AS THE YEAR TURNS, FOUR WOMEN GIVE BIRTH.

In Japan, Tsukasa spends a week in her government-funded hospital room, before resting at her mother's house. In Kenya, Chelsea returns to her urban flat the day after giving birth, greeted by friends. In Finland, Anna delivers her baby in a midwife-led birth centre. And in America, despite her insurance, Sarah pays $3,000 for an uncomplicated birth.

Following these women across their first year of parenting, Four Mothers is an immersive and deeply reported story of motherhood, and an enlightening exploration of the cultures and policies that shape it.