I’m a big fan of Janina Ramirez on Twitter and TV but new to her writing – thanks to NetGalley for granting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the premise for this book – a kind of re-evaluation of what we think we know about the middle ages and a reinstatement of women within that historical narrative. Ramirez starts from the idea that actually we do know about some powerful and influential women from this time period, but that the dominant narrative of kings, battles and manly Vikings have erased them. When I saw ‘we do know’, I really mean that Ramirez knows – I didn’t have a clue and was pleased to be introduced to some of history’s forgotten women.
I’ve had a life-long fascination with the Greek myths which probably stemmed from the (at the time terrifying) ‘Clash of the Titans’ film that made up a chunk of my 80s childhood – very much like Haynes herself, it turns out!
Nowadays, my job as an English teacher sees me teaching Carol Ann Duffy’s ‘The World’s Wife’ so I’ve become a lot more au fait with the details of the women in the ancient texts – especially Medusa, Penelope and Eurydice – which is what brought me to Haynes’ excellent book.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Cut From The Same Cloth’, a fascinating collection of Muslim women’s writing about their experiences of life in Britain.
With thanks to Random Things Tours for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
From the Publisher:
● Perceived as the visual representation of Islam, hijab-wearing Muslim women are often harangued at work, at home and in public life yet are rarely afforded a platform to speak on their own terms.
● From modern pop culture to anti-Blackness, faith and family, politics, education, creativity and working life; Cut From The Same Cloth? Is an anthology which gives visibly Muslim women creatives a space to speak to the matters that mean most to them.
Do you wear that at home? Where are you really from? Does he make you wear that? Do you support acts of terror? Do you believe in ‘British values’? Can I see your hair? Do you have equality? Are you hot in that? Can you be a feminist? Why don’t you just take it off? Do you wear that in the shower? Are you oppressed?
Whether it’s awkward questions, radical commentators sensationalising their existence, non-Muslims and non-hijabis making assumptions, men speaking on their behalf, or tired stereotypes being perpetuated by the same old faces: hijabis are tired. Cut from the Same Cloth? seeks to tip the balance back in their favour, with the space to offer honest insight into the issues that really affect their lives.
Here, twenty-one middle and working class contributors of all ages and races look beyond the tired tropes, exploring the breadth of their experiences and spirituality. It’s time we, as a society, stopped the hijab-splaining and listened to the people who know.
It’s time for change.
My Review:
Having just read ‘The Seven Necessary Sins of Women and Girls’ by Mona Eltahawy, leading Egyptian/US feminist (review here), I was intrigued by her discussion of intersectional feminism and her Muslim faith. Therefore, I jumped at the chance to read this collection of essays by Muslim women which focuses more on Britain than Eltahawy’s (excellent) book.
The essays are very wide-ranging and discuss an array of topics important to Muslim women living in Britain today. The writers each give their unique takes on issues from their own individual experiences – and the results are as varied and fascinating as you would expect.
From reading about how Covid-19 has impacted one woman’s experience of Ramadhan, to discussions on modesty, Muslim motherhood and witnessing the tragedy of Grenfell, this is a collection of essays that are continually engaging and thought-provoking.
As the essays are so wide-ranging, it is difficult to review the overall collection in a meaningful way. However, for me, the most eye-opening pieces of writing were those that catalogued actual lived experiences. The eye-witness account of Grenfell was heartbreaking to read and it was genuinely shocking to hear about the racist treatment of Black African Muslim women in Britain. The concept of misogynoir – the fact that Black women face a double oppression based on their gender and race – really came into sharp focus.
I’ll admit to (shamefully) not knowing much about Islam, so it was enlightening for me to be able to understand more about how religion impacts women’s lives. I didn’t always understand the choices that the women made – as a white, non-faith Brit, this was outside of my own experiences – but it was always interesting to see how other British women live their lives.
