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The Birth Yard
A debut novel for readers 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 eighteen, 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.
Sable Ursu has just turned eighteen, 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.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
January 16, 2022
Such a different storyline from what I'm use to, however -- it kept me hooked the whole time! Didn't expect the ending but was so thankful it turned out how it did.
May 1, 2020
This debut novel by Canadian novelist Mallory Tater is sure to be a bookclub favorite in the coming months. Or at least it's a book that I would like to propose to our bookclub. It certainly has and will probably continue to draw comparisons to Handmaid's Tale but this is not a dystopian world that Mallory Tater is building.
Instead the world of eighteen year old Sable Ursu and her friends is happening in the current contemporary world. The community in which Sable and her family live, is a patriarchal cult called the Den. Young women at the age of 18 can now create life and the novel takes us through the process and Sable's internal struggle to battle the laws of her society and the growing rebellion that she feels.
I REALLY feel that this book grabbed my attention and when I got to the end, I instantly said "Ugh, there better be a sequel!" I need to know what happens to Sable, Ambrose and the rest of the characters I met within these pages.
Goodreads review published 01/05/20
Instead the world of eighteen year old Sable Ursu and her friends is happening in the current contemporary world. The community in which Sable and her family live, is a patriarchal cult called the Den. Young women at the age of 18 can now create life and the novel takes us through the process and Sable's internal struggle to battle the laws of her society and the growing rebellion that she feels.
I REALLY feel that this book grabbed my attention and when I got to the end, I instantly said "Ugh, there better be a sequel!" I need to know what happens to Sable, Ambrose and the rest of the characters I met within these pages.
Goodreads review published 01/05/20
May 29, 2020
I came across this title on a Canadian fiction preview list: https://www.cbc.ca/books/47-works-of-.... I wish I’d skipped this one.
Sable Ursu lives in a patriarchal cult known as The Den. Women’s lives are strictly controlled; even girls’ menstrual cycles are regulated and synchronized. Sable turns 18 so her schooling ends and she is paired with a Match in order to conceive. In her second trimester of pregnancy, she is sequestered with other women to a birth yard where they are prepared for giving birth and motherhood. They are also drugged so they will be less prone to hysteria and will be more compliant. Sable breaks some of the rules and she and her friends suffer consequences.
Descriptions of the book mention how it echoes The Handmaid’s Tale. No kidding! There’s the misogynistic, male supremacist world where women are expected to “nurture and produce” and are blamed for all of society’s ills: the founder of The Den “believed women and their inability to temper emotion with reason were a primary, key cause of many of society’s problems.” Women are even blamed for any sexual violence committed against them. People in The Den are kept away from the evil influence of Main Stream, the outside world. Of course, the protagonist has a questioning nature which causes her to slowly realize the unfairness of the world she inhabits and to rebel against it.
Sable should be a likeable character. She is curious and demonstrates some independent thinking, and she believes in loyalty to friends over loyalty to the community’s ideals. Unfortunately, she is just such a bland person and ever so inconsistent. She thinks, “Maybe I am a bad friend” (156) and “I think I’m a good friend” (230). Sable’s opinion of her midwife Grey is negative and then positive and then negative and then positive.
And Sable is not the only inconsistent character. All the young women behave bizarrely: Elspeth “wraps her hand around a table leg” and Dinah “strokes her hand up the table leg.” They are friends and then they are physically attacking each other. At one point, Elspeth lunges at Sable, grabs her throat and squeezes. Dinah intervenes by saying, “’Don’t touch her. Stop touching her.’” That’s the verb she uses to describe an attempt at strangulation? Elspeth’s actions are attributed to the effects of the drugs, though the drugs (DociGens) are supposed to keep them docile! Mamie’s behaviour and comments suggest a lack of intelligence and Dinah even makes a comment about someone being “dumber than Mamie” but then Sable thinks, “Mamie can’t face anything that scares her – she’s too smart for her own good”? On one page, Sable comments, “my Father hasn’t been doing as well. My parents need my good favour to repair their home, to get Lynx’s money and attention” but three pages later she adds, “my Father is in good favour with Lynx”?
Reading the book is plodding work. There is definitely a lack of excitement because nothing much happens. Sable complains, “I feel trapped sometimes, fenced in, claustrophobic with routine” and that’s exactly how the reader feels much of the time. A scene involving a pig seems thrown in just to add some action. Then when some suspense is finally created, there’s a deus ex machina ending.
The writing style is also tedious. Short, choppy sentences abound: “We walk toward the lake. There is nothing to do but wait, maybe wade. We sit in the sand . . . We sit without thinking of work or life. We sit without any other girls around us. We sit like lepers. The dock ahead is so inviting. We are not permitted to walk along it. I notice a lack of birds here.” The repetitive diction and sentence structure do nothing to enliven the narrative: “She never sits up. She drools on the grass. She has a cut on her lip . . . She says my headscarf glowed . . . She says she kissed my skirt . . . She says she just wanted to serve and help me. She says . . . ” And some of the descriptions make no sense: the midwives wear “long black skirts” so how can Sable know that “Some have more than one pair of socks up to their knees”?
I disagree with CBC Books that this is a book “to watch for in spring 2020”. If you see it, move on.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
Sable Ursu lives in a patriarchal cult known as The Den. Women’s lives are strictly controlled; even girls’ menstrual cycles are regulated and synchronized. Sable turns 18 so her schooling ends and she is paired with a Match in order to conceive. In her second trimester of pregnancy, she is sequestered with other women to a birth yard where they are prepared for giving birth and motherhood. They are also drugged so they will be less prone to hysteria and will be more compliant. Sable breaks some of the rules and she and her friends suffer consequences.
Descriptions of the book mention how it echoes The Handmaid’s Tale. No kidding! There’s the misogynistic, male supremacist world where women are expected to “nurture and produce” and are blamed for all of society’s ills: the founder of The Den “believed women and their inability to temper emotion with reason were a primary, key cause of many of society’s problems.” Women are even blamed for any sexual violence committed against them. People in The Den are kept away from the evil influence of Main Stream, the outside world. Of course, the protagonist has a questioning nature which causes her to slowly realize the unfairness of the world she inhabits and to rebel against it.
Sable should be a likeable character. She is curious and demonstrates some independent thinking, and she believes in loyalty to friends over loyalty to the community’s ideals. Unfortunately, she is just such a bland person and ever so inconsistent. She thinks, “Maybe I am a bad friend” (156) and “I think I’m a good friend” (230). Sable’s opinion of her midwife Grey is negative and then positive and then negative and then positive.
And Sable is not the only inconsistent character. All the young women behave bizarrely: Elspeth “wraps her hand around a table leg” and Dinah “strokes her hand up the table leg.” They are friends and then they are physically attacking each other. At one point, Elspeth lunges at Sable, grabs her throat and squeezes. Dinah intervenes by saying, “’Don’t touch her. Stop touching her.’” That’s the verb she uses to describe an attempt at strangulation? Elspeth’s actions are attributed to the effects of the drugs, though the drugs (DociGens) are supposed to keep them docile! Mamie’s behaviour and comments suggest a lack of intelligence and Dinah even makes a comment about someone being “dumber than Mamie” but then Sable thinks, “Mamie can’t face anything that scares her – she’s too smart for her own good”? On one page, Sable comments, “my Father hasn’t been doing as well. My parents need my good favour to repair their home, to get Lynx’s money and attention” but three pages later she adds, “my Father is in good favour with Lynx”?
Reading the book is plodding work. There is definitely a lack of excitement because nothing much happens. Sable complains, “I feel trapped sometimes, fenced in, claustrophobic with routine” and that’s exactly how the reader feels much of the time. A scene involving a pig seems thrown in just to add some action. Then when some suspense is finally created, there’s a deus ex machina ending.
The writing style is also tedious. Short, choppy sentences abound: “We walk toward the lake. There is nothing to do but wait, maybe wade. We sit in the sand . . . We sit without thinking of work or life. We sit without any other girls around us. We sit like lepers. The dock ahead is so inviting. We are not permitted to walk along it. I notice a lack of birds here.” The repetitive diction and sentence structure do nothing to enliven the narrative: “She never sits up. She drools on the grass. She has a cut on her lip . . . She says my headscarf glowed . . . She says she kissed my skirt . . . She says she just wanted to serve and help me. She says . . . ” And some of the descriptions make no sense: the midwives wear “long black skirts” so how can Sable know that “Some have more than one pair of socks up to their knees”?
I disagree with CBC Books that this is a book “to watch for in spring 2020”. If you see it, move on.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
February 7, 2020
This story is about 18 year old Sable who lives in a totalitarian cult called the Den on the outskirts of society. The Den is governed by Men, they control female fertility, sexuality, matchmaking and more. Upon her 18th birthday Sable is deemed ready to breed. She and other girls her age are then matched with a male in hopes of conceiving a baby. Once pregnant they are sent to "The Birth Yard" to prep for birth and motherhood, but are regularily drugged and punished by their midwives if they disobey. As things become tense Sable starts to question who she can trust and how safe she really is, forcing her to rebel against everything she has ever known!
This was dark and intense! I found the whole concept very interesting. With a plot similar to The Handmaids Tale but elevated in many ways. Tater has crafted a scary tyrannical patriarch society here, one I hope never comes to fruition in modern society.
•
Thank You to the publisher for sending me this book opinions are my own.
This was dark and intense! I found the whole concept very interesting. With a plot similar to The Handmaids Tale but elevated in many ways. Tater has crafted a scary tyrannical patriarch society here, one I hope never comes to fruition in modern society.
•
Thank You to the publisher for sending me this book opinions are my own.
February 19, 2020
The Birth Yard is Mallory Taters debut novel!
The story follows Sable Ursu who has just turned eighteen. Eighteen, the age in which girls are deemed ready to breed. Her world, a cult known as the Den, is fully controlled by Men. All decisions in regards to female fertility, sexuality, even a suitable Match are the final decision of Men.
Sable along with her friends Mamie and Dinah receive their Match. From there they breed, even successful insemination and confirmed pregnancy are controlled. A timeline for pregnancy means risks, those who conceive after that date are forced to terminate. In their second trimester, girls are sent to The Birth Yard. A place where they prepare for giving birth, are paired with a midwife, monitored as well as drugged. As the story progresses Sables loyalty is in doubt, she faces danger and rises in opposition against the only life she has ever known.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story as I am truly fascinated by cults. It was well written and very interesting. I would love to see this story continue with a second book!
A huge thank you to Harper Collins Canada for my review copy!
The story follows Sable Ursu who has just turned eighteen. Eighteen, the age in which girls are deemed ready to breed. Her world, a cult known as the Den, is fully controlled by Men. All decisions in regards to female fertility, sexuality, even a suitable Match are the final decision of Men.
Sable along with her friends Mamie and Dinah receive their Match. From there they breed, even successful insemination and confirmed pregnancy are controlled. A timeline for pregnancy means risks, those who conceive after that date are forced to terminate. In their second trimester, girls are sent to The Birth Yard. A place where they prepare for giving birth, are paired with a midwife, monitored as well as drugged. As the story progresses Sables loyalty is in doubt, she faces danger and rises in opposition against the only life she has ever known.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story as I am truly fascinated by cults. It was well written and very interesting. I would love to see this story continue with a second book!
A huge thank you to Harper Collins Canada for my review copy!
May 4, 2020
300 pages of pointlessness driven by a character as boring as she is stupid, waiting for SOME THING to finally happen, and then when it finally does, the book just.... ends.
Why. Why was this even published. Why was it written. Why did I waste a day of my life finishing it. Just...why.
February 21, 2020
Similar to The Handmaids Tale. Creepy weird world where women are forced to breed.
June 7, 2020
(SPOILER ALERT) I picked this up with enthusiasm, it being pitched at fans of The Handmaid’s Tale (which I devoured when it came out in 1985!). Sadly my high hopes were unrealised. Perhaps if I were younger and not already a ‘vintage’ feminist. Perhaps if I hadn’t already read The Handmaid’s Tale. Perhaps so many things.
I did not find this to be at all ‘gripping’... indeed, I was quite bored for the first 100 or so pages and had to force myself to keep reading.
Part of the problem was the writing style… very simple, short little sentences lacking in any kind of variation, with a tendency to preach, to tell not show. Take for instance: “We need to try for her. Birth yards are unjust. I will miss Mamie like crazy.” (p293) Besides the choppy writing, the reader already well understands this… we don’t need to be told by the author. Given that the novel is written in the first person, I have to assume that it was intentional, and supposed to be in keeping with the character, Sable, herself and her lack of worldly experience and exposure to literature. For me as a reader though it just didn’t work. For this and many other reasons I wish the novel had been written in the third person.
Another part of the problem is that the protagonist, Sable, just grates on the reader… and she doesn’t really grow as a character from the start to the finish. Yet, another part of the problem is that really, nothing much happens at all… there is very little action to the story, and much of what action does occur just seems to ramble along. Until the end… when some real action - finally - begins… and just as abruptly ends with the close of the book (clearly a sequel to come?)
Then there are the inconsistencies and coincidences. Just far too many to suspend disbelief over. For instance: that Garrison’s father who willingly joined the Den from outside because he was pro-life and condemned abortion would be OK with Feles getting to decide who gets born and commanding abortions (p16); or a scene where they are told about their jobs in the Birth Yard that has them sitting on the grass in the morning frost then leaving directly for their afternoon meal (p 198); or heading off to meet Grey to plan their escape it’s so dark that she can barely see where she’s going yet when she arrives at the meeting point she opens her atlas to look at it (p282); or that Elspeth not jump at the chance to leave (p290); or that Dinah is due easily a full month before Sable yet it’s Sable who goes into labour while they are on the run (p305); and finally that they just happen to reach Bow Lake right as Sable goes into labour and the old man in the park just happens to be Elspeth’s grandfather. There are many, many, many more similar such occurrences.
I did not find this to be at all ‘gripping’... indeed, I was quite bored for the first 100 or so pages and had to force myself to keep reading.
Part of the problem was the writing style… very simple, short little sentences lacking in any kind of variation, with a tendency to preach, to tell not show. Take for instance: “We need to try for her. Birth yards are unjust. I will miss Mamie like crazy.” (p293) Besides the choppy writing, the reader already well understands this… we don’t need to be told by the author. Given that the novel is written in the first person, I have to assume that it was intentional, and supposed to be in keeping with the character, Sable, herself and her lack of worldly experience and exposure to literature. For me as a reader though it just didn’t work. For this and many other reasons I wish the novel had been written in the third person.
Another part of the problem is that the protagonist, Sable, just grates on the reader… and she doesn’t really grow as a character from the start to the finish. Yet, another part of the problem is that really, nothing much happens at all… there is very little action to the story, and much of what action does occur just seems to ramble along. Until the end… when some real action - finally - begins… and just as abruptly ends with the close of the book (clearly a sequel to come?)
Then there are the inconsistencies and coincidences. Just far too many to suspend disbelief over. For instance: that Garrison’s father who willingly joined the Den from outside because he was pro-life and condemned abortion would be OK with Feles getting to decide who gets born and commanding abortions (p16); or a scene where they are told about their jobs in the Birth Yard that has them sitting on the grass in the morning frost then leaving directly for their afternoon meal (p 198); or heading off to meet Grey to plan their escape it’s so dark that she can barely see where she’s going yet when she arrives at the meeting point she opens her atlas to look at it (p282); or that Elspeth not jump at the chance to leave (p290); or that Dinah is due easily a full month before Sable yet it’s Sable who goes into labour while they are on the run (p305); and finally that they just happen to reach Bow Lake right as Sable goes into labour and the old man in the park just happens to be Elspeth’s grandfather. There are many, many, many more similar such occurrences.
July 22, 2022
This is my exact niche of dystopian that I absolutely adore. Weird cults based around controlling women's fertility. I pre-ordered this over 2 years ago but never heard anyone talk about it, so I kept putting off reading it.
This might be my favorite book of the year (and I've had quite a few amazing 5 star reads). It was perfect for me, and the author is from my home town! Cult stuff, women slowing realizing that something shady is going on, and then becoming empowered enough to change their circumstances.
I also think this hits a bit different now that the US government has lost it's mind and started stripping rights away from pregnant people. Highly recommended.
This might be my favorite book of the year (and I've had quite a few amazing 5 star reads). It was perfect for me, and the author is from my home town! Cult stuff, women slowing realizing that something shady is going on, and then becoming empowered enough to change their circumstances.
I also think this hits a bit different now that the US government has lost it's mind and started stripping rights away from pregnant people. Highly recommended.
October 19, 2020
Lowkey one of the most frightening books I've read -- just imagining being in this situation.
Anyway, I recommend this to fans of The Handmaid's Tale, especially if you're like me and are a fan of The Handmaid's Tale but was disappointed by The Testaments.
Anyway, I recommend this to fans of The Handmaid's Tale, especially if you're like me and are a fan of The Handmaid's Tale but was disappointed by The Testaments.
March 27, 2020
I feel disappointed in this book. Not comparable to the Handmaids Tale as advertised. I felt it lacked excitement. Definitely not a “griping” story. There were a lot of opportunities where exciting things could have happened but the build up just lead to nothing. I had a hard time staying focused because nothing was happening. I feel the story was all over the place, not only the story itself but the characters as well. I am a touch curious to see what happens to the main character in the next book ( if there is one) but I know nothing creative or exciting will happen and it probably won’t amount to anything or be worth the time to read it. I did not enjoy the author’s writing style.
May 24, 2021
That was one strange story! Creepy and stomach unsettling!
August 17, 2023
I found this one very difficult to get through. Not my kind of read.
April 27, 2025
3.5 ⭐
February 25, 2020
Thank you so much Harper Collins Canada for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!
Before you go into this book please know that there are huge trigger warnings for ANIMAL KILLING, RAPE, ABUSE AND SUICIDE.
Overall I really enjoyed my time reading this book. As a plot driven reader I still felt compelled to pick up the book even though it is a character driven story. I never felt too bored at all.
I loved the setting, it was dark, woodsy and whimsical in a screwed up way.
Some of the characters were repulsive and I actually cringed when the spoke but I adored others. Overall, this is a great book for fans of the Handmaid’s tale as it is eerily similar and anyone who enjoys true crime cantering around cults! I would recommend!
Before you go into this book please know that there are huge trigger warnings for ANIMAL KILLING, RAPE, ABUSE AND SUICIDE.
Overall I really enjoyed my time reading this book. As a plot driven reader I still felt compelled to pick up the book even though it is a character driven story. I never felt too bored at all.
I loved the setting, it was dark, woodsy and whimsical in a screwed up way.
Some of the characters were repulsive and I actually cringed when the spoke but I adored others. Overall, this is a great book for fans of the Handmaid’s tale as it is eerily similar and anyone who enjoys true crime cantering around cults! I would recommend!
March 16, 2020
So many questions left unanswered! I wanted more...
June 2, 2022
I'm so very thankful to live in the world I live in, crazy and messed up as it is. I can't imagine living in Sable's world. My temperament would not jive with that
August 15, 2023
This started slow and it took me awhile to get into it but wooooow the ending was fast paced and I couldn’t put it down! I wish there was more to the ending so I know how certain characters ended.
July 13, 2020
A+ world building. Big Bountiful, BC energy.
March 20, 2020
Another year, another book that promises to be the next Handmaid's Tale, another disappointing mess of misogyny and male violence against women with no resolution. Which, I guess is consistent?
I would have liked more exploration of the universe and how everything came to be. I would have liked a little more consistency of character in Sable. You're asking me to believe that a girl who is raised in a culture like she was meets a woman from "mainstream" and within days is correctly using all variations of the word "fuck"? I get it, it's not that difficult of a concept, but there is no reason someone as obedient and blank-slate as Sable would change like that after exposure to one woman when they still exist in that environment.
And that ending was stupid and very deus ex machina.
I would have liked more exploration of the universe and how everything came to be. I would have liked a little more consistency of character in Sable. You're asking me to believe that a girl who is raised in a culture like she was meets a woman from "mainstream" and within days is correctly using all variations of the word "fuck"? I get it, it's not that difficult of a concept, but there is no reason someone as obedient and blank-slate as Sable would change like that after exposure to one woman when they still exist in that environment.
And that ending was stupid and very deus ex machina.
February 13, 2021
This story made me feel so much. I was shocked by the cult like commune and the rules by which this community lived. Outraged by the misogyny and treatment of the women flowing through this whole book and how real it felt. Confused by the beliefs these people shared and had to remind myself that hopefully there aren't communities like this out there. This story made me feel dirty too by its detail. But I couldn't stop reading. What a compelling debut!
June 8, 2020
not enough of a satisfying ending for all the bullshit the women in the book have to go thru. the fucked up society in the den is good world building, bc it's v believable, but sable's rebellion starts a bit late in the book and doesn't have a proper conclusion imo. i wish there had been a more explicit indication that her escape meant change for those left behind.
October 16, 2023
I disagree with the reviews saying this is dystopian fiction like the Handmaid’s Tale. It’s contemporary cult fiction. If you want to read about children growing up in a cult, pick this up. It’s good! But that ending… that wasn’t it.
March 17, 2020
I finished it but it was not for me. Very graphic in parts (usually doesn't bother me though) and like Handmaid's Tale but not nearly as well done, I'm afraid.
August 12, 2020
Canadian author Mallory Tater had her debut novel The Birth Yard “birthed” into this world in March of this year and it is filled with so many important themes that we need to be discussing around women’s rights. This coming-of-age story follows eighteen-year-old Sable Ursu as she navigates her way through an intense patriarchal cult called The Den all while trying to make her family proud. Throughout the novel, Sable is left to struggle with the oppressive world she finds herself in. The Den believes that men are superior and that women need to be controlled. This includes who they marry, when they conceive, and The Den requires women to take pills to keep their hysteria at bay. This cult is extremely misogynistic and while The Den wants to take care of the women who live there they (the men of The Den) view women only as vessels who are meant to serve them and carry children.
The Birth Yard is chock full of intense themes including women’s rights, reproductive rights, misogyny, birth control, and womanhood. All of these themes are mixed in with Sable’s narrative as she goes from timid, conforming girl to boisterous, freethinking woman. Sable begins to question the ways of The Den when she is in the Birth Yard preparing to give birth to her daughter and while she wants to make her family proud she also realizes that staying in The Den will put her daughter in harm’s way - something she does not want to do. Tater weaves all of these themes effortlessly through the plot and has created a distinct narrative that can take a bit of time for the reader to get used to. Visually, Tater takes all of the male words in The Birth Yard and capitalizes them so that it is reinforced to the reader that men are superior to the women in this world. The way Tater writes Sable’s narration also changes as Sable goes through her journey in the story. It is brilliant!
It’s clear to the reader that Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale was an influence in Tater’s The Birth Yard but it should be made known that The Birth Yard is its own novel with so many different aspects including, and prominently, that it is not a totalitarian dystopia but rather The Den is a cult that exists in life as we know it. Tater deserves praise for creating this intense world that Sable has to navigate and there are a lot of parallels in The Birth Yard that ring true to the treatment of women in society today (even if it’s not as extreme in real life). Without giving anything away, the ending to The Birth Yard has the reader craving for more and leaves a lot of unanswered questions, so naturally the reader hopes that Sable’s story is not over yet. Tater has created a world that the reader wants to be both immersed in and free from and that shows just how well done this novel is. As a fellow Canadian, I cannot wait to see what Tater ends up writing next.
https://www.cloudlakeliterary.ca/blog...
Originally published on Cloud Lake Literary’s website, link above.
The Birth Yard is chock full of intense themes including women’s rights, reproductive rights, misogyny, birth control, and womanhood. All of these themes are mixed in with Sable’s narrative as she goes from timid, conforming girl to boisterous, freethinking woman. Sable begins to question the ways of The Den when she is in the Birth Yard preparing to give birth to her daughter and while she wants to make her family proud she also realizes that staying in The Den will put her daughter in harm’s way - something she does not want to do. Tater weaves all of these themes effortlessly through the plot and has created a distinct narrative that can take a bit of time for the reader to get used to. Visually, Tater takes all of the male words in The Birth Yard and capitalizes them so that it is reinforced to the reader that men are superior to the women in this world. The way Tater writes Sable’s narration also changes as Sable goes through her journey in the story. It is brilliant!
It’s clear to the reader that Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale was an influence in Tater’s The Birth Yard but it should be made known that The Birth Yard is its own novel with so many different aspects including, and prominently, that it is not a totalitarian dystopia but rather The Den is a cult that exists in life as we know it. Tater deserves praise for creating this intense world that Sable has to navigate and there are a lot of parallels in The Birth Yard that ring true to the treatment of women in society today (even if it’s not as extreme in real life). Without giving anything away, the ending to The Birth Yard has the reader craving for more and leaves a lot of unanswered questions, so naturally the reader hopes that Sable’s story is not over yet. Tater has created a world that the reader wants to be both immersed in and free from and that shows just how well done this novel is. As a fellow Canadian, I cannot wait to see what Tater ends up writing next.
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Originally published on Cloud Lake Literary’s website, link above.
November 30, 2020
Trigger warning: miscarriage, death
Sable Ursu lives in a cult that worships men and sees women as hysterical walking uteruses. Sable has never known life outside the cult, but her dissatisfied complacency bottlenecks when she turns eighteen, an age at which all girls are forced to end their education, become matched with men they may or may not want, and undergo impregnation.
Girls who become pregnant are then sent to the Birth Yard, where they are drugged with LSD to be moulded into uncomplaining homemakers. Sable initially complies with the rules, but once at the Birth Yard, she realizes that there is much more cruelty than meets the eye.
The Birth Yard is a combination of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Grace Year. It has elements of the former in its misogynistic dystopian setup, and shares with the latter the isolated-girls-in-chaos framework.
Over the years, I have noticed that I personally prefer dystopian novels that either focus on the environment (think Brave New World) or human nature (The Grace Year), because few can do both. The Handmaid’s Tale’s rare ability to do so is probably the reason behind its immense success.
The Birth Yard also tries to do both here, and it succeeds to a degree in that it does introduce details such as the “international” trade between the cult and the “mainstream” world, its history, and the way the new leader uncannily imitates Jesus Christ.
However, the book also falls short in many other aspects and I found myself repeatedly having to suspend my disbelief regarding both Sable’s characterization and the way some events occurred. Not only are her supposed intelligence and altruism not apparent in many of the decisions she makes, there are moments when certain events simply strike me as improbable. Overall, it is still an enjoyable read, just underwhelming given its excellent premise.
Sable Ursu lives in a cult that worships men and sees women as hysterical walking uteruses. Sable has never known life outside the cult, but her dissatisfied complacency bottlenecks when she turns eighteen, an age at which all girls are forced to end their education, become matched with men they may or may not want, and undergo impregnation.
Girls who become pregnant are then sent to the Birth Yard, where they are drugged with LSD to be moulded into uncomplaining homemakers. Sable initially complies with the rules, but once at the Birth Yard, she realizes that there is much more cruelty than meets the eye.
The Birth Yard is a combination of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Grace Year. It has elements of the former in its misogynistic dystopian setup, and shares with the latter the isolated-girls-in-chaos framework.
Over the years, I have noticed that I personally prefer dystopian novels that either focus on the environment (think Brave New World) or human nature (The Grace Year), because few can do both. The Handmaid’s Tale’s rare ability to do so is probably the reason behind its immense success.
The Birth Yard also tries to do both here, and it succeeds to a degree in that it does introduce details such as the “international” trade between the cult and the “mainstream” world, its history, and the way the new leader uncannily imitates Jesus Christ.
However, the book also falls short in many other aspects and I found myself repeatedly having to suspend my disbelief regarding both Sable’s characterization and the way some events occurred. Not only are her supposed intelligence and altruism not apparent in many of the decisions she makes, there are moments when certain events simply strike me as improbable. Overall, it is still an enjoyable read, just underwhelming given its excellent premise.
June 18, 2020
I've always felt that The Handmaid's Tale is the scariest book ever written. As a woman there is something about losing autonomy over my own body that absolutely terrifies me. The Birth Yard is a story in the same vein except instead of a societal collapse The Birth Yard takes place in an isolated cult, while the rest of the world continues as usual. As new generations are born into the cult, never knowing the outside world the male leaders are able to perpetuate their vision of completely subservient women who exist only to serve the needs of men and most importantly to breed. They keep the women drugged, ignorant, and afraid and it seems to work well for them until a few families from outside the cult are brought in. These young women were brought up in normal society and their integration into total unquestioning submission is not so smooth.
There were so many emotions while reading this story; I seethed with anger while I recoiled in horror and I felt so strongly for these poor girls. I wanted nothing more than for them to be rescued or in true feminist fashion to rescue themselves. I'm not going to give away anything but the ending was a real nail-biter! I was satisfied with the end but I wanted even more. I need to know what happened to all the girls, and the leaders of the cult. In another Handmaid's Tale parallel the ending left me dying for more information. Maybe 20 years from now the author will bless us with an epilogue!
I should note that there are several scenes of animals being butchered rather ineptly and gruesomely but you see them coming and they can be skipped over.
There were so many emotions while reading this story; I seethed with anger while I recoiled in horror and I felt so strongly for these poor girls. I wanted nothing more than for them to be rescued or in true feminist fashion to rescue themselves. I'm not going to give away anything but the ending was a real nail-biter! I was satisfied with the end but I wanted even more. I need to know what happened to all the girls, and the leaders of the cult. In another Handmaid's Tale parallel the ending left me dying for more information. Maybe 20 years from now the author will bless us with an epilogue!
I should note that there are several scenes of animals being butchered rather ineptly and gruesomely but you see them coming and they can be skipped over.
March 30, 2022
Oh.. where do I begin. Just.. wow.
I am going to start off with a TRIGGER WARNING for this book. It deals with sexual violence, violence against women, cults, societal pressures to have children, and death.
....
....
....
That is just the beginning. The vivid nature of this book made me want to put it down a few times and never pick it up again. Being #childfreebychoice, I knew a book regarding women being used as objects to carry children and take care of men would be a difficult read but the concept drew me in. At around 15 minutes into this book I turned it off and honestly didn't know if I would try it again. But I did. I listened to women being persecuted for simply being women. I listened through assaults, both verbal and physical, and to people being slandered for helping others. It showed a very vivid picture of the world of the Den. The more I listened, the more I saw our own culture coming through.. and it made me angry and sad and frustrated and mad. Made me hysteric - as the book would put it. It was definitely a story that will make you think and some people would have a very different view on it based on their own world views but it was not for me.
I get that the author was trying to get these points across and I love that she did that - hense the two stars I gave it. But I just couldn't give it more.
I am going to start off with a TRIGGER WARNING for this book. It deals with sexual violence, violence against women, cults, societal pressures to have children, and death.
....
....
....
That is just the beginning. The vivid nature of this book made me want to put it down a few times and never pick it up again. Being #childfreebychoice, I knew a book regarding women being used as objects to carry children and take care of men would be a difficult read but the concept drew me in. At around 15 minutes into this book I turned it off and honestly didn't know if I would try it again. But I did. I listened to women being persecuted for simply being women. I listened through assaults, both verbal and physical, and to people being slandered for helping others. It showed a very vivid picture of the world of the Den. The more I listened, the more I saw our own culture coming through.. and it made me angry and sad and frustrated and mad. Made me hysteric - as the book would put it. It was definitely a story that will make you think and some people would have a very different view on it based on their own world views but it was not for me.
I get that the author was trying to get these points across and I love that she did that - hense the two stars I gave it. But I just couldn't give it more.
April 22, 2023
I had no idea this book was categorized as a YA and Thriller until I was halfway done.
This book was similar to The Handmaids Tale. Women living under the control of men, with little to no value other than to mother, cook, and basically be servants. And on their 18th birthday, they have reached the stage of breeding.
They are matched according to family class.
Impregnated by their matches in a tent 😔 with a midwife nearby. One their pregnancy is confirmed, they are sent to the Birth Yard.
There they are supposed to learn how to be submissive and work towards becoming wives, and mothers.
The main character, Sable, and her friends are rebels. They don’t follow the rules and finally get tired of the BS that comes from “The Den” and its rulers. Rebels. And most importantly loyal to the ones they love.
I enjoyed this read. But the thing that threw me was the fact that they are given medicine in every step of their lives. They didn’t get to really whose which Man they would match with, or even allowed to have friendships - not openly anyway. They aren’t safe within their community, or their homes.
The ending was perfect though, even though I didn’t expect what happened to actually happen.
This book was similar to The Handmaids Tale. Women living under the control of men, with little to no value other than to mother, cook, and basically be servants. And on their 18th birthday, they have reached the stage of breeding.
They are matched according to family class.
Impregnated by their matches in a tent 😔 with a midwife nearby. One their pregnancy is confirmed, they are sent to the Birth Yard.
There they are supposed to learn how to be submissive and work towards becoming wives, and mothers.
The main character, Sable, and her friends are rebels. They don’t follow the rules and finally get tired of the BS that comes from “The Den” and its rulers. Rebels. And most importantly loyal to the ones they love.
I enjoyed this read. But the thing that threw me was the fact that they are given medicine in every step of their lives. They didn’t get to really whose which Man they would match with, or even allowed to have friendships - not openly anyway. They aren’t safe within their community, or their homes.
The ending was perfect though, even though I didn’t expect what happened to actually happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2022
Canadian writer Mallory Tater has written a captivating debut!
Alongside her family and many others, Sable lives as part of the Den, in which men are heavily favoured and women must abide by strict guidelines or face dire consequences. After her 18th birthday, her duty to the cult must be fulfilled, and she will need to expand the group by having a baby.
Sable was just the kind of character I needed to read right now! I admired her intelligence, courage and strength to live through what her and others have to during this story. The whole setting of the Den and the way in which the cult lives had me so unnerved while reading. Some parts were pretty dark and others left my stomach turning! The entire time I was really rooting for Sable and the women in this story. Their abhorrent treatment in this society had me angry and left me reeling at some points.
The plot had a great, steady pace to it and the shorter chapters had me flipping pages quickly. Super easy to read, and perfect for fans of strong female leads, coming of age stories, cults, and The Handmaid's Tale.
I will be watching for more from Tater!
Alongside her family and many others, Sable lives as part of the Den, in which men are heavily favoured and women must abide by strict guidelines or face dire consequences. After her 18th birthday, her duty to the cult must be fulfilled, and she will need to expand the group by having a baby.
Sable was just the kind of character I needed to read right now! I admired her intelligence, courage and strength to live through what her and others have to during this story. The whole setting of the Den and the way in which the cult lives had me so unnerved while reading. Some parts were pretty dark and others left my stomach turning! The entire time I was really rooting for Sable and the women in this story. Their abhorrent treatment in this society had me angry and left me reeling at some points.
The plot had a great, steady pace to it and the shorter chapters had me flipping pages quickly. Super easy to read, and perfect for fans of strong female leads, coming of age stories, cults, and The Handmaid's Tale.
I will be watching for more from Tater!
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