Thanks to Random House for the free advance copy of this book.

Golden Oaks is a luxury retreat where highly paid surrogates carry babies for the world’s most powerful people. The Hosts’ every movement is monitored and connection to the outside world is limited. Jane, a Filipina immigrant, discovers her own baby at home may be ill, and must choose between her family and the promised life-changing paycheck.

THE FARM isn’t really a dystopian novel in the traditional sense - virtually everything in this book could take place right now with no changes to our existing world. In fact, I would be shocked if ideas like Golden Oaks weren’t already being pitched to venture capitalists.

And that’s what this book is about, in the end - capitalism. Capitalism and it’s different effects on people based on their race and class. For Jane, an immigrant, woman of color, and single mother, being a Host is a path to a better future for her daughter. For Reagan, a white Host from a wealthy family, it’s a path to finding herself. •
Capitalism affects the older women in this story to. Mae, director of the center, and Ate, Jane’s cousin, will both do anything for a bigger payout, but their different social starting points bring them to drastically different outcomes.

There are a few things I would consider plot holes, but the story can’t move along without them so I don’t want to get bogged down in that here.

All that said, this book doesn’t feel like you’re learning a lesson. It’s a certified page-turner and I couldn’t put it down. I’m definitely looking forward to future books by Joanne Ramos.