The story in one page
Morgan Smyth James, a filmmaker working on a project about the complexity of adoption, finds her life intersecting with the secretive Dr. Alex Goddard. When her friend Sarah goes missing after visiting Goddard's Children of Light organization, Morgan ventures to his remote Guatemalan compound, Baalum. She soon realizes Goddard’s medical success is built on experimental, highly irregular fertility protocols and a web of military corruption. As Morgan navigates Goddard’s predatory bedside manner and erratic health, she uncovers the horrific cost of the miracles he promises. Ultimately, she is left to grapple with the disturbing possibility that her own unexpected pregnancy is not the result of a happy accident, but a calculated, clinical abduction of her own biology.
Who's who
- Morgan Smyth James
Optimistic filmmaker who turns her lens on a dangerous fertility doctor.
- Alex Goddard
A doctor running an expensive, clandestine fertility operation in Guatemala.
- Sarah
Morgan's friend who disappears after falling into Goddard's orbit.
- Lou
A former FBI agent and skeptical advisor to the protagonist.
What it's really about
- Biological ownership
- Who controls the rights to human eggs and embryos.
- Medical hubris
- The terrifying intersection of ambition and unregulated laboratory science.
Why it's memorable
- A high-mileage Toyota driving toward a documentary subject who hides a jungle lair.
- A calendar marked with missed fertile days suggesting a sinister medical intervention.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Morgan tries to convince herself her pregnancy is a natural miracle, even as she suspects Goddard may have secretly implanted her with stolen embryos during a forced medical procedure. She forces herself to embrace the uncertainty, shouting a desperate 'Yes!' into the void.
For your book club
- Why do we trust doctors who claim their methods transcend modern law?
- Can the desire for a child justify blind trust in a system?