In ‘Boulder’, Catalan author Eva Baltasar explores how our relationships shape and erode us. The novella is punchy, erotic and existential, rich in imagery and quiet torment, mapping the journey of the protagonist’s stifled and suppressed inner truths as she yields to her partner’s desire to have a child. It explores contrasting perceptions of motherhood as both innate and alien, explores parenthood as a threat to intimacy, and navigates the shifting landscape of desire within a long-term, same-sex relationship. Boulder ultimately poses the question of how far we are willing to betray our own instincts in order to fulfil our partner’s, and what is required to chart our own, true path.