Avalanche

At the age of thirty-eight, acclaimed novelist Julia Leigh made her first visit to the IVF clinic, full of hope. So started a long and costly journey of nightly injections, blood tests, surgeries, and rituals. Writing in the immediate aftermath of her decision to stop treatment, Leigh lays bare the truths of her experience: the highs of hope and the depths of disappointment, the grip of yearning and desire, the toll on her relationships, and the unexpected graces and moments of black humour. Along the way she navigates the science of IVF, copes with the impact of treatment, and reconciles the seductive promises of the worldwide multi-billion-dollar IVF industry with the reality. Avalanche is the book that's finally been written on IVF treatment: a courageous, compelling, and ultimately wise account of a profoundly important and widespread experience. At the heart of this work is an exploration of who and how we love. It is a story we can all relate to - about the dreams we have, defeated or otherwise, for ourselves, our loves, and our relationships. Avalanche bears witness to Leigh's raw desire, suffering, strength, and, in the end, transformation, and her shift to a different kind of love.

Julia Leigh's debut novel, The Hunter, was published around the world and won numerous awards, including a Betty Trask Award and the 2001 Prix de l'Astrolabe. It was also selected as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her second novel, Disquiet, won the Encore Award. Her film Sleeping Beauty was officially selected for the Festival de Cannes in 2011.