Welcome to Litsy!

#currentlyreading Woman Talking by Miriam Toews
This is a great book so far but it is making me angry. When it comes to being raped and attacked you do not ever do nothing even when people don't believe you, ridicules you, shames you being quiet is never an option even if you stand to loose everything.
Just my thoughts so far #feminists #metoo #femalefighters #librarybook #wearestrong

Readers appear to hold very strong opinions about this book—definitely get a love it or hate it vibe from a lot of reviews. In the aftermath of the discovery that for two years men in their Mennonite community have been drugging & raping women, a group of 8 women meet to discuss what should happen next—stay & do nothing, fight or leave. Horrifying, haunting & enraging, this factionalized account of real events makes for a powerful read.

Two hour train ride ahead as I‘m off to visit my mom. Starting with the tagged book because I told her she could read it when I‘m done after which I‘ll dive into one of—still don‘t know how I‘m going to choose between Wayward Son, Exile from Eden or The Future of Another Timeline—the new releases that arrived in the mail yesterday.

A group of Mennonite women decide whether to flee or stay after it‘s discovered that some men in their community have been raping them for years and blaming the devil. A short but devastating book that touches on limits of faith and what makes a good person.

I am struggling with this book. I want to be gripped by it, but I‘m just not. Too many characters, maybe, to actually connect with any of them. I don‘t know. Not giving up yet, but it‘s not making me want to keep reading.

FYI

Offered on BookBub today.

Great deal for a great book!

On sale for a great deal if you have a Nook or the Nook app and have been thinking of giving this one a try.

#sale #barnesandnoble #nook

On sale in US ebook stores today. I'm exited, since I missed it the last time it was on sale.

let me know why i ordered 2 more #BOTM books when i am not even halfway through august's??? it's an addiction y'all

Miriam Toew's Women Talking is so, so smart. It's based on the true story of a Mennonite community in Bolivia in which eight men drugged and raped women in their community over several years. (You can easily find out more via a simple Google search.) In this audiobook (I listened via @scribd, and Matthew Edison is an excellent narrator), (continued in comments)

Ending my weekend with 14 hours of reading time. Things finished:

The Season of Styx Malone
A Rule Against Murder

Things I made quite a bit of progress in:
Outlander
Women Talking
Breakout

🤞🏼🤞🏼 that I can finish the rest by Friday.

#summersendreadathon

Windows open. Soft clothes on. The coffee is hot. ❤️

#summersendreadathon

Fiction based on a real event. A group of women in a closed community must decide what to do in the wake of terrible crime. Interesting, thought provoking, and tough. I was thinking about this book long after I finished.

A short and powerful novel based on an actual incident of a group of Mennonite women who are drugged and raped repeatedly by the men in their colony. The author imagines what might happen as the women discuss how they might save themselves and their children from a horrific patriarchy. So good. A must read for anyone who loves feminist lit.

in a Jezebel interview with the author, she answers why she chose a male narrator (in addition to the fact that the women are illiterate):

"August represents all men in that now it‘s his turn to sit and to listen, and the women will talk and the women will decide and the women will act. He can sit and listen and learn."

I was planning on leaving the house today...maybe after I finish this. I think it‘s gonna be a quick one and it will put me back on track for my reading challenge.

Based on a true story, the book isn‘t about the rapes. It‘s about the culture in which they occurred. It‘s about whether forced forgiveness is really forgiveness. It‘s about whether you can disobey the Bible when you‘ve been kept illiterate and can‘t read it or interpret it for yourself. Do you stay in a system that used and brutalized you? Forgive your attackers so you can enter Heaven? Or leave when you know nothing about the outside world?

Almost finished with this book as the 5th week of #bookfitnesschallenge ends. I did yard work and almost 50 squats in one work-out session. My Granddaughter tells me I will be in great shape if I do 100 squats a day! But, I caught a cold from the kindergarten kids I have been working with and the camp‘s last day was moved up and I have been watching my daughter‘s house so all in all not a productive week. I am looking forward to next week!

Unpopular opinion - this just wasn‘t for me. Maybe because the “narrator” was male; I wanted more about the female characters; for being so short it seemed redundant.

It‘s horrific to think this is based off real life events and I applaud the author for bringing what happened to light.

Really interesting novel and very well written but a little light given the subject matter. Ignorance, fear and cruelty is what this book is about, but it wasn't there. Too sympathetic and understanding I thought. Having said that I did read it without putting it down.

I wish I wasn't so busy these days because I did not want to put this one down! Loved it!

So you don't know where you're going and you wanna talk
And you feel like you're going where you've been before
You tell anyone who'll listen, but you feel ignored
Nothing's really making any sense at all, let's talk🎶

And the injured and abused women talking leads them to a decision which will save them
#talk #julycoldplay

This book was very emotionally challenging. It focuses on a group of women living in a Mennonite community who have been repeatedly raped by the men they know. As the story unfolds, these women find ways to protect their daughters and themselves from these brutal attacks. The novel is based on a true story, which makes it all that more horrifying. It has many similarities with A Handmaid‘s Tale, but lacks the powerful prose offered by Atwood.

Bed time reading with Miriam Toews.

I‘ve just finished reading this .... it‘s a powerful novel and one I think I need to digest and then re read for the details and quality of language. Fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-women-will-write-their-own-stories-a-q-a...

This is hard reading.
It's wonderfully crafted, centred on the discussion between two extended families of women on what they should do, as their bailed rapists, journey back to the colony. They debate their options, reflect on the abuse, sexism, repression, the patriarchy, religion & their need to education their sons & protect their daughters. The 48hrs is tense, filled with anger, passion, rage & hurt. But it is also hopeful & at times funny.

I book saled again today 🤦‍♀️ I was only supposed to get Stephen King hardcovers. This picture cover both day except for all those Stephen King hardcovers I bought yesterday. I feel a tiny bit like a hoarder. Just a little though 😬

Sitting on the garden bench, easing myself in gently with the #bfc (round 2 started today) and tackling my book related goal (6 books in 6 weeks)!

@wanderinglynn @Chrissyreadit @ErinSueGreads @sudi @Blaire @phatsallylee @Itchyfeetreader @MicrobeMom

This book is as compelling and beautiful the second time. A profound narrative of manifestos and resistance and community. #bookclubreads

Miriam always seems to write about the faith she grew up in and I am always completely captivated by her writing. In this case I admit to really struggling with the subject matter and the patriarchal blindness to fault but I loved the characters so I wouldn‘t stop reading. The ending is full of grace and hope.

Have these two books on hold from the library. #riotgrams day 16 to be read.

I read 10% and bailed. I couldn't get into it. I think I would have been able to handle the disturbing topic, but I didn't care for the writing itself. I feel badly about not liking this one, so maybe I'll try again at a later date.

I should have loved this book. A group of Mennonite women discussing what they should do following their systematic drugging and raping by members of their sect? Yes! But, I was a little bored while reading it and have virtually forgotten it in just a few days. I‘m not really understanding the hype. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Holy. Fuck. I‘m losing my shit reading this

I‘ve just got home from a long weekend in Hay - Britain‘s first ‘Booktown‘ and considering the small town has 27 bookshops, think I was remarkably restrained! #bookhaul

Starting another book ( meeting serious reading goals this weekend) and wanting this tee from Target for summer goals

Not what I was expecting x2. This book is literally just women talking. Women who have been denied the right to participate in society debating big questions.

Brilliant. Thought provoking. Genius.
#women #mennonite #feminism #talking

“We‘re only women talking” pg 179

#women #mennonite #feminism #applepancake

This is my favorite book of the year.

Very interesting premise. But, some bits dragged and I don‘t like having a male narrator in this story. #24b4monday

Good but not great. I guess skipping quotation marks is a thing.

Just finished this book today. It was so powerful. It really just destroyed me at parts. A very tough topic but handled so well. I fell in love with these women.

#bookhaul from B&N. I‘ve been the personal chauffeur for my husband and his friends this weekend on top of working. He rewarded me by letting me go wild at the bookstore.

A very powerful novel- Mennonite women in the town of Molotschna climb into a hayloft while the men are in town raising money to bail out the men of the town who have been drugging and raping the women- some as young as 4- in the night. Until one woman caught her attacker the men had told the women they were being visited by the devil. The women discuss among themselves what to do- stay and fight, leave or do nothing. This happened.Read it.5⭐️

Starting this today. It‘s raining...AGAIN! I just might stay in bed all day.

Beautifully written story. Heartbreaking and brave. A fictional story based on a Mennonite community in Bolivia and brazen sexual attacks of more than 100 women and girls.

My library hold came in for this one and just 21 pages in and I can tell I‘m gonna need more wine! #WomenTalking #IsAnyoneListening

The women decide to gather and express themselves to each other. Once they agree on the important things, and determine a course of action only then will they be able to #letitbe #beatlemaynia