A lot of things are billed as being the last taboo, but a woman’s choice about whether to have children or not is definitely one of them. Women who don’t want children are branded as selfish, confused, not aware of what joy the little ones can bring.
Olive, the protagonist of Emma Gannon’s new novel by the same name is independent, loyal, and knows her own mind. She’s trying to figure life out, and doing it with the support of her three friends from university. But then their paths start to diverge, as they choose marriage and motherhood, and Olive wonders whether her choices are the right ones. Life according to Olive looks different.
Olive is a pacy novel that explores our own explorations – how we approach life, and what it means to live a good one. The journalist and author has long been praised for acute commentary on society and life, and weaves in her observations subtley. Olive is a journalist, which means she can ask questions as a character, allowing us to see more than just her own life.
At times I worried that the cliché of Olive being a bit of a party girl undermined her decision not to have children. A woman can be child free without being irrational or hysterical, without loving wine more than they love family, or being an obsessive career woman.
Whatever path you choose to take, it’s always worth being mindful of the fact that there are other options out there. Even if your life is a good life, it doesn’t mean that someone else’s is bad. You do you. Olive does Olive.