This was definitely an epic story. This novel ran the gamut and sure had a lot for us to discuss at book club! It was an incredibly ambitious book, tackling topics such as post-partum suicide, women's rights, prohibition, childhood abuse, adultery, self-destructive behavior, alcoholism, and domestic violence⚠️.
This novel "soars" when it comes to conveying what women have endured for centuries. Maggie Shipstead also competently communicates human longing and despair. Every character serves a very specific purpose in moving the story along, and while some of them are repulsive, they only serve to validate Marian and Hadley's dismal realities.
I must admit that this was a slow and depressing read for me because there was little redemption for the characters. I appreciated the historical storyline more than the present-day one, but did recognize how the parallels in their lives served a purpose in the novel.
The entire book does take stamina to read, no doubt. I read the physical book and listened to the audio version to get through it. I was super excited that Cassandra Campbell narrates Marian's story - she is my favorite voice actor, so I really looked forward to her parts.
So, overall, this was a a well-written novel, and I did enjoy it for the most part. However, a book of this length really needs to knock it out of the park for me to give it all the stars, and it didn't quite get there for me.
Read 2/5/22
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