Labor

“This memoir tore me up in the same way a good novel does, pulling me into other worlds, other hearts, and a level of dedication most of us can’t fathom…This physician has an exceptional story to tell, and does so beautifully and propulsively, I inhaled it in two sittings…[I] urge this book on every person who has a female body, or loves someone who does.” —Barbara Kingsolver

A powerful memoir of medicine, identity, and family secrets from an esteemed ob-gyn as she unravels her grandmother’s mysterious death while reimagining women’s health care from a mobile clinic—for readers of The Beauty in Breaking and The In-Between.

In Labor: One Woman’s Work, Dr. Mary Afsari takes us on a deeply personal and transformative journey through her life as an ob-gyn. Set against the vivid backdrops of Portland, Oregon, and Shiraz, Iran, this powerful memoir intertwines the complexities of her professional life with the hidden truths of her family’s past, exploring the intersection of medicine, identity, and the enduring search for agency.

The story begins in the bustling corridors of an Oregon hospital, where Mary dedicates herself wholeheartedly to her patients—often at great personal cost. At the same time, Mary uncovers a long-buried family secret: the tragic story of her grandmother Mehry’s death in 1950s Iran. This revelation propels her on a quest to untangle the threads of her family’s history while confronting the forces that have shaped her identity and her professional mission.

As Mary struggles with the oppressive realities of the medical-industrial complex and the growing attacks on women’s reproductive rights, she chooses a path of bold defiance. Inspired by her grandmother’s legacy and her own commitment to compassionate care, she decides to take her work out of the hospital and on the road: she converts an RV into a mobile women’s health clinic. This innovative act allows her to deliver personalized, critical reproductive health care services across the Pacific Northwest, creating community and enduring friendships along the way.

“When women don’t have a choice, bad things happen,” Mary writes. Labor is an intimate, immersive personal story, a rallying cry in a post-Roe world, and an inspiring example of what women can do when they do have a choice. Rich with the voices of her patients and the vibrant cultural threads of her Iranian heritage, Mary’s story challenges us to rethink the boundaries of health care and reclaim the autonomy of women’s bodies and lives. With warmth, insight, and humor, Labor ultimately offers a vision of transformation, resilience, and the power of reclaiming one’s path and saving other people’s lives in the process.