Life is a novel about a woman, Anna Senoz, as she makes her way through life as a scientist, a wife and a mother. The underlying theme that seemingly connects all these aspects of her life is sexuality. As a college student she freely explores her sexuality, in ways "nice girls" are not supposed to. During this time she winds up in a series of emotionally charged situations. As a wife, she struggles with the loss of a child due to miscarriage and the issue of infidelity. Anna finds herself in a situation familiar to many working women- she must decide how to balance career and family. Furthermore, she deals with the role reversal of having a husband who stays at home and is the primary child care-giver. Lastly, as a scientist she studies human reproduction as well as the underlying genetics of gender. Throughout the book, Anna's research leads up to the discovery of an interesting (though fictional) genetic finding that could have major implications on the definition of gender in our society. Along with this discovery, Anna is forced to deal with skepticism within the scientific community as well as unethical, discouraging mentors. The author chooses to have Anna focus narrowly on the science of her discovery, and as a result glosses over the social implications of such a finding. Although this book is entertaining and has some quality character development, I believe the true value of this book is as a catalyst for discussion. The author briefly touches on a myriad of interesting topics such as gender equality, the definition of gender in society, and even the expectations of marriage-all of which are thought provoking issues.
