A review by adamskiboy528491
Constellations by Sinéad Gleeson

4.25

“The body is an afterthought.”

 

Constellations by Sinead Gleeson is a collection of essays that seem to go on further than the others, so preoccupied with the body and what we don't write about it: illness, fertility, death, relationships - each topic is explored in a tight, well-written essay that, despite the familiar subject, manages to find new areas to explore and insights to describe. There is a thread on feminism running through many of the essays. 

 

Medical professionals do not always take a woman's pain seriously. Gleeson shares her treatises on the body—her experiences of living with illness and pain. Then, she moves into writing about motherhood, abortion, and even dementia. She holds a mirror up so the reader sees the author's experience and how it reflects against a backdrop of history and other strong women. Women's rights and issues are essential to Gleeson, a freelance broadcaster who can be seen on many YouTube postings. 

 

She has much to protest, given Ireland's backward stance on Women's Rights. The Republic of Ireland, long one of the most catholic countries in the world, is now slowly freeing itself from church domination.