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cassie7e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Some may also dislike that it's narrated by a man, and that the "minutes" are more of a transcript.
I'm surprised that so many reviews disliked the religious focus of the discussions when it's clearly about Mennonite women, people in an explicitly religious colony separated from the rest of the world. Of course religious questions will be of primary concern for these women! And I did not see them as cold and inadequately outraged - they are seriously discussing actions that defy their entire social structure as a result of the atrocity they experienced, and as many trauma victims, are detaching themselves from the feelings so they can make decisions without shutting down and losing their opportunity to make a choice at all.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Self harm, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Vomit, Death, and Miscarriage
readingrampage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Minor: Incest, Violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault
isabellalinares's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Written thoughtfully & heartbreakingly
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Suicide attempt
linguaphile412's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Minor: Incest, Vomit, and Pregnancy
ismerene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
I think the biggest misstep in this novel that cascaded into other issues is the method of which the story is told. No speech is direct. Everything, save for our narrator, is spoken in passive statements, and it serves to deaden a lot of emotion about the situation at hand, as well as removing a large bit of personality from each character. There were a few moments of creepy, chill-up-your-spine implications and sudden, graphic depictions - all of which had heavier impact due to the otherwise banal narration - but overall it only served to turn much of the story into a slog.
The narrator's gender didn't bother me as much as his long-winded inserts did. Separate from him explaining certain cultural nuances, the insert of his background or his encounters outside the meeting felt frustrating. What really chapped my hide however were the comments and odes about one character he pines for. In the context of what this novel is centered on, it comes across as almost... creepy. It's all soft and emotional, but like, she's pregnant because she was raped. I'm not sure if this is to grow the narrator's character, or to illustrate a statement on men overall, but either way it was, also, annoying.
Based on other reviews, it seems as if the choices made here were stylistic, in which case I can confidently say the style is not for me. I think if this had been handled a bit differently, and maybe some choices - in narrator, particularly - were changed, this would be rated much higher. As it stands however, I didn't much care for it.
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Incest
kimberlyds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Incest, and Suicidal thoughts
chasingpages1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Cursing, Deadnaming, Dementia, and Incest
the_beatific_bluestocking's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Snow in the spring and we're all quite grouchy. We pump our bike tires, pack away our sweaters, rejoice in the sunshine to every soul we meet, even though we know, we KNOW this happens. ❄️
What a trip to read this book while my little corner of the world erupts in a second round of seasonal affective disorder.
Women Talking is the somewhat true story of a Bolivian Mennonite community in the early 2000s. For years the women believed they were being visited by ghosts, demons, even the devil in the night or made to believe the violence they experienced in their sleep was a figment of their wild imaginations. When the truth is revealed, more than 300 cases of rape over four years, the women have 48 hours to decide what they will make of their lives in the aftermath.
This book is dialogue heavy without a single quotation mark. Toews brilliantly blurs the lines of opinion, emotion, and description with this strategy. I often forgot I was reading a fictional account and got quite involved in their debates questioning love, faith, loyalty, forgiveness, and liberation in a completely unknown world. Suddenly, shoveling snow doesn't seem so bad.
Here's the spoiler‼️
In reality, the women never left the colony, they never fought for a new way forward, today several women are attempting to recant their testimony and free the imprisoned men. I feel my whole body react to this. I shovel snow and wonder how they can be saved, do I go to Bolivia myself, do they want to be saved, they must, this is unreal, this is real, this is happening, right now.
Women Talking pulled me outside of my own protected rural bubble, to feel the sharp pain of a stranger's experience, to feel, feel, feel...to remember this is why I read and this is what really good books are made of.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Graphic: Pedophilia, Misogyny, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Rape, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
thehistoriette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Incest, Rape, and Religious bigotry
hinkleh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexism, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Suicide, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcoholism and Incest