The Say So
Description
From the award-winning author of Over the Plain Houses comes a major novel about two young women contending with unplanned pregnancies in different eras.
Edie Carrigan didn't plan to "get herself" pregnant, much less end up in a home for unwed mothers. In 1950s North Carolina, illegitimate pregnancy is kept secret, wayward women require psychiatric cures, and adoption is always the best solution. Not even Edie's closest friend, Luce Waddell, understands what Edie truly wants: to keep and raise the baby.
Twenty-five years later, Luce is a successful lawyer, and her daughter Meera now faces the same decision Edie once did. Like Luce, Meera is fiercely independent and plans to handle her unexpected pregnancy herself. Along the way, Meera finds startling secrets about her mother's past, including the long-ago friendship with Edie. As the three women's lives intertwine and collide, the story circles age-old questions about female awakening, reproductive choice, motherhood, adoption, sex, and missed connections.
For fans of Brit Bennett's The Mothers and Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything, The Say So is a timely novel that asks: how do we contend with the rippling effects of the choices we've made? With equal parts precision and tenderness, Franks has crafted a sweeping epic about the coming of age of the women's movement that reverberates through the present day.
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About the Author
Reviews
"In these vivid, haunting passages, Franks luminously captures decades-old conversations and dilemmas about bodily autonomy. Franks's mesmerizing prose traces the devastation of coerced relinquishment and unpacks the repercussions of living in a society that dictates agency and choice."
--Anjali Enjeti, author of The Parted Earth
"It's rare that a novel speaks so eloquently to the contemporary moment as The Say So does. The years may pass but our stories stay the same. Julia Franks has written a beautiful story of mothers and daughters, old friendships, broken hearts, and tough choices. This is a powerful novel, and an important one too."
--Wiley Cash, author of When Ghosts Come Home
"The Say So is unforgettable, heartfelt, and stunningly timely. You'll fall in love with Luce, Edie, and Meera, their struggles, and ultimately, their bravery."
--Jessica Handler, author of The Magnetic Girl
"Every so often, a work of fiction appears that is so timely that its creation seems an act of prescience. Julia Franks's The Say So speaks powerfully to the current debate about the rights of women to decide their own fates and control their own bodies. It is a finely crafted story about fascinating characters dealing with the most fundamental things: friendship, sexuality, family, and motherhood. Read it now and you will continue to think about it as the years pass."
--Terry Roberts, author of The Sky Club
"What a marvelous novel Julia Franks has written! The Say So is a big and generous story that brings a perennial dilemma into sharp focus from one generation to the next. A perfect and perfectly provocative book club choice!"
--Katharine Weber, author of Jane of Hearts and Other Stories
