I have never given birth to a child. But I have birthed a creative manuscript into the world. Before reading My Work by Danish author Ogla Ravn (translated by Jennifer Russel and Sophia Hersi Smith for BookHug Press) I never would have dared to equate the two. But Ravn’s experimental novel gives me pause. A structural mash-up of auto-fiction, poetry, and a series of journal entries, this novel takes the reader through the tumultuousness that is being pregnant, giving birth, becoming a parent, all while maintaining a sense of one’s creative self.

The Loneliness in Lydia Erneman’s Life is gentle and sombre and beautiful. At once lyrical and acute, each short chapter offers a glimpse into the protagonist’s quiet life, almost like a meditation. Perhaps this is how the author intended this book to be read? A sip at a time, chapter by chapter, letting each portion slowly warm you from the inside out.