Fruto: Bearing the Burden of Care

Mothering always comes at a price, paid by women regardless of their means.

"Daniela Rea's Fruto is a calm room late at night where women gather to talk: with their stories and their words they take care of each other and then, by sharing that, they care for all of us."--Miriam Toews, author of Women Talking

"This transformative book is the product of eyes that see across generations, ears that truly know how to listen, and a mind that understands the complexity of systemic forms of violence. Daniela Rea's brilliant, polyphonic imagination casts the philosophy of care in an entirely new light."--Valeria Luiselli, author of Lost Children Archive: A Novel

After the birth of her first child, the relentless work of motherhood left award-winning Mexican journalist, Daniela Rea feeling overwhelmed, despairing, and afraid of losing her identity. She took up the tools of her trade and began a series of interviews with other women, some mothers, some caregivers. As she listened to their experiences of providing care for others, sometimes under extreme circumstances, she began to find a place and a meaning for her own story.

Fruto examines the personal and social contradictions of care. Fourteen voices weave in and around Rea's own, punctuated by diary entries from her first days of motherhood and reflections on her upbringing that are sparked by a lengthy interview with her own mother. Throughout, she engages with an international women's chorus of philosophers and feminists, poets and essayists, and the result is a compelling page turner that chronicles a journey of listening in search for meaning.

Daniela Rea (Mexico, 1982) is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, author of three books of narrative non-fiction, and a contributor to various collections of essays. Fruto, published to wide acclaim in Mexico in 2023, is her most recent book. She has received various awards for her work, including Mexico's National Journalism Award (2018); the Gabriel García Marquez Prize (2017, 2019, and 2022); and the Premio Alemán for Journalism (2021). She is interested in the tension between horror and beauty, and recognized for her work on social issues, violence, social justice, and human rights. She is a founding member of the Red Periodistas de Pie; part of the Global Network of Investigative Journalism, and co-editor of Pie de página, a journalism portal created with the support of the European Union. She lives in Mexico City, Mexico.