“[Women are] told that they are not reliable witnesses to their own lives.” There are sentences like this throughout this collection of essays, that seem so obvious and yet feel like a gut punch every time you read them. Here’s another, from The Longest War: “Violence doesn’t have a race, a class, a religion, or a nationality, but it does have a gender.” Or “Women are afraid of being raped and murdered all the time and maybe that’s more important to talk about than protecting […]
Memoirs!
Hi, I’m badkittyuno, and I’ve totally failed my New Year’s resolution to remain current on my reviews by somehow falling 15 reviews behind. In my defense, my life has completely fallen apart since mid-March — but also I’m lazy and would much rather read than review. Caitlin_D suggested lumping reviews of similar books together in an effort to get myself back on track, and my baby sister is very wise, so… Here we go! It’s Memoir Time. Grace Notes: My Recollections by Katey 4 Stars I […]
Mostly good
Best for: People who enjoy Ms. Solnit’s writing. In a nutshell: Essays on the experiences of women. Line that sticks with me: “The entitlement to be the one who is heard, believed, and respected has silenced so many women who may never be heard, in so many cases.” Why I chose it: I’ve enjoyed Ms. Solnit’s writing in the past. Review: I wish I had more energy to do this review justice. I definitely enjoyed many of the essays in this book, and as always […]
Rebecca Explains it All (In a Good Way!)
3.5 stars, rounding down because when I think back on it (I finished it a few weeks ago), the things that bugged me stick out more than the things that didn’t. This might’ve been a four star book for me if I’d checked at all on what it actually was. I’d hoped it would be a deeper dive into the title concept, aka “mainsplaining” (although Solnit herself did not coin that term and is not a fan of it). The title essay was fantastic, so […]