Shelf life

Leni Zumas’ book exists in an America where abortion is illegal – and we rediscover other books that tackle women’s reproductive rights

Red Clocks Leni Zumas (£ 16.99, THE BOROUGH PRESS)

Timing is everything – and the release of Red Clocks couldn’t be more apt. Set in a near-future USA, where abortion is now illegal, it centres around five women’s stories and asks, ‘ What is a woman for?’ Every embryo has been granted rights of life, liberty and property. IVF is banned, and unmarried women are about to be prohibited from adopting children. With both US and UK politicians openly discussing abortion rights and the Irish referendum on the horizon, the book doesn’t feel like a dystopian piece, more a thought-provoking essay.