kari_f 's review for:

The Eights by Joanna Miller

4.0

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“I often ask myself,” she begins, “if women had always been taught to paint, sculpt, publish, report, write, calculate, translate, and experiment, what kind of world would we live in now?”

A historical novel set at 1920s Oxford, The Eight centers around four young women who live in Corridor Eight and are among the first to officially matriculate through the college. We see their ups and downs as they traverse their first year, learning each of their back stories and seeing how the Great War has drastically impacted each of their lives.

Each of the characters had a distinct voice and personality, and they all felt realistically flawed in a way that the reader feels for each of them and wants them to succeed. Through their stories, the book covers topics such as women’s rights, the widespread tragedies of war, class differences, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and the unequal and unfair standards female scholars were held to.

I loved the bond that these very different women grew during the book, as well as learning more about this time period in Oxford’s history. If you enjoy historical fiction, this one might be right up your alley!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Putnam for the advanced copy of the ebook!