Girl Power List: Celebrating Women's History Month

For me, it's about girl power 365 a year and during March my fanaticism- eh, my passion is deemed appropriate. I wanted to put this up earlier but life with a female teen is uh, well, let's say, requires spending less time here.

With the exception of the adult sisters in the first title, the others have girl leads. Some show how girls from different cultures find a way to affect their own destinies within the culture they live in and the beliefs they hold while other main characters are openly rebels. Many of these books I have talked about previously and likely will be talking about again. Each title is followed by a brief annotation with the main genre identified. I've link to reviews when I readily knew who and where.

In The Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Three sisters rebel against a corrupt and oppressive regime. The fictional account of the real Mirable sisters is told in alternating voices of the sisters. The sisters were brave, flawed and committed to what they believed in. I recommend this book every chance I get. It made that kind of impression on me. Historical fiction.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. A young woman leads a small group out of a dystopian community to build a new one based on a new religion she reluctantly accepts as her destiny. Lauren is fifteen. To lead any group is a daunting task for any leader. Imagine being fifteen, the world is pretty close to hell on Earth and then you get visions that you are to start a new way of life in the middle of chaos. Butler is brilliant in how she challenges the reader with her critiques of our society. Science Fiction

Down To The Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole. A young woman grapples with her sexual orientation and identity.Laura is funny, honest and authentic. Her denial and missteps are frustrating but they also make her believable. Soli is kickass. And the food references- I was always hungry, wishing I was at their table. YA. GLBT. My review.

M+O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin. Opal and Miriam have been friends forever. Marianne spins out of control while Opal attaches her dreams and hopes on a future life with Marianne. Interwoven is the story of Hannah, a runaway slave who chooses to risk her life for freedom, unexpectedly falls in love and ultimately loses her life on her own terms. YA. GLBT


A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott. Genna is fifteen. Life at home is rough. She's not happy with her looks or place in any group. Then she meet Judah and things are looking up. Life isn't suddenly perfect and that's why she makes a wish. She couldn't have thought a wish could transport to 1863 Brooklyn. Historical/sci-fi. YA. Read Neesha's review at Cynical, Ornery and Sublime.

Does My Head Look Big In this? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Amal is Muslim. Home is Australia. When she decides to wear the hijab she has to contend with a variety of reactions. Amal is a teen and like most teen girls, she's concerned about her looks, how she is perceived and boys. Now balance all that and religion. YA. Multicultural. Read Allison's review at Read Into This.

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. 15-year-old Vidya has plans: college and a career. Her progressive father supports her. Her family is very different from her father's conservative, tradition family in Madras. When tragedy strikes, Vidya's family has to move to Madras. It's 1941, the war is on everyone's mind and Vidya is determined to still realize her dreams even in a house where girls aren't allowed upstairs. YA. Multicultural. Read Natasha's review at Maw's books.

Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar. Nazia is pulled from school to help her mother find work when her father doesn't return to work after an accident. Cleaning houses compromises Nazia's marriage prospects. The setting is modern Pakistan. Ultimately, Nazia chooses a life for herself on her own terms. Highly recommend reading this and Wanting Mor. Both are modern stories with young girls who do not romanticize the West or its culture. Read review at Regular Rumination.


Mare's War by Tanita Smith. Octavia and Tali take a road trip with their colorful grandmother, Mare. Just before turning 18, Mare joined the Women's Army Corps during World War II. Told in alternating points of view from Mare, Talia and Octavia. YA. Read Ari's review at Color Online.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith. Ida Mae has to make tough decisions like choosing to pass for white in order serve in Women Airforce Service Pilots. See Akilah's review at the Englishist.

Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan. A young woman in the wake of the conflict in Afghanistan has to grow quickly when her mother dies unexpectedly and her irresponsible father moves her to Khabul so he can find his opportunity to improve his lifestyle. He marries a widow and Jameela's life becomes even bleeker. Jameela, a conservative, religious girl learns to be less judgmental while remaining true to the religion and beliefs she shared with her mother. YA. Multicultural. Read Edi's review at Crazy Quilts.

What's on your girl power list?

Sweet, Hereafter: A Reader's Response

sweet, hereafter
Angela Johnson
Simon & Schuster
2010

Having read the other titles in the trilogy, I think sweet, hereafter is a deft closing. This final installment is about Sweet, a young girl we meet through Marley in Heaven. Sweet is odd; she wears knee high rain boots, isn’t obsessed with ipods or Facebook, drives a truck dubbed Alice and likes feeding ground hogs apple peels. She doesn’t fit in with her perfect, beautiful family. In this closing book, it’s a few years later and Sweet, a senior, is still odd but popular. When her relationship with her family reaches her breaking point, she moves in with Curtis, another quiet but friendly young man enlisted in the Reserves home after one tour in Iraq. Their connection is both tender and tenuous.

The story unfolds slowly. The commentary is sparse and even the most dramatic scenes are subdued. This is however a poignant read