It is important to note that this isn’t a book to explain or justify choices made by Muslim women – one of the early essays states absolutely correctly that ‘I am not an essay to show your friend “what Muslims think about X”.’ Instead, the essays were as unique as the women themselves and I loved them.
I’d recommend this anthology to anyone interested in women’s lives and experiences in 21st century Britain. There is some levity and humour, but mainly the collection highlights the difficulties and challenges that Muslim women navigate every day – the Islamophobia, the misogyny, the racism – and it is a powerful book.
About the Editor:
Sabeena is a writer, editor and the Festival Coordinator of Bare Lit, the UK’s principal festival celebrating remarkable writers in the diaspora. She is also the co-founder of the Primadonna Festival which spotlights the work of women writers, and of Bare Lit Kids. She will be available for events around publication, and can be found tweeting at @pocobookreader
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Ariadne’ by Jennifer Saint, a gorgeous retelling of the Ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur (among many others!)
With thanks to Random Things Tours, NetGalley, the publisher and author for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From the Publisher:
‘My story would not be one of death and suffering and sacrifice, I would take my place in the songs that would be sung about Theseus; the princess who saved him and ended the monstrosity that blighted Crete’
As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year.
When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything.
In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition?
Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.
A truly spellbinding, epic story taking readers on an unforgettable journey. Perfect for fans of Circe, A Thousand Ships and The Silence of the Girls.
My Review:
I have always loved mythology and have dipped in and out of various versions of the stories, most recently enjoying Stephen Fry’s narrative in ‘Mythos’ and subsequent books. I am blessed (cursed?) with a memory like a sieve, so I don’t tire of the old stories and cannot always remember how they all fit together, so I came to ‘Ariadne’ with only a very vague understanding of the Theseus and the Minotaur myth upon which this is based, at least initially.
The story opens on Crete, where Ariadne and her sister live in the shadow of their authoritarian and deeply unpleasant father, Minos. The jealousy of the gods causes Ariadne’s mother to bear a minotaur child and this monster – trapped in a labyrinth under the palace – is fed with an annual sacrifice of Athenian youths. One year, Theseus (Prince of Athens) arrives with those to be sacrificed to the minotaur and Ariadne – blinded by love that she takes to be mutual – helps Theseus and changes the course of her own life.
That bit is just the start of the story! To cover it all would be too complex and also give spoilers, for there are several versions of the different myths and so Saint has made some intriguing narrative choices along the way. The story intersects with others that will be familiar to lovers of Greek mythology – I loved that Medusa made it in there, plus Daedalus and Icarus and so many others.
In Saint’s hands, each of these characters became human – I’ve never really felt the tragedy of Icarus’ fate before, or what it must have felt like for Ariadne’s mother to know she birthed the monster that is the scourge of Crete, or how Phaedra and Ariadne felt at having their sisterhood torn apart. Saint explores the emotions of these very human stories and the result is intensely moving.
What is also apparent is just how awful the Olympian gods are. Saint presents their jealousies, their fickleness and their downright cruelty – it becomes a familiar theme that mortals never come off best in their dealings with the gods. Even those who seem preferable at first glance – Dionysus, for example – have a darker side and their immortal life renders them problematic in their relationships with humans.
One hugely appealing aspect of this book was the feminist slant on the stories – in Saint’s capable hands, we are really made to feel the injustices meted out on the women of the novel by some pretty terrible men – both human and godly. This was something I was aware of already (I can recommend ‘Zeus is a Dick’ by Susie Donkin if you need enlightening on Zeus’ general tyranny, status as rapist and general shoddy conduct – it is a very funny book too!)
However, in Saint’s version, the women are constantly underestimated and often abused – yet remain strong and resolute in the face of hardship. Pasiphae, Ariadne’s mother, is a prime example of this as she rises above the malicious gossip about her and ultimately grows in strength. Phaedra, Ariadne’s sister and co-narrator of the book, is also a tough, honest and down-to-earth figure. I’ll admit I didn’t know of Phaedra before reading this book and was hoping for a different ending for her.
The main narrator of the novel is Ariadne herself and she is presented with realism and truth. She makes mistakes along the way, is too trusting at times, struggles with various situations she is presented with, is aware of her many failings – yet is also kind-hearted and a brilliant heroine of the novel. The fact it is narrated in first person allows us to really get under the skin of a figure who – in the original mythology – is rarely developed as a character in her own right, being more of a plot device within Theseus’ story.
This is a beautifully-told story that brings Greek mythology to life. The things I have struggled with in regard to myth retellings – the complexity, the huge casts, the flat characterisation – are stripped away here and the result is gloriously readable. This is definitely one myth that will remain firmly fixed in my memory which – given my track record – is a miracle!
It is also worth mentioning here that the hardback version of this book – with gorgeous gold detailing – is something that every book-lover would be proud to find a place for on their bookshelves…just saying!
About the Author:
Due to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. She spent the next thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. ARIADNE is her first novel and she is working on another retelling of ancient myth for her second.
I’ve been a long-term subscriber to the Books That Matter feminist subscription box, plus have also started the Brave Girls Book Club boxes for my 10 year old daughter.
I’m always pleased by the books and treats thoughtfully put together in these boxes but I have to say that April 2021 is an absolute gem!
Warning: spoilers ahead! If you are waiting for your own box delivery, you might not want to read on.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Bad Habits’ by Flynn Meaney, a very funny YA novel with a school setting and a feminist heart!
Everybody needs to read a funny book from time to time, and this one proved the right book at the right time for me. I’m perhaps not the target audience, being several decades older than the main characters, but it certainly made me laugh. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher (Penguin) and The Write Reads for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story is set in St Mary’s Catholic School, a strict boarding school in America, where the main character, Alex, is determined to have an impact. In fact, what she’d really like is to be expelled. Her purple hair and incessant rule-breaking isn’t proving enough, so she decides that she will stage the school’s first production of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ with her (mostly less-than-keen) feminist club.
This book is the story of the battle to bring the play to the stage – a battle that Alex takes on to both shock and prove her feminist credentials. What she finds is that the challenges aren’t the ones she expects.
Alex as a main character is spiky, sassy and cool – everything I wasn’t at school, so I found her pretty interesting! I’m not sure she is really intended to be likeable at the start of the book – her instinct is to push back on everything and everyone in order to prove her rebel status. However, as the book progresses, I did warm to her and felt that she started to see the bigger picture.
However, more immediately likeable is Alex’s roommate, Mary Kate. She is more relatable for me and a whole lot less prickly – although she does have determination and is a strong character in her own right. The other supporting characters are also appealing, particularly the very tolerant Pat and the rather diverse bunch in the feminist club.
I’ve always been a sucker for a school story, even from my youngest years reading Enid Blyton’s Mallory Towers books, and I enjoyed this one. I like the boarding school setting with the range of teachers (the usual suspects – scary, eccentric, kindly) and the rivalries of the cliques. The fact it is a co-ed American boarding school, whose team sport is ice hockey, seems to me to have a glamour and interest not found in the school stories of tuck boxes, lights-out and cross-country races that I grew up with!
This is more than a school story though – it is a funny school story! There were several points that made me laugh out loud and I loved the absurdity of some of the situations – I don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll just say the recruitment drive the sleeping nun and the protest all made me smile. Alex’s voice is a humorous one and she calls on a range of unusual references, from Harry Potter to metaphysical poet Andrew Marvell, which I loved – it made her narration engaging, often surprising and clever.
There are serious messages in the book, particularly around feminism and gender. I won’t give anything away, but I will say that I thought the ethos of the book was positive and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to teenagers – although there are a lot of sex references and some swearing (which I – not a regular reader of YA fiction – was quite surprised by).
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes funny books, school stories or just likes fiction with a solid feminist message. Personally, I love all three of those things, so it is a big thumbs-up from me!
If you’d like your own copy of this book, my affiliate link is below – thanks for supporting my blog with any purchases.
Regular readers of the blog will know I’ve been a subscriber to the feminist book box, ‘Books that Matter’ for quite a while now.
This £20 (including postage) box – featuring a book and other treats – has been one of the better things to happen to me over lockdown and is a monthly lift!
For those still trying to get their hands on the January box, there are spoilers ahead…
The January Box
The (newly reinforced) box arrived and was as beautifully presented as usual.
This month, the box’s theme was ‘You Are Your Best Thing’ and contained the following:
The book ‘Skin’ by E M Reapy
A sample size sleep balm by Scentered
A teabag from Bird and Blend
‘Break the Glass’ – an essay by Rachel Edwards (in a separate booklet)
A box of ‘Self Care Prompts’ (cards)
A Recipes for Self Love calendar
A bookmark
A booklet with background information on the items in the box.
My Review
I’d like to say up front that I’m totally on board for talking about mental health issues and the importance of self care in these tricky times. That said, I’m not sure whether this box is perhaps not really hitting the spot for me.
The book – ‘Skin’ by E M Reapy – is absolutely in-keeping with the feminist message from ‘Books that Matter’ and looks like an intriguing read. It is about body image and features a protagonist who is struggling with her own relationships with her body and food.
The sleep balm is great. So great that I’ve pretty much lost it to my kids who love the smell and say it helps them sleep. I just wish it had been a bigger tube!
The bookmark and teabag will be used – although (not for the first time) I question whether there could have been more teabags!
The self care prompt cards and calendar are perhaps less up my street. As an *ahem* more vintage buyer of this box, I don’t need ideas on how to look after myself – I need someone to take over the childcare, housework and work that gets in the way of me actually being able to do it! Still, I guess in the absence of a fairy godmother who is going to grant me the gift of time, I appreciate the sentiment of the items in the box. I just probably won’t use them.
As always, the booklets are interesting – the one by Rachel Edwards is particularly well-produced and looks fascinating.
My Verdict
This is a mixed box for me, probably more so than usual, although the items are entirely appropriate and good quality.
I still wholeheartedly recommend this subscription box, but I’m hoping for something that strikes more of a chord with me personally next month. I prefer the more ‘fun’ boxes and this one is a serious one.
The December 2020 Books That Matter feminist subscription box has arrived! Warning – spoilers ahead for those of you waiting on your delivery.
The Box
The December box is themed ‘We glow through what we go through’ – nope, I’m not entirely sure what that really means either!
As usual, it is beautifully wrapped in pink tissue paper and features a range of gifts and a book of the month. This month’s contents are:
The book – ‘Delayed Rays of a Star’ by Amanda Lee Koe
A ‘Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021’ reflective journal
A metal keyring
A Teapigs uplifting tea bag
Joe and Seph’s Salted Caramel popcorn
Bookmark
‘We glow through what we go through’ booklet
My Review
The book this month is one that I haven’t heard of, but it looks absolutely brilliant. I love the idea of the 1930s setting and the focus on the women involved in the film industry.
The journal isn’t one that I’d really use, but my daughter will so that is fine. It is beautifully produced and has lots of prompts for reflection. It is excellent quality, but just not really my thing.
The bookmark and keyring are lovely and will be used. The keyring in particular is lovely quality – made of a heavy metal and featuring the box theme.
The Teapigs tea is nice, although one tea bag feels a bit mean!
I really couldn’t get on with the popcorn – I’m not a fan of mixed sweet and savoury flavours – and I couldn’t even palm it off on my children, so this one isn’t a winner.
The booklet, produced by ‘Books That Matter’ and giving a bit of background information to the book and gifts featured in the box, is fine – it was interesting to flick through it but it is only a few pages.
The Verdict
I really love the book choice this month and it is something that I am interested in reading. However, the gifts don’t all hit the spot this time round which is a shame – but very much down to my personal preferences.
Overall, I still think this is worth the £20 a month (including postage) and it does feel like a treat every month.
I subscribe to the monthly Books that Matter feminist book box (you can see my review of the November box here) so I was on the mailing list when they were looking to launch the Brave Girls Book Club, a similar offering for girls.
My daughter is 10 and not the keenest reader, so I thought it would be worth a shot.
The first box arrived this week and my daughter got to it first so there are no nice unboxing photos… The wrapping is the same as the Books that Matter box anyway so let’s go straight to the contents!
The November Box
The theme for the box was ‘Girls Who Read, Lead’ and the contents of the box were:
Not pictured – the sweets or keyring
‘When Life Gives You Mangoes’ by Kereen Getten
A reading journal
Two ‘This Girl is Mighty’ pencils
A bag of strawberry sweets (long since gone…)
A collectible patch (there will be one to collect each month)
A bookmark with quotations from Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ on
A ‘Brave Girl’ keyring
A ‘Girls Who Read, Lead’ booklet/activity pack
The keyring
My Review
The book looks excellent – it is one that I wouldn’t have thought of to buy my daughter (I hadn’t heard of it) but she likes the look of it. Whether she actually reads it will be the true test!
The pencils are really nice and are already in use, as is the keyring which has been attached to my daughter’s school bag. The bookmark is nice and the sweets were very much appreciated in the three seconds they were in the house!
The patch is cute, but I’m not sure what we will do with it – I think attaching it to something will involve sewing which is very unlikely to happen! I think a pin badge would have been better and more likely to get some use.
The activity booklet is quite thin but I think my daughter will like the wordsearch and might do some of the other activities. Time will tell if she uses the reading journal but I am ever the optimist!
My Verdict
I think this is a lovely box for girls aged between about 9 and 12 – the book looks a good reading age for my daughter and it is nice to have a story that is both diverse and has positive messages about friendship.
The other items in the box were well chosen, good quality and I think this box is reasonable value.
I’m always keeping an eye on subscription options – this month, I’ve been debating the Orenda Books subscription from Bert’s Books because I’ve heard such great things about that publisher.
However, for now, I’m with Books that Matter, the feminist subscription box- this is my 7th month with them and I’ve also signed up for the brand new Brave Girls’ Book Club subscription box for my daughter which I’ll review when it arrives.
Spoilers ahead, for those of you who haven’t received your box yet…proceed with caution!
The November ‘Books that Matter’ box:
Hallelujah! They’ve changed the packaging! Instead of getting a crumpled box, I got this smarter, tougher one. It’s only a little thing, but it already made me feel better about this box!
Opening the box is the usual lovely experience – everything is wrapped and placed beautifully and the contents looked great. This month’s offering is very brightly-coloured and themed around the topic of ‘Hear Her’, using your voice to achieve what you want.
The contents of the box were:
‘The Inland Sea’ by Madeleine Watts
‘No One is too Small to Make a Difference’ by Greta Thunberg
A ‘She is Fierce’ plain notebook
A floral face mask
3 feminist postcards
A bookmark
The ‘Hear Her’ booklet
My Review:
It’s another lovely selection from the team at ‘Books that Matter’.
I love the fact this is a 2-book month as this isn’t the norm. I’m intrigued by ‘The Inland Sea’ as I hadn’t heard of it and I like the fact it has a historical dimension, plus the Greta Thunberg book is one that I have felt I should read for a while now.
The notebook, postcards and bookmark are good quality and will definitely be used and I like the accompanying booklets with these boxes which showcase the artists, writers and other creatives/female-led businesses who have been involved in putting the box together.
As much as I wish it weren’t true, the face mask will also get a lot of use as England begins its month-long lockdown and I am required to wear a mask at work.
My Verdict:
Every time my wandering eye fixes on another subscription offering, Books that Matter seem to pull another blinder out of the bag! I’m really pleased with the November box and very much looking forward to seeing what this team have to offer for my daughter in her forthcoming Brave Girls’ Book Club box.
