#dontfollowtheherd

“The Cows is a powerful novel about three women – judging each other but also themselves. In all the noise of modern life they need to find their own voice.”

The Cows tells the story of 3 seemingly unconnected women living in the same city – Cam, is a feminist lifestyle blogger with no desire to be married or to be a mother, Tara is a TV documentary producer and a single mum and Stella is PA dealing with the grief of losing her mother and her twin sister to cancer. Eventually all three women are connected and their lives are changed forever ( telling you anymore would take away from what they narrative has to offer. . . ).

Dawn O’Porter’s first foray into adult fiction ( she has previously written for young adults ) will be a resounding success – and, I hope, the promise of so much more to come.

O’Porters writing style is accessible, its casual and its easy to read, her prose discusses the conflicts and contradictions within contemporary feminism in everyday language and situations that will get even the most ardent anti-feminist talking. She uses trolling, sexuality, reproductive rights and stereotypes as backgrounds to her narrative – they are important issues but they never overpower the characters and their motivations – it all intertwines perfectly.

O’Porter is searingly perceptive, she is fearlessly frank – this novel is not one for the prudish, she is bold, brilliant and bad ass. The Cows is for women ( and open minded men ) to laugh out loud, to throw across the room in anger, to scream No! at the top of your lungs, its about being different, its about being smart and above all its about being yourself.  I cannot recommend this highly enough.