Ramona Ausubel Knihy

Reminiscent of Aimee Bender and Karen Russell, from the author of the new collection, Awayland—an enthralling book of stories that uses the world of the imagination to explore the heart of the human condition. Major literary talent Ramona Ausubel, author of Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty, combines the otherworldly wisdom of her much-loved debut novel, No One Is Here Except All of Us, with the precision of the short-story form. A Guide to Being Born is organized around the stages of life—love, conception, gestation, birth—and the transformations that happen as people experience deeply altering life events, falling in love, becoming parents, looking toward the end of life. In each of these eleven stories Ausubel’s stunning imagination and humor are moving, entertaining, and provocative, leading readers to see the familiar world in a new way. In “Atria” a pregnant teenager believes she will give birth to any number of strange animals rather than a human baby; in “Catch and Release” a girl discovers the ghost of a Civil War hero living in the woods behind her house; and in “Tributaries” people grow a new arm each time they fall in love. Funny, surprising, and delightfully strange—all the stories have a strong emotional core; Ausubel’s primary concern is always love, in all its manifestations.

In this playful and witty novel, a single mother and her two teenage daughters embark on a wild scientific adventure that leads to self-discovery. Jane, a dedicated scientist, is part of a groundbreaking project aimed at "de-extincting" the woolly mammoth. Sent to Siberia to search for ancient DNA, she faces an unexpected challenge: her bored daughters, Eve and Vera, who accompany her on this Arctic expedition. Fifteen-year-old Eve is outspoken and unafraid to confront the male scientists, while thirteen-year-old Vera, sensitive and nurturing, longs for the comforts of home in Berkeley. Their lives take a dramatic turn when Eve and Vera uncover a perfectly preserved 4,000-year-old baby mammoth, triggering a series of events that threaten Jane's standing in the lab. As she grapples with the challenges of being a female scientist in a male-dominated field, Jane decides to take matters into her own hands. The story unfolds as the family travels from Siberia to California, Iceland, and even an exotic animal farm in Italy, exploring the complexities of motherhood, the power of imagination, and the joy of discovery shared with family. With humor and heart, the narrative captures the essence of navigating personal and professional challenges in a changing world.

Seit Generationen sind sie geflohen, durch Wüsten, über Ozeane und Berge. Nun sind sie angekommen im tiefsten karpatischen Wald, in Zalischik. Es ist 1939, es ist Krieg, und es gibt keinen Ort mehr, an den sie noch fliehen können. Nur eines kann ihnen helfen, ihre Phantasie. Deshalb folgen die Bewohner von Zalischik der Idee eines elfjährigen Mädchens – sie tun einfach so, als gäbe es die Wirklichkeit nicht mehr. Ihre Vorstellungskraft und ein unbändiger Wille lassen sie das Schicksal leugnen und alles neu erfinden. Töchter bekommen neue Väter, der Bäcker wird zum Schreiner. So vergehen die Jahre, und die Hoffnung auf Rettung wächst. Doch schließlich bricht die Grausamkeit der Welt in ihr Dorf ein – und für das kleine Mädchen, aus dem eine junge Frau geworden ist, beginnt eine Flucht, die sie weit hinaus in die Fremde treibt. Funkelnde, von seltener Imagination getragene Prosa über ein märchenhaftes Dorf und das Erwachsenwerden in außergewöhnlichen Zeiten.