The Opposite of Fate by Alison Mcghee

The Opposite of Fate by Alison Mcghee

Who gets to choose? When a young woman emerges from a lengthy coma-like state she must face the decisions that were made about her body--without her consent--in this powerful novel of reclamation and hope.

Twenty-one-year-old Mallie Williams--scrappy, headstrong, and wise beyond her years--has just landed on her feet following a tumultuous youth when the unthinkable happens: she is violently assaulted. The crime leaves her comatose, surrounded by friends and family who are hoping against hopes for a full recovery.

But soon Mallie's small community finds themselves divided. The rape has left Mallie pregnant, and while some friends are convinced that she would never keep the pregnancy, others are sure that a baby would be the only good thing to come out of all of this pain. Who gets to decide? How much power, in the end, do we have over our own bodies? Mallie, her family, and her town find themselves at the center of a media storm, confronting questions nobody should have to face. And when Mallie emerges from the fog, what will she think of the choices that were made on her behalf?

The Opposite of Fate is an intense and moving exploration of the decisions we make--and don't make--that forever change the course of our lives.

Shadow Baby is written by Alison McGhee. She resides in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has received a Loft-McKnight Fellowship, a Minnesota State Arts Council Fellowship, the 1995 Snake Nation Editor's Fiction Award, and a Pushcart Prize honorable mention.