Vagina Obscura

An Anatomical Voyage

By: Rachel E. Gross

Narrated by: Siho Ellsmore

A scientific journey to the center of the new female body.

The Latin term for the female genitalia, pudendum, means “parts for which you should be ashamed”. Until 1651, ovaries were called female testicles. The fallopian tubes are named for a man. Named, claimed, and shamed: Welcome to the story of the female body, as penned by men.

Today, a new generation of (mostly) women scientists is finally redrawing the map. With modern tools and fresh perspectives, they’re looking at the organs traditionally bound up in reproduction—the uterus, ovaries, vagina—and seeing within them a new biology of change and resilience. Through their eyes, journalist Rachel E. Gross takes listeners on an anatomical odyssey to the center of this new world—a world where the uterus regrows itself, ovaries pump out fresh eggs, and the clitoris pulses beneath the surface like a shimmering pyramid of nerves. Full of wit and wonder, Vagina Obscura is a celebratory testament to how the landscape of knowledge can be rewritten to better serve everyone.

©2022 Rachel E. Gross (P)2022 Spotify Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Through her seamless storytelling and meticulous research, Rachel Gross shows how long we have misunderstood the bodies of half the people who have ever lived, how much we still have to learn, and how wondrous and rewarding that quest can be. Vagina Obscura is science writing at its finest—revelatory, wry, consequential, necessary, and incredibly hard to put down." (Ed Yong, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of I Contain Multitudes)

"Vagina Obscura is a marvel of a book—lyrical, compassionate, infuriating, insightful, and wise. Rachel E. Gross's exploration of the history, science and politics of female anatomy should be read by women, men, and everybody seeking to be smarter about who we really are." (Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Poison Squad)

Under the hood

Very good exploration of an under studied topic dear to my heart

The last chapter earns a one star demerit: despite their respective plastic surgeries Gerald is not a dolphin, Kyle is not a 7' 2" Black basketball star and Mr Garrison is not Mrs Garrison

Read this book even if you don’t have ovaries!

So good I bought 10 copies for friends. Highly recommend to everyone regardless of gender.

Fascinating voyage through female anatomy

As. Gynecologist, I thought I knew all of this. But there were very interesting facts that never make it into the medical curricula.
My only complaint is regarding the narrator’s pronunciation of some very basic terminology.

Please Re-Record This Important Book

The book itself is so well-researched and important. It should be required reading for medical professionals. Women who just want to be more empowered in the doctor's office and in the bedroom will also benefit. This book therefore deserves a decent narrator.

To be fair, I'm a linguist, so I always pay attention to narrators' accents, but usually in passing, or just out of habit. It has never been to the point of distraction until this book. Why was her pronunciation so inconsistent? Why did she randomly slip into a NY/NJ accent, but at other times sound British? Why did she "mispronounce" so many words (i.e., not say them the way an American would say them)? It turns out she's Australian but sells her voice acting talents in different accents. She was a terrible choice for an audiobook narrator. Someone also had the tasteless idea to have her read quotations from foreigners in this indiscriminate non-native-English-speaker accent, even if the quotation had been translated into English from another language hundred of years ago, and even if she has no idea how well the real, living person speaks English. When the voice actor reads quotes from an Australian researcher in her (the narrator's) native accent, it is a relief to listen to. Her voice is excellent for audiobooks. WHY ALL THE ACCENTS?! I considered returning the book so many times, but pushed through because the content is so useful.

Good overall

Mispronunciation of scientific terms was a little distracting. Good content and it covered diverse stories within the topic.