woman’s search for purpose within a politicized healthcare system. It is a testament to resilience, advocacy, and the radical impact of showing up with humanity.
A vital read for anyone navigating the uncertainties of a post-Roe world, it champions courageous action, empathy above all, and the power of choosing a path devoted to women’s well-being.
Threaded through her story is the legacy of her grandmother, Mehry, whose tragic death in childbirth becomes a generational echo of what can happen when reproductive care is shrouded in silence and stigma. Her grandmother’s experience—steeped in cultural constraint, unspoken expectations, and the absence of accessible support—shapes the author’s understanding of the stakes of her work and the urgency of advocating for women who have been historically unheard.
Haunted by the stories she inherits and the ones she encounters in clinics and delivery rooms, she begins searching for new ways to care more deeply and more directly. What follows is a journey of reinvention—from burnout to bold self-expression, from quiet reflection to the creation of a mobile ob-gyn clinic that allows her to meet women where they are, especially those most marginalized by traditional healthcare.
As Roe v. Wade falls and reproductive rights constrict nationwide, her mission sharpens. With access shrinking and fear rising, she steps forward, determined to provide care in a landscape increasingly defined by abandonment.
Bold, intimate, and fiercely compassionate, this memoir charts one woman’s search for purpose within a politicized healthcare system. It is a testament to resilience, advocacy, and the radical impact of showing up with humanity.
A vital read for anyone navigating the uncertainties of a post-Roe world, it champions courageous action, empathy above all, and the power of choosing a path devoted to women’s well-being.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was such a great way to start my reads of 2026. There’s women like Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari out there who are looking out for the future of my daughter’s rights and I’m a better person for reading her story. As I read this book I was angry, scared, sad, but by the end I felt hope. Hope that there’s more doctors out there willing to fight and do something crazy and new like turning a vehicle into a mobile practice for reproductive healthcare. While moving through this book the reader gets to see numerous different clinical situations that had permanent impacts on how the author views reproductive healthcare and the importance of what she does.
I also learned a lot about Iran and the struggle they have been experiencing while reading this story. My favorite aspect of the story took place in Iran as we get glimpses into what the author’s grandmother had been through while seeking an end to an unwanted pregnancy and how it may have ultimately led to her death. I loved the way the flashbacks offered a needed break from current events. It was still hard to read at times, but it gave a break by looking into the past. “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” Woman, Life, Freedom.
I also learned a lot about Iran and the struggle they have been experiencing while reading this story. My favorite aspect of the story took place in Iran as we get glimpses into what the author’s grandmother had been through while seeking an end to an unwanted pregnancy and how it may have ultimately led to her death. I loved the way the flashbacks offered a needed break from current events. It was still hard to read at times, but it gave a break by looking into the past. “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” Woman, Life, Freedom.
January 30, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release of a truly beautiful memoir.
This review is in my words and opinions are my own.
What a powerful memoir to start my 2026. The way Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari writes is captivating, raw and powerful. I am thankful for reading her story and knowing there are doctors out there like her in the corner for women and women's healthcare. As a mother of two who had emergent deliveries both times; as a woman who deals with varying levels of hormone dysfunction on the regular, I am grateful to the doctors I have encountered who listened the same way that Dr. Afsari does to her patients.
I found myself in tears many times throughout this because her passion and attention to detail for her patients was heartwarming. I was gripped by what happened with her own grandmother in the face of what happens when women's health is not taken seriously and taken care of.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, really. Men and women alike. Be prepared to feel deeply for the author, the women who she cares for and the women in your life. Wonderful read <3
This review is in my words and opinions are my own.
What a powerful memoir to start my 2026. The way Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari writes is captivating, raw and powerful. I am thankful for reading her story and knowing there are doctors out there like her in the corner for women and women's healthcare. As a mother of two who had emergent deliveries both times; as a woman who deals with varying levels of hormone dysfunction on the regular, I am grateful to the doctors I have encountered who listened the same way that Dr. Afsari does to her patients.
I found myself in tears many times throughout this because her passion and attention to detail for her patients was heartwarming. I was gripped by what happened with her own grandmother in the face of what happens when women's health is not taken seriously and taken care of.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, really. Men and women alike. Be prepared to feel deeply for the author, the women who she cares for and the women in your life. Wonderful read <3
May 9, 2026
What stayed with me after reading Labor was the way Mary Fariba Afsari connects the intimate realities of reproductive care with the inherited silence surrounding her grandmother’s death. The memoir continually moves between hospital corridors, family history, and the roads of the Pacific Northwest, creating a structure where personal investigation and medical practice reflect each other.
I especially appreciated the tension between institutional medicine and individualized care that runs through the book. The decision to transform an RV into a mobile clinic feels less like a symbolic gesture and more like the natural culmination of the frustrations, ethical conflicts, and emotional exhaustion the memoir carefully builds throughout. The inclusion of patient voices also gives the narrative a collective dimension, reminding readers that debates around reproductive rights are lived through everyday bodies and circumstances.
This book will reward readers interested in memoirs where professional identity and family history are deeply intertwined. It left me thinking about how medicine can become both a means of survival and a way of reclaiming agency across generations.
I especially appreciated the tension between institutional medicine and individualized care that runs through the book. The decision to transform an RV into a mobile clinic feels less like a symbolic gesture and more like the natural culmination of the frustrations, ethical conflicts, and emotional exhaustion the memoir carefully builds throughout. The inclusion of patient voices also gives the narrative a collective dimension, reminding readers that debates around reproductive rights are lived through everyday bodies and circumstances.
This book will reward readers interested in memoirs where professional identity and family history are deeply intertwined. It left me thinking about how medicine can become both a means of survival and a way of reclaiming agency across generations.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways for this wonderful book. I felt, at times, that I could see this lady and her obvious love for her patients as well as her profession. I am recently retired from 40 years as a Physical Therapist Assistant and so totally understand how frustrating the Healthcare system has become when it feels like Healthcare providers are fighting to find the time needed to provide the care each person deserves. I love her solution of the much more private and inclusive RV Clinic. This is a good book for all readers to get a better view of just how many diverse situations there are in this so necessary specialty!!
April 28, 2026
normally I try to not rate memoirs or autobiography’s bc who am I to judge on how people tell their stories however this will be an exceptions. a good storyteller is someone who makes you feel like you’re with them the entire way and she did that. I felt her love, her compassion, her charisma, her passion while reading this book and felt like I knew her truly even though we’ve never met. and I think that’s why I make an exception because I felt like I was with her the entire time she was going through her life and felt as though she was telling me about it face to face rather than reading it. it’s such an amazing book and I’ll be recommending it to everyone.
April 19, 2026
An unbelievable story. A doctor's fight to bring essential and life-saving care to her patients. Who looked burnout in the face and said I need to do more, not less. All at great personal sacrifice. To honor women who have had healthcare stripped as a personal freedom. To honor her grandmother, who didn't have the choices we have in this country.
Dr. Afsari's memoir is an incredibly important one, a must read for anyone who cares about women's health and reproductive decisions in this country.
Dr. Afsari's memoir is an incredibly important one, a must read for anyone who cares about women's health and reproductive decisions in this country.
March 17, 2026
Labor: One Woman’s Work by Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari is a memoir from an obstetrician/gynecologist who takes her work on the road in the form of a van. With personal stories from both her own life and past generations in her family, we learn of the deep rooted motivation that drives this doctor to advocate for women.
Dr. Mary tells us her ambitious plan to make women’s healthcare more accessible, despite legislative threats to her profession. From Iranian roots, there are very compelling narratives of freedom - specifically woman, life, freedom. There are patient stories that fall into the extreme categories - teenage pregnancy and life threatening complications - which make the book very interesting. I enjoyed the length of chapters that wove in stories of Dr. Mary’s grandmother, and how her life choices ultimately influenced the work she does.
I think this is a powerful memoir, especially reading it during current events with Iran and the United States. Caring for women in their childbearing years is so important and I’m glad that women have providers like Dr. Mary to support them!
Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, and the author Mary Fariba Afsari by for an ARC of Labor in exchange for an honest review!
Dr. Mary tells us her ambitious plan to make women’s healthcare more accessible, despite legislative threats to her profession. From Iranian roots, there are very compelling narratives of freedom - specifically woman, life, freedom. There are patient stories that fall into the extreme categories - teenage pregnancy and life threatening complications - which make the book very interesting. I enjoyed the length of chapters that wove in stories of Dr. Mary’s grandmother, and how her life choices ultimately influenced the work she does.
I think this is a powerful memoir, especially reading it during current events with Iran and the United States. Caring for women in their childbearing years is so important and I’m glad that women have providers like Dr. Mary to support them!
Thank you to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, and the author Mary Fariba Afsari by for an ARC of Labor in exchange for an honest review!
April 30, 2026
3.5 stars. Listen to the audiobook. Narration was excellent. This book was only 5 hours and too short in my opinion. I mostly appreciated the medical aspects and the medical stories and I wish there were more in-depth chapters about that. It seemed like an overview and I just wanted more. The story she did provide were so interesting and fascinating.
May 9, 2026
Read this if you do or don’t believe in equitable healthcare for women. If you do or don’t believe in gender-affirming care. If you do or don’t believe in women’s rights, or abortion, or the importance of history and nationality. If you’re a female or male - just read it, then tell me what you thought while you did.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley and avid Reader Press for sharing this inspiring memoir. Recommended if you’re interested in one dedicated doctor’s story of caring for women, and how she found connections between that and her family history.
April 22, 2026
What an amazing woman. It's not a 5 star because the dramatization of the grandmother's story just didn't quite fit in with the rest of the book. Writing it as nonfiction would have been just as impactful.
highly recommended
highly recommended
April 29, 2026
I really loved this one, especially on audio. I ended up listening to the whole thing in one day while gardening.
The author does a great job explaining why she’s so committed to her work and what makes it meaningful. I appreciated how clearly she names the specific needs women have and how that led her to create a mobile clinic. She comes across as thoughtful, grounded, and deeply human. She just seems like good people.
A memoir from an obgyn reflecting on her work, her patients, and the gaps in care she’s trying to fill. It follows her experiences supporting women while building a more accessible model of care.
The author does a great job explaining why she’s so committed to her work and what makes it meaningful. I appreciated how clearly she names the specific needs women have and how that led her to create a mobile clinic. She comes across as thoughtful, grounded, and deeply human. She just seems like good people.
A memoir from an obgyn reflecting on her work, her patients, and the gaps in care she’s trying to fill. It follows her experiences supporting women while building a more accessible model of care.
April 28, 2026
This was pretty interesting. I especially liked the medical cases and the stories of her practice in a traveling RV. There was a kind of interesting "imagining" of her grandmother's death in Iran that seemed a little different to me, but I get why the story is there I guess.
May 6, 2026
Great memoir. I would have enjoyed even more individual stories and anecdotes. Also not a book I would have read if I still was planning on being pregnant. There are some scary (although rare) things that can happen.
May 9, 2026
Dr. Afsari writes about the life of her Iranian family and how her family's experiences impacted her current life and choices. She describes her work as an OBGYN doctor and challenging patient cases and the community she has found in medicine.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
gorgeously interesting memoir with some impeccable vibes throughout. would recommend this one and her story is really interesting to hear. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I absolutely loved it and could not stop reading!!
Read
April 9, 2026Interesting and quick read
April 10, 2026
5⭐️
all day, every day energy
all day, every day energy
April 13, 2026
While I disagree with many of the positions of the author I found her story as an immigrant from Iran, and the complexities of her job as an OBGYN to be compelling and thought provoking.
April 18, 2026
Remarkable. Please write more books Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari!
April 19, 2026
“What was taken for granted one day is just as quickly taken away.”
Profoundly important message and profoundly important work. Dr. Affair is a hero.
Profoundly important message and profoundly important work. Dr. Affair is a hero.
April 22, 2026
Really liked this. I just wanted more stories and perspective.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews