The Misconceiver

by Lucy Ferriss

Following in the steps of her dead sister and mother, Phoebe works in the computer industry by day and at night performs illegal "misconceptions" in her basement, restoring to desperate women some measure of control over their own bodies. A love affair forces a choice between closing herself off and revealing her secret, thus opening the door to betrayal. When she is arrested and jailed, she begins to confront the multiple contradictions of a world that has moved rapidly ahead technologically while reversing once-progressive social trends. Phoebe is fiercely loyal to the memory of her sister but anxious for her own freedom. Eventually she must choose - between revenge and forgiveness, family and self, guilt and accountability, romantic love and political action. Haunted by memory and hunted by the law, she begins to find her true self even as she sheds her old identity. Set in a future that is not far-fetched but well within the range of our imagination, The Misconceiver not only addresses a vivid issue of our time but also brings to life characters and relationships that could well be ours, just over the horizon of time.

Genres: Fiction, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Feminism

303 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1997

About the author

"Vivid, compelling, as ineluctable as a Greek tragedy." So writes Claire Messud (THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS) of Lucy Ferriss's forthcoming novel, A SISTER TO HONOR.

Born in St. Louis, Lucy has lived on both coasts, in the middle, and abroad. Her recent novel THE LOST DAUGHTER was a Book of the Month pick and a Barnes & Noble bestseller. Her memoir UNVEILING THE PROPHET was named Best Book of the Year by the St. Louis Riverfront Times; her collection LEAVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD won the Mid-List First Series Award. She lives with Don Moon in the Berkshires and in Connecticut, where she is Writer-in-Residence at Trinity College. She has two strong sons and abiding passions for music, politics, travel, tennis, and wilderness. To research A SISTER TO HONOR, she traveled to the northwest provinces of Pakistan and came to know its people, their hopes and their challenges both at home and in America.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started reading this book, I had no idea that I would be halfway through it almost exactly when the Supreme Court struck down Roe versus Wade. Not the Supreme Court in the book no, but the actual United States Supreme Court here in June of 2022. It's very strange to be reading a book about misconceivers, (abortion providers) during this time. This book was published in 1997 and I think at the time overturning Roe vs. Wade seemed like something that would never happen, at least I don't remember wondering if Roe vs. Wade was threatened back then, when I was 22/23 years old. Remember it was considered "established law" even up until the most recent Supreme Court justices were appointed, just a few years ago. So it's very strange to be reading a book about this topic set in that very premise, describing a dystopian future…. on the very day 6/24/22 when Roe versus Wade has actually been overturned.

As I mentioned before one of my favorite books of all time is The Handmaid's Tale. I read it for the first time when I was 18 years old and I said that it was life-changing and I still think it is life-changing. That book takes the ideas of the Christian right to their full fruition in other words what would society really be like if the most extreme wings of Christian right actually was able to make all the laws to codify there religious views. I'll be honest, it's a pretty bleak view of the future. This book, The Misconceiver is quite different in that it really focus is just on abortion being illegal. The rest of society's norms abortion morality are similar to what they are currently. Yes there is a bit of shade thrown on the gay couples but remembering the book was published in 1997 it seems like no more shade than would have been thrown anyway back then. I think we've come a long way since then. I hope that the author explains why abortion itself becomes illegal without any other social morals being legislated because it is a bit strange to read about it that way. Especially AFTER having read The Handmaid's Tale several times. At least in The Handmaid's Tale the men pretend to follow their own moral-rules in public, in The Misconceiver rape is rife in society and there are pro men groups that advocate making babies with your mistress to prove your masculinity. The Misconceiver doesn't go the whole way on changing society's morals, just on banning abortions.

The book is confusing as well. It seems to suggest that back alley abortions would be bad for women (has a septic infection and probably dies -though the protagonist wonders but does not know her ultimate fate - from a botched abortion), that locking misconceivers up is bad for women (clearly Phoebe's sister died from her incarceration)...but it also very clearly refers to abortions as infanticide and has the protagonist explicitly requiring each woman to respond to the question, "Do you want me to kill your baby?" with the answer, "Yes, I want you to kill my baby." Interesting terminology and a lot to think about. Difficult to pin the author down on her views.

While not as good as The Handmaid's Tale, by far, this book was certainly an interesting page turner. I also felt that the ending of the book was not what I was hoping for (spoiler alert, stop reading now)...turning herself in and going back to jail?!?!?!?! Why would she do that? Arthur could've been a doctor in Mexico. I didn't like the ending one bit.

One thing I did very much enjoy in this book is how Ferriss imagine techonology in the near future (this book, published in 1997, actually takes place right around now in the 2020's). On page 40, she writes, "...everyone's car videos flickering from the dash as they switch to the traffic monitor seeking device." GPS, WAYZ? Ferriss predicted well there.

On page 32 she refers to sexual abuse by a clergyman.

On page 19, she speaks of an AIDS vaccine as a done deal...something only dreamed about in 1997.

On page 40 she has people iin video calls...but you have to send them a message on their beeper to get them to log on, lol. She didn't predict one device for the message and the video chat.

On page 269, "...his lap open, working with patient simulations - treating people three thousand miles away." Remote medicine is definitely a thing in the 2020's, excellent prediction, Ms. Ferriss

[Audrey Auden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The speculative fiction novel The Misconceiver by Lucy Ferriss is an unflinching exploration of the individual and social consequences of severe restriction of reproductive choice. Phoebe Masters, the story’s narrator, is a provider of illegal abortion services living in the United States in the 2020s, after the recent (fictional) overturning of Roe v. Wade has led to a nationwide ban on abortions. The novel, originally published in 1997, has been re-released due to its heightened relevance in the wake of the (non-fictional) overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

From its very first scene, in which 15-year-old Lucy performs an abortion on her older sister, The Misconceiver refuses to avert its eyes from the physiological realities, emotional impacts, and moral questions surrounding abortion. The author never indulges in euphemism, never relies on political or ideological stereotypes, and never reduces complex issues to pat answers. The storytelling is equal parts courageous and troubling, as a result. Readers hoping to reinforce their pre-existing positions on issues of reproductive choice will not find this story easy to read. Whatever your beliefs, whatever your experiences, whatever your positions—The Misconceiver will push you outside your comfort zone.

As a story, The Misconceiver offers complex characters and relationships, a fast-paced plot with a whodunnit framing, and surprising resolutions. As an exploration of the larger question of reproductive choice, The Misconceiver offers a provocative, nuanced perspective that demands deep thought and questioning by the reader. This would be an excellent book club selection for a group of respectful and open-minded readers. (Fans of Margaret Atwood and Octavia Butler may also find this book particularly up their alley.)

The Misconceiver challenges the reader to think deeply about how we, as individuals and as a society, should wield our power to create and destroy lives. I highly recommend this book to any reader comfortable facing provocative questions with an open mind.

(I received a free ARC copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.)

[Wildwomble · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked 'The Handmaid's Tale' or 'Parable of the Sower' you probably would like this book as well. Thoughtful and scary sci-fi.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A computer scientist caught performing illegal abortions must flee underground in this novel of the near-future.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I start?? As a woman, this book is scary. Phoebe performs misconceptions, just as her mother and sister did before her. In the time of this book, abortions (or misconceptions) are illegal everywhere in the US. Women don’t have that many rights. It started with Roe v Wade being repealed. Women like Phoebe perform these illegally so women can be safe. Phoebe gets caught and sent to jail, but escapes.

There’s so much more to the story. Feelings, relationships, nuances… some things are futuristic. The writing was dry and difficult to read at first. I had to stick with it and adapt. There wasn’t a lot of emotion in the writing or the story. But things would happen and I wouldn’t realize it. I’d have to go back over it. But I feel like this contributed to the overall feel of the story. I think this is a must read for women. Whether you are pro life or pro choice, this is a great read showing it’s not always about what they’re saying it’s about and it’s certainly not black or white

[Drea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up for GR.

WHOA. SpecFic from the 90s that is wildly relevant and kind of strange to be reading during this time. It's so incredibly hard to swallow, hard to see so much of this playing out in real time. The story is terrifying, the characters are extremely complex, and the author presents the reader with challenges I was not expecting. My rating is a little lower than I would have liked it to be, but the beginning is slow.

[Jennifer Holloway Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was dystopian before dystopian was dystopian. It was interesting seeing the perspective of what the future would like on the 1990's. We are not too far from the future date of the book for the year 2026 and sadly this could play out fairly similarly. Phoebe never really questions her role in things until she realizes that she may pay for her involvement. I can definitely stomach a flawed character, however it is ridiculous that we are expected to believe that morality has completely flown the coop by 2026. I think a lot of readers will probably equate the idea of this novel being similar to The Handmaid's Tale, however just to assure people, it is definitely not, I struggled a bit with this read not because of subject matter, but this book kept losing me after the halfway mark. The plot line was just blurry and I almost completely lost all interest. I can see why this was rereleased, however I think it was better off to stay buried in the 1990's where it belongs. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

[Kristi Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley/the publisher upon its rerelease. This feels particularly relevant as this book was initially published in 1997 and is now being rereleased due to its obvious relevancy post-Dobbs. It seems like a few details have been updated throughout the book to change the year (I saw some older reviews mention 2011 but now the year is 2026?) while keeping the general structure in tact. This is most innocuous but it is a little weird to read a book that paints 2026 as the future and references the 90s but does not reference any of our current technologies or COVID despite 2026 not being that far off. It’s fiction, I can suspend my disbelief but in that vein, it could have just stayed as a faux-2011.

Logistics aside, I think the most obvious comparator to this novel would be A Handmaid’s Tale and I’m sure many will make the connection and find this book unable to compare. That’s fair but this book is also very different—or at least I thought it was trying to just show the world of the main character until it became clear that the character is trying to be a hero. I enjoyed this book as a character study of just one person in this world until about halfway through or so when things started to get convoluted and the cast of characters started to expand so much that it got confusing. There are a lot of small subplots that ultimately feel a little disconnected and by the end, I felt confused about the character I had just spent pages getting to know.

I enjoyed this book, but I’m not sure it was what I was expecting. I think it’s a good read given the current political climate and I actually do appreciate that the political messaging in the book is nuanced (almost all of the characters have complex, conflicting beliefs) though probably not for folks who aren’t pro-choice.

[KellyFish · Rating 2 out of 5]

One word review :

Disappointing

[C. Coppage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loss of women’s rights

The book is captivating and ahead of its time…. Little did we know that this book would be quite so relevant.

[Norm Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What may have been seen as a dystopian destiny when Lucy Ferriss wrote The Misconceiver in the mid-1990s today appears much closer to reality with the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Although, with the results of the recent mid-term elections, it may not emerge as dreadful as predicted, if you advocate for the right to have an abortion. 

At the novel's opening, Ferriss comments to her readers: "The fact that so much of the book may ring true today testifies to the adage that if you look ahead three decades with a worst-case scenario hypothesis, you may hit the mark. And that the time to change that future is now."

This deeply provocative, confrontational novel takes us to places we dare not go. To some genteel readers, it may indeed be unsettling. However, it performs the classical function of the novel, to raise profound questions and ask us, "what if," Roe vs. Wade is reversed?

Set in a prophetic future, Ferris uses lucid, poetic prose to create a distinctive character in Phoebe, the story's narrator. Phoebe assuredly does not shy away from expressing her often caustic reflections revealing as much about herself as it does about other people in her life.

Gradually, this well-crafted narrative weaves the threads of Phoebe's life together- a young woman who expresses an angry craving for something that no longer prevails. It is an ominous era when abortion is prohibited in all fifty states, amniocentesis is illegal, married women may not work, the worst punishment for rape is a paternity suit, and homosexuality is taboo and back in the closest.

In the kickoff chapter, Phoebe recounts how she performed her first abortion on her older sister, Marie, who was in her fifth month of pregnancy. Marie ran an underground abortion clinic and persuaded her fifteen-year-old sister to join her practice.

Marie preferred to keep it all in the family for fear that engaging a stranger would put her in peril of being revealed to the authorities. Her training to perform abortions came from her mother, who was a nurse.

Marie did not conceive of herself as an abortionist, but as a misconceiver, a term derived from the EUFIAM (Every Unwanted Fetus is a Misconception).

As the tale unfolds, we learn more about Phoebe's family. When she was eleven, her mother died when a grenade was hurled through the window of the abortion clinic where she worked.

We likewise learn that both her sister Marie and her brother are deceased. Her father has Alzheimer, and she has hired help to attend to him when she is at work.

We are also made aware that Phoebe does not perform misconceptions for the money, which she only charges three hundred dollars, but for her sense of commitment towards her sister's memory. And she vigorously believes in women's control over their bodies.

Thrown into the story is Phoebe's love affair with Arthur Levinsky, a surgeon who was the ex-boyfriend of her deceased brother's wife, Roxanne.

In addition, Phoebe has a niece, Crystal, the daughter of her brother Frank, who becomes embroiled in all kinds of transgressions, including becoming pregnant.

Other characters that involve Phoebe's world include her cousin Lloyd, who operates as her agent in sending pregnant women to the clinic, and Lydia, her supervisor at her day job, where she is involved with getting rid of viruses from computers.

Phoebe's life is turned upside down when she is apprehended with scant expectation of being released from prison. She is convinced that someone turned her in, but who is the wrongdoer?

She slips out of prison, goes underground, and goes after the woman whom she believes ratted on her. She hungers for Arthur, who may have been the one who sold her out to save his own skin, as he helped her gain the instruments to perform one of her misconceptions.

This chilling novel, sharply written with mastery and depth, is far from a hasty read. Take your time and reflect about it. Ferriss' writing makes the novel more authentic rather than less, and as you listen to the exchanges between the characters, you feel you are snooping on natural conversations.

In the opening pages, Ferriss informs us she has yet to update any details that occurred after she wrote the book. She further remarks, the primary objective that she tries to pass on is what transpires in a technologically advanced world where human rights retreat and we let the climate founder remain.

Follow here https://waa.ai/fpYX To Read Norm's Interview With Lucy Ferriss

 

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was originally published in 1997, and republished in November 2022 — for a fitting reason.

In the world of this book, it's 2026. Roe v. Wade has long been overturned (about two decades now) and every state has chosen to make abortion illegal. But as long as there has been pregnancy, women have found a way to control when they have children. So "misconceptions" and "misconceivers" still exist, providing a choice, providing a door, providing another path for those who don't want to have a child right now.

Phoebe comes from a family of misconceivers: first, her mother, who worked at one of the last clinics in the country that legally provided abortions. She was killed by a bomb that destroyed the whole clinic. Then, her sister Marie took up the reins when it became fully illegal, working out of their father's basement. Marie died in prison after being arrested. So the responsibility of providing women a choice sits on Phoebe, who seems to be one of the few misconceivers left. That's where the novel opens.

This was difficult for me to read. Firstly, because the society (not the plot, but the underlying society) feels just close enough to reality that I had to keep going, "Okay, maybe I don't read this right now." But secondly, it moves so uneven. The first 25% seemed to go incredibly slowly, but then 25-50% zooms by. The next quarter of the book started to get a little too complicated and political-intrigue for me to completely understand what was happening, and the final quarter felt heavy-handed and preachy.

I so firmly believe in the right to choose that any character against that was an immediate Go Away for me, and Ferriss could have chosen to push a reader to see more of how they believed what they believed. Instead, she makes them villains (which, to be clear, they are to me) but it just felt like I wasn't being challenged at all.

Also, I still don't understand what a "retro" is, even after all these pages.

[Katy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I overbuilt the hype for this book just a little and there were weird plot holes/additions. Similar to the other reviews, about half way through the book the character list exploded and the plot became fuzzy and distracted. ***Spoiler*** This expansion corresponds with Phoebe's arrival at Softjail. With the original storyline it makes sense Phoebe would be arrested for being a Misconceiver as the threat of arrest was constant since she started preforming abortions with her deceased sister Marie. However, the addition of Softjail characters created an unnecessary complication with Sheri and her own original drama. I didn't see the point of adding Sheri's story aside from the fact that some women want to be mothers and will go to lengths to do so in contrast to women who don't want to be mothers and will go to equal lengths to not become so. Equally unnecessary was the love triangle between Phoebe-Sister in law Roxanne-Arthur. Overall, I found this novel a disappointment.

Character, Pockface, has the line of the novel calling Phoebe out on her refusal to accept responsibility for her actions and viewing herself as a passive service provider. Bottom line, we all have responsibility for our own choices and actions and have to live with their consequences. This does not enable us to make those choices of others. AKA Roe v Wade is more than access to the procedure of abortion; it provides access to privacy and freedom on choice.

[Jean Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Early on, the narrator, Phoebe, comments on her trade as a misconceiver. She does this revealing the question she asks her potential clients: “You want me to kill this baby for you?” So if you read this book thinking you’re going to read a right-to-choose political tract, be forewarned. Author Lucy Ferris has something else in mind, a brutally honest portrayal of the complexities of a woman’s reproductive life, her sexuality, and the burden of the life-or-death choices she may face. Add to this the author’s uncanny foreshadowing (She wrote the book in 1997, before it was reissued in 2022), and you realize you are in the hands of a serious social thinker, as well as a gifted novelist. She has Cassandra’s gift (and curse?) not only about women’s issues, but also about the climate crisis, the marginalization of minorities, wide scale incarceration, and more. It’s all here. And it’s an excellent read, with relatable characters, an engaging plot, and the pacing of a good suspense novel. 5 stars.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book given the recent Roe v Wade decision. Unfortunately, it didn't quite land for me. I had to give it a second chance; my first try stopping quickly after the first graphic scene, but looking back it wasn't worth the time. The worldbuilding was too vague for my tastes, I had trouble knowing which character was speaking, and it was just too long. The main character kind of reminded me of the artist Grimes a little, a formerly interesting, progressive young woman who now just drones on about her boring boyfriend.

On the other hand and to its credit, this book really does make you think, no matter what your beliefs are.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of The Misconceiver from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read.
Thanks for the kindle copy!

[Linda Packard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking. Reads like it was written about today.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had a good start, but the second half felt less engaging and all over the place.

[Graceann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please see my detailed review at Amazon Graceann's "Misconceiver" Review"

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This was an excellent novel but I know it isn't for everybody. It is extremely dark and difficult subject matter, and it presents no black and white answers to troubling questions. The lead character is written believably, in both her good and bad points. She makes stupid mistakes, and chooses tough paths. Sadly, the world she is living in was all too believable for me, because some aspects of it are already present in the one in which we're living.

[Sue Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminist dystopia. Note connection to Socrates in CRITO. Also, theme of fetus as invading the women’s body--like Eileen McDonugh's argument for choice. An argument that had become popular in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe in 2022.

[Lianne Ramsden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though provoking but at times, too "science-fiction" like. Felt the book would have had much more impact if certain elements were kept to today's terminology. A good read overall.