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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
In her memoir Ariel Levy challenges the feminist notion of 'having it all' - a myth she feels she was sold by an earlier generation that shaped her expectations for her adult life. Unfortunately life doesn't fit within the boundaries of feminist theory and alcoholism, adultery, the reality of marriage, grief and loss intrude into her well-ordered life.
The book has been criticised as a neoliberal white feminist memoir of privilege and entitlement about complaining that women can't get everything that they want (see Charlotte Shane's review in New Republic). If you are looking for an intersectional feminist manifesto deconstructing patriarchy - this book is not for you.
Levy never sinks into whiney melodrama, a trap into which many writers could easily fall. Instead she gives a unflinchingly honest account of her experience on the path to motherhood. A path that expects 'sucessful' (read privileged, well-educated, well-paid) women to wait until they 'have it all' and then in their late thirties and forties try to conceive. A path that demonstrates that society is well out of synch with biology, with devastating results.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in return for an honest review.
The book has been criticised as a neoliberal white feminist memoir of privilege and entitlement about complaining that women can't get everything that they want (see Charlotte Shane's review in New Republic). If you are looking for an intersectional feminist manifesto deconstructing patriarchy - this book is not for you.
Levy never sinks into whiney melodrama, a trap into which many writers could easily fall. Instead she gives a unflinchingly honest account of her experience on the path to motherhood. A path that expects 'sucessful' (read privileged, well-educated, well-paid) women to wait until they 'have it all' and then in their late thirties and forties try to conceive. A path that demonstrates that society is well out of synch with biology, with devastating results.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in return for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
So self-absorbed. So name droppy. I was talking with Nora Ephron and so and so who ghost wrote Sarah Palin's memoir and the Supreme Court justice and I was at all of their houses and blah blah blah. Bad things happen to lots of people. But I just did not like this book.
This memoir was a quick read and it was a very sad story. My heart broke for broke for her, absolutely shatter for her when she lost; as a boy mom it felt too close to my heart to handle. I am giving it 3 stars because other than reading her story I didn't feel like I got much out of it. Overall, it was worth reading but I didn't feel incredibly connected to the story as a whole.
A lot of really poignant, heartfelt passages. She's pretty self aware and truthful about her shitty attitude sometimes. But whenever I read stories like these I just wonder how these people pay their rent. And not that rich people can't have problems and suffer tremendous grief, but breaking up the story of your massive heartbreak with tales of your second apartment and so-and-so's summer house is just... Eh. And it's weird that she's so mad at her wife's alcoholism, which is obviously a problem and major factor in their breakup, but like... Ma'am you had a huge affair. There's such a weird lack of perspective here.
I want to give this 4 stars but feel like I can’t. This book was beautifully written and shockingly sad but it was so inconsistent. Some parts were so well done and others felt like they were just thrown in for added material. Overall, I loved her story and felt most parts were incredibly well told.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
I think I could have just read "Thanksgiving in Mongolia" and been happy.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced