ELEVEN HOURS by Pamela Erens

In Pamela Erens’ Eleven Hours, two pregnant women — one a patient at the hospital, one a nurse in the maternity ward — form a tight bond over the course of a difficult labor. Lore, planning to raise her baby alone, arrives with a complex birth plan and an unusually stubborn attitude. Wracked by sporadic contractions, she contemplates her personal history, fraught relationships, and impending motherhood as she fades in and out of consciousness. As Franckline, her nurse, tries to make sense of her mysterious charge, she reflects on her journey to the United States and her own risky pregnancy. Erens renders the women’s stories in beautiful prose, capturing a perfect snapshot of one tumultuous day while also giving the reader a deep look into Lore’s and Franckline’s lives. Eleven Hours is a short book, but the fully realized characters, vivid descriptions of labor, and deft pacing help it pack an emotional punch.