Review 69: Women Talking

Women Talking by Miriam Toews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is based on something that happened, a true thing. The author fictionalized the response, well a little more than that was fictionalize, such as the size of the settlement. Yet knowing the basis of this story was fact made the book a harrowing read.

What was odd for me was why have an outsider tell the story? And why was the outsider a man?

The framing of the book had a male teacher, who was once excommunicated from the colony with his parents, write down the minutes of the women's meeting. He writes more than that, he write about himself. Sometimes it is acknowledged and other times it feels like the author forgot the frame of the story. A few parts of the story could not have been written down, yet we still have this in the book.

The women were portrayed, as almost simple. I think the author struggled with this aspect, their intelligence there, they are not stupid women, yet there were not allowed to be taught about the outside world, not reading and writing, not even the local language. This dichotomy comes across oddly, and it's hard to discern if it's due to the situation or the author struggling to find the right balance.

It's a short book and a quick read. There isn't much action of any in the book, it is as the title says, women talking, trying to decide how to proceed now they know their men drugged them and raped them, even the girl children. Should they stay and fight despite being pacifists, or should they leave, venture out into the unknown. There is a third option, to stay and do nothing, but for the women who believed in that option did not go to the barn to discuss what's next.

Often I found myself in disbelief how women continue to be abused, again and again in the name of religion. I loved that one of their topics was to be free; to be free from the patriarchy, to think for themselves.