Take a photo of a barcode or cover
amandashestokes 's review for:
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna
by Juliet Grames
3.5
It took me a long time to stop comparing this book to Life After Life, which is totally my fault. I went in thinking it was going to be a version of that when it wasn’t at all. So just know this - it’s not a book about a woman who does and is reborn 7 or eight times...
I did enjoy this book, specifically the latter half. I’m not one to give spoilers away, so the only thing I’ll say is I came out of this book wondering more about my own grandmother’s life. 16 years after her death, some shocking secrets came out. When that happens, there’s no way to get any explanation or closure. Anger and blame soon follow. But now, I find myself looking back on what I know about her family (unfortunately, the similarities between Stella’s father and my grandma’s father are strong) and the roles, rights and expectations for women of that time and I find my anger and disappoint waning while my curiosity and empathy increase.
I think the author wanted us to think more about the voiceless women of the last century in our families who did the best they could raising families, but who no one bothered to understand. The (immigrant) housewives of the mid 20th century in the US have been ignored. Maybe their stories deserve more attention.
It took me a long time to stop comparing this book to Life After Life, which is totally my fault. I went in thinking it was going to be a version of that when it wasn’t at all. So just know this - it’s not a book about a woman who does and is reborn 7 or eight times...
I did enjoy this book, specifically the latter half. I’m not one to give spoilers away, so the only thing I’ll say is I came out of this book wondering more about my own grandmother’s life. 16 years after her death, some shocking secrets came out. When that happens, there’s no way to get any explanation or closure. Anger and blame soon follow. But now, I find myself looking back on what I know about her family (unfortunately, the similarities between Stella’s father and my grandma’s father are strong) and the roles, rights and expectations for women of that time and I find my anger and disappoint waning while my curiosity and empathy increase.
I think the author wanted us to think more about the voiceless women of the last century in our families who did the best they could raising families, but who no one bothered to understand. The (immigrant) housewives of the mid 20th century in the US have been ignored. Maybe their stories deserve more attention.