A review by bookshelvish
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

3.25

This one was HEAVY. This is probably the first nonfiction book I’ve read that reads like fiction. It follows three women’s respective stories about women’s desire: Sloane, Lina, and Maggie. Sloane and her husband are swingers, Lina is stuck in a sexless marriage and carrying on an affair with her high school sweetheart, and Maggie is in the midst of a trial centering around the sexual relationship she had with her teacher when she was 17. 

This book has received all sorts of attention, and I really wanted to like it. At times, I did. It made me think a LOT about the types of women I empathize with and those I don’t, and it was convicting at points for that exact reason. I found Lina annoying and whiny, Sloane sympathetic but timid, and Maggie frustrating and pitiable. I don’t think any of the women were particularly likable, and I wouldn’t want to be friends with any of them. Is that a good gauge of the characters? Probably not, but that’s also because they’re real people. 

I don’t like giving star ratings to nonfiction, as it largely feels like I’m rating someone’s experience. Maggie, particularly, walked through something that is absolutely unimaginable. So, my star rating reflects how much I enjoyed reading rather than the actual content or writing of this book. Lisa Taddeo did an excellent job of shedding light on these women’s stories, and I am grateful to her for devoting so many years to make sure that their voices were listened to. 


Expand filter menu Content Warnings