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A review by bookmaddie
Impersonation by Heidi Pitlor
3.0
In Impersonation, Pitlor follows Allie, a ghostwriter, who is tasked with writing the memoir of Lana Brebane, a successful feminist activist, focusing on her role as a mother, and raising a feminist boy. This novel takes place in the shadow of the 2016 election and its repercussions, which informs a lot of Allie’s mental conflict. She is constantly wondering how to be a good mother, earn enough money for her family, yet maintain her liberal, feminist values. Pitlor’s writing captures Allie’s mental hurdles really well, and this novel is a great character study that kept me hooked.
However, I found issue with the representation of feminism throughout the entire book. Lana represents this ideal feminist figure in the story, yet the version of feminism she spouts is one that is all talk, no action, and is not inclusive to race, class, ability, or sexuality. Lana constantly pulls these bizarre stunts in the name of feminism and trots out facts about minority groups, yet seems to do nothing to support these groups. It is a version of feminism that is not inclusive, and feels pretty outdated now. I wanted Allie to rebel against Lana’s vision and power over her, yet Allie constantly rolls over and justifies Lana’s behavior, even when she is blatantly manipulating Allie. Lana really bothered me—she seems to constantly gaslight Allie and take advantage of her in a variety of ways. I am sad that Allie was never given the chance to really own her story and come out from under Lana’s thumb.
I do think there are really interesting discussions of motherhood and success, and how one might define both, throughout this story. The parts I enjoyed the most were when Allie was ruminating on her own goals, and how she wanted to live her life with her son, Cass, and her partner, Kurt. The comparison between Lana and Allie’s versions of motherhood and partnership were stark, and I think this would make great material for a book club discussion. While I did have a big issue with the central message of this book, I’d be curious to see what Pitlor comes out with in the future.
Thanks to Algonquin Books for providing me with an ARC and asking me to participate in the blog tour for this book!
However, I found issue with the representation of feminism throughout the entire book. Lana represents this ideal feminist figure in the story, yet the version of feminism she spouts is one that is all talk, no action, and is not inclusive to race, class, ability, or sexuality. Lana constantly pulls these bizarre stunts in the name of feminism and trots out facts about minority groups, yet seems to do nothing to support these groups. It is a version of feminism that is not inclusive, and feels pretty outdated now. I wanted Allie to rebel against Lana’s vision and power over her, yet Allie constantly rolls over and justifies Lana’s behavior, even when she is blatantly manipulating Allie. Lana really bothered me—she seems to constantly gaslight Allie and take advantage of her in a variety of ways. I am sad that Allie was never given the chance to really own her story and come out from under Lana’s thumb.
I do think there are really interesting discussions of motherhood and success, and how one might define both, throughout this story. The parts I enjoyed the most were when Allie was ruminating on her own goals, and how she wanted to live her life with her son, Cass, and her partner, Kurt. The comparison between Lana and Allie’s versions of motherhood and partnership were stark, and I think this would make great material for a book club discussion. While I did have a big issue with the central message of this book, I’d be curious to see what Pitlor comes out with in the future.
Thanks to Algonquin Books for providing me with an ARC and asking me to participate in the blog tour for this book!