Women & Power: A Manifesto Book Review

One of the most powerful quotes within all of Jane Austen‘s works is in Persuasion.

“I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman’s inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman’s fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men.”

“Perhaps I shall. Yes, yes, if you please, no reference to examples in books. Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything.”

Women & Power: A Manifesto, by Mary Beard, was published in 2017.

In this short history book, Beard examines how women have been sidestepped, forced into a second-class position, and generally mistreated. She starts with the mythical characters Medusa and Philomela and ends with modern political figures Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton. Along the way, she points out how we can and must fight against the cookie-cutter images that we have been forced into for an untold number of generations.

Though she is small, she is mighty. Beard’s text packs a punch that might not have been so powerful had it been longer. In 128 pages, she reminds her readers why the feminist movement is still desperately needed, even with the hard-won gains we have made.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

I Could Read Jane Austen All Day and Be Perfectly Happy

What book could you read over and over again?

Author. Satirist. Protofemist. Icon. Inspiration. Romantic. All around badass.

Anne Elliot is my Spirit Animal

Daily writing prompt

If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?

View all responses

Her arc throughout Persuasion is one of my favorite within Austen’s narratives. Finding her voice and speaking up for her wants is a lesson that is timeless and universal.

Much Ado About Nada Book Review

Love is not easy. It requires sacrifices, hard decisions, and truths that may be hard to hear.

Much Ado About Nada, by Uzma Jalauddin, was published last year. Nada is at a crossroads. At 28, she is working in a day job that provides a good income. But it is not what she wants to do for the rest of her life. Her lifestyle app failed and she is shockingly single.

Coerced by her best friend to attend the annual Muslim conference in Toronto, Nada runs into her past via Baz. He is her friend’s soon-to-be brother-in-law. Their reunion creates both sparks and opens the door to questions about a shared past.

Nada has two choices. She can either stay where she is or do what needs to be done to move on.

I loved this book. I was hooked from nearly the word go. I wanted Nada and Baz to get together so badly that I didn’t want to put it down.

This is not only my new favorite book of this author, but it is one of my favorite Jane Austen fanfictions. Jalaluddin expertly combines Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Much Ado About Nothing. My favorite aspect was the mouthdrop twist I did not see coming. It was the perfect homage to Persuasion while remaining true to Jalaluddin’s narrative.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. The fact that I am still thinking about days after I finished the novel says everything.

Much Ado About Nada is available wherever books are sold.

Happy Birthday Jane Austen

Here to the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen. May your work last forever.

ARC Book Review: The Letter Tree

One of the marks of a good book (in my mind at least) is wanting to know where the characters go after the book ends.

The Letter Tree, by Rachel Fordham, was published yesterday. Taking place in 1924, Laura Bradshaw and Isaac Campbell grew up together in Buffalo, NY. Their fathers were best friends and business partners. After the deaths of Isaac’s uncle and Laura’s mother, a rift developed between the men.

Nearly a decade later, Laura and Isaac are being kept in their respective golden cages. She has been banned from socializing with her peers as other girls do. He is eager to learn the ropes of the business, but his father keeps giving him menial tasks.

Both have been conversing for years with an unknown pen pal via a tree in the local zoo. Neither knows who the person is behind the words. Over the years, Laura and Isaac have followed their father’s hatred of the other family. When they meet up as young adults, their hatred starts to evolve into a relationship that is completely unexpected. As they explore the mystery of the disagreement between their fathers, they begin to understand one another.

I loved this book. The best way to explain the narrative is You’ve Got Mail meets Romeo and Juliet with Washington Square and a dash of Persuasion. I was rooting for them to get together, even before I knew the twist. My favorite character was the Bradshaw’s housekeeper. She is the mother figure that Laura badly needs. My only issue is that the other man who starts out as Laura’s love interest. He could have been a bit fleshed out a bit beyond the standard 2D baddie trope.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. It is one of my favorite reads of 2023.

The Letter Tree is available wherever books are sold.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Stuff Mom Never Told You: The Feminist Past Present and Future Book Review

One of my favorite quotes from Jane Austen’s Persuasion is as follows:

I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman’s inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman’s fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men.”

“Perhaps I shall. Yes, yes, if you please, no reference to examples in books. Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything.”

Stuff Mom Never Told You: The Feminist Past, Present, and Future, by Anney Reese and Samantha McVey, was published in August. Based on the podcast, Stuff Mom Never Told You, the authors take the reader through several important moments in feminist history and how it affects us today. Two of them include the victory of Billie Jean King, and how women helped to shape the Civil Rights era. With a prologue dedicated to Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), this book is the perfect addition to any feminist’s library.

I adore this book. I love that it is accessible, that it is informative, funny, interactive, and acts partly as a graphic novel. If I could, I would give it to every female who needs it.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Stuff Mom Never Told You: The Feminist Past, Present, and Future is available wherever books are sold.

Jane Austen Oscars

Hello readers! You are about to witness the virtual Jane Austen Oscars awards ceremony. The winners have been selected by a well-qualified committee, which consists of the owner of this blog and her friend Molly. The committee does not have the funds to support the cash prizes, so they are forcing the losers to pay […]

Jane Austen Oscars

Possibilities: A Contemporary Retelling of Persuasion Book Review

The beauty of Jane Austen‘s work is that her stories are timeless and universal. This, of course, opens the door to modern writers trying their hand at adapting Austen’s work in another time and place. The question that the reader has to ask is if the author was able to balance their vision with Austen’s narrative?

Possibilities: A Contemporary Retelling of Persuasion was released in 2006. The 6th in a series of reboots of her novels, it was written by Debra White Smith. In this version, Allie comes from a wealthy family whose fortune comes from farming. She is expected to marry “well”. When she falls for Frederick, who has been hired to maintain the family estate, her aunt intervenes.

Years later, Frederick returned as a military hero. He is also in a better financial situation and a catch. When they meet again, Allie is still grieving and Frederick is still angry. Will they get back together or move on?

White does a good job of keeping to the original text while adapting it to her world. Though she goes a little overboard in making two characters mercenary, they do not stray too far from their Regency counterparts.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Possibilities: A Contemporary Retelling of Persuasion is available wherever books are sold.

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen

Anyone who knows me (or has read this blog regularly), knows that I am Janeite. In layman’s terms, I am a Jane Austen fangirl. Her books are a huge part of my world.

Today is Austen’s birthday. One of the many things I admire her for is her writing. She had the unique ability to blend satire, romance, and societal criticism in such a way that it takes multiple reads to recognize how perfectly these elements are intertwined.

The focus of yesterday’s episode of The Thing About Austen podcast (which I highly recommend) is Robert Ferrars, the younger brother of Edward Ferrars (Sense and Sensibility). I won’t give the conversation away (which is why I recommend that you listen to it). But what I will say is that her ability to give the reader just enough detail about the character without under or overexplaining is a skill that many writers are unable to accomplish.

Wherever you are Jane, thank you for everything. Our world would not be the same without you.