This novella tells the story of Johnny and Diane Laski, a sculptor and his wife, and their attempt to bring a new life into the world, set against the backdrop of a cold Maine winter deep in the country. In the language of a poet, Kotzwinkle tells the story of the couple's quiet night drive to the hospital, their long labour, and their ultimately unsuccessful breech birth. Unafraid of his subject, Kotzwinkle destroys any sentimental illusions about the 'beauty' of childbirth or the distance of birth from death; he reminds us of how closely the two are intertwined, of the frightening power of the life force, and of the unpredictability and uncanniness of death. And yet, his small book is not without hope.