In succinct and original prose, Verena Keßler’s story is about the possibilities and impossibilities of being a woman in the 21st century. She covers the topics of childbirth and climate change in her nuanced, warm-hearted and profound portrait of motherhood.
‘The best thing parents can do for their children is not to have them in the first place.’
What if Sina can’t get pregnant? What if Mona had never had children? Would the world be a better place? Yes, says climate activist Eva Lohaus. She thinks stopping births is the only way to save the planet. As she struggles with the consequences of her radical vision, sisters Sina and Mona wrestle with their own life plans. From afar, they envy each other and close up, they feel pity. But together, they try to resist the responsibility and pressure of expectations. It’s not until Mona’s new neighbour enters the scene that their view of motherhood starts to change.
What arguments can be found for and against having children in today’s world? In precise, strikingly pared-down language, Verena Keßler tells a story about four women who eventually find very unique answers to these questions.