Womb

Humane, intelligent but accessible, and full of fascinating insights – Rhiannon Lucy Coslett * Guardian *A gripping exploration of the science of the uterus, the politics of medicine and the future of reproductive freedom * New Statesman *An excellent guide [to] a misunderstood marvel … Womb invites us to wish others well, defend their rights to make informed choices and refuse to apologise for our own * Observer *What a phenomenal book. To read Womb is to step closer to a sense of autonomy and empowerment – Maxine Mei-Fung Chung, author of What Women WantLeah Hazard expertly blends science with passion in this riveting book. Packed with eye-opening facts and fascinating human stories, Womb is moving, inspiring and genuinely revelatory. It will change the way you think about bodies forever – Rachel Clarke, author of Dear LifeAn erudite, compassionate and fascinating biography of a much-maligned organ. Womb is sharp and political, learned and wise, and urgent and necessary. Above all else, Leah Hazard is a brilliant storyteller. I loved it. * Katherine May, author of Wintering *Page for page, I may not have ever learned more from a book. And I enjoyed myself throughout. Yes, Womb is a history book as well as a biology book but it’s also an adventure and a celebration. It’s sensitive but unflinching and a very, very worthy introduction to an organ I once inhabited but can only now say I truly appreciate. I loved this book – Rob Delaney, author of A Heart that WorksLeah Hazard approaches a fascinating topic with professional expertise and lively human sympathy – Hilary MantelMeticulously researched and powerfully told, Womb is an awe-inspiring exploration of one of the most misunderstood organs of the human body. Compassionate and compelling, Leah Hazard’s vital new narrative reveals the importance of understanding the uterus for body autonomy, reproductive justice, and human rights. A phenomenal book * Dr Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women *A bravura cultural history of the uterus and the politics that surround it … Hazard’s eye is keen, her range broad, and her tone scrupulously compassionate …This is essential reading on the “most miraculous and misunderstood organ in the human body.” * Publishers Weekly *A very important book that will inform and entertain all those with a womb, and everyone who was born from one. This is a major contribution to the under researched and neglected area of women’s reproductive health – Laura Godfrey-Isaacs, co-author of Maternal JournalA searching and compassionate investigation into “the most miraculous and misunderstood organ in the human body” … all but the most learned medical historians will be astonished by what Hazard reveals * New York Times *Womb looks at this shape-shifting organ from all angles: medical, emotional, political and futuristic. What emerges is fascinating, contentious, and potentially chilling * Spectator *

Leah Hazard graduated from Harvard University, and worked in print journalism and television before the births of her two daughters prompted her to change direction. Leah is now a practising NHS midwife in Scotland and has worked in a wide variety of clinical areas, from labour wards to outpatient clinics, delivering hundreds of babies and caring for countless families along the way. Her memoir Hard Pushed: A Midwife’s Story was a Sunday Times bestseller in the UK. Leah hosts the popular podcast What The Midwife Said and is a frequent commentator on women’s health across the media.