Scan barcode
A review by wordnerdy
Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy
5.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2018/03/2018-book-53.html
I have seen this 1988 novel recommended a few times recently, and I am honestly surprised I have never read it before now, because it is basically Alicia catnip: an epic 700+ page novel about several women (and a few men) during WWII, most of whom are Jewish (and some of whom are from Pittsburgh!), across the globe. Plus, I love Marge Piercy! I should really read/reread all her books. Some of these voices are more compelling than others--I particularly loved petulant and pretentious teen Jacqueline's transformation, and was cheering hard for writer Louise and pilot Bernice--but on the whole this was a completely engrossing work. Anyway, I'll throw in a vague content warning here bc some of the characters have racist/Orientalist/anti-Semitic attitudes common in their era, and there are also various sexual assaults, plus, you know, concentration camps, so steel yourselves. But this was great, just breath-taking. A.
I have seen this 1988 novel recommended a few times recently, and I am honestly surprised I have never read it before now, because it is basically Alicia catnip: an epic 700+ page novel about several women (and a few men) during WWII, most of whom are Jewish (and some of whom are from Pittsburgh!), across the globe. Plus, I love Marge Piercy! I should really read/reread all her books. Some of these voices are more compelling than others--I particularly loved petulant and pretentious teen Jacqueline's transformation, and was cheering hard for writer Louise and pilot Bernice--but on the whole this was a completely engrossing work. Anyway, I'll throw in a vague content warning here bc some of the characters have racist/Orientalist/anti-Semitic attitudes common in their era, and there are also various sexual assaults, plus, you know, concentration camps, so steel yourselves. But this was great, just breath-taking. A.