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A review by readingthething
A Narrative Compass: Stories That Guide Women's Lives by
5.0
I loved this book.
I bought this at a time when I felt sad and unguided, and hoped this book could give me some nudges in the right direction. I am a feminist, I love reading, and I used to want to be a scholar, so this seemed a fitting choice. Also, it was called "A narrative compass", so it should be able to give me some guidence, right?
I am not sure if it succeeded in this, except for the fact that it made me realise (not for the first time) that I have amazing strong women in my family. My mother, who actively decided she wanted kids, without a man (and there I was). She later started a more traditional looking family with a man and a new kid (my awesome brother), but is able to look at that with some humor of her "traditional" life. She always continued to study and learn during her job, and made several career-moves within the same company.
My maternal grandmother, who raised her two daughters by herself. First because her husband was at sea, and later because they divorced. And I would almost forget she also worked a fulltime job. Which, in that time, was a rarity for a mother.
My aunt, who has the biggest personal library of all people I know. She has been the director of several schools, and decided to retire early, so she could do all the volenteer work she felt passionate about. So now she pours coffee for the homeless, helps in her church, and does many more things for her community.
My paternal grandmother, whose first love was killed in WWII. She went on living, married my grandfather, and managed to create a good life for herself.
The wife of my father, who has endured quite some hardships in her life, but who always picks herself up, and continues her life. She also decided at a later age to study the things she was interested in, next to her job and her family.
What I wrote here, I'd love to expand. I want to add the stories of my maternal greatgrandmother, who passed away when I was 9, and who continued to live by herself into her 90's. The women in my family are readers, and they have their own stories.
I bought this at a time when I felt sad and unguided, and hoped this book could give me some nudges in the right direction. I am a feminist, I love reading, and I used to want to be a scholar, so this seemed a fitting choice. Also, it was called "A narrative compass", so it should be able to give me some guidence, right?
I am not sure if it succeeded in this, except for the fact that it made me realise (not for the first time) that I have amazing strong women in my family. My mother, who actively decided she wanted kids, without a man (and there I was). She later started a more traditional looking family with a man and a new kid (my awesome brother), but is able to look at that with some humor of her "traditional" life. She always continued to study and learn during her job, and made several career-moves within the same company.
My maternal grandmother, who raised her two daughters by herself. First because her husband was at sea, and later because they divorced. And I would almost forget she also worked a fulltime job. Which, in that time, was a rarity for a mother.
My aunt, who has the biggest personal library of all people I know. She has been the director of several schools, and decided to retire early, so she could do all the volenteer work she felt passionate about. So now she pours coffee for the homeless, helps in her church, and does many more things for her community.
My paternal grandmother, whose first love was killed in WWII. She went on living, married my grandfather, and managed to create a good life for herself.
The wife of my father, who has endured quite some hardships in her life, but who always picks herself up, and continues her life. She also decided at a later age to study the things she was interested in, next to her job and her family.
What I wrote here, I'd love to expand. I want to add the stories of my maternal greatgrandmother, who passed away when I was 9, and who continued to live by herself into her 90's. The women in my family are readers, and they have their own stories.