What Concerns Us

Author: Laura Vogt

Number of Pages: 0

A book without filters, a blunt depiction of pregnancy, sex, maternity and relationships through the lives of three women. Rahel and Fenna grew up in an all-female household with their mother and her female partner. Now Rahel strives to reproduce the traditional family unit but she is haunted by an unsettling pregnancy, postnatal depression and compulsive breastfeeding, while having mixed feelings about her singing career. Meanwhile, Fenna wonders whether she consented to the intercourse with Luc which left her pregnant. What Concerns Us is a punchy contemporary read that scrutinises gender roles within our society, examining what it means to be a mother and the nature of femininity, as well as how to remain independent in a variety of different types of relationship. Fast-paced and with a touch of dark humour, Laura Vogt’s neorealist style gives us a first-hand experience of what it is to be female in different situations and stages in life. The crafted descriptions of Rahel, Fenna and Verena are uncompromising and genuine, showing us how women can experience and feel their own bodies. What Concerns Us is full of physical sensations, uncomfortable thoughts and rough truths about the choices we make. ‘A beautiful examination of female interiority. Vogt is not afraid to ask difficult questions. In what ways does motherhood bring us to our limits? What are the consequences of believing a child doesn’t need a father?’ – Elizabeth McNeill, Chicago Review of Books AUTHOR: Laura Vogt (Teufen, 1989) studied Creative Writing at the Swiss Literature Institute in Biel and Cultural Studies at the University of Lucerne. Her first novel, So einfach war es also zu gehen, came out in 2016. She has also written numerous short stories and articles as well as lyrical and dramatic texts. Laura started writing What Concerns Us two months after having her first child. This is her second novel, and the first one to be available to English readers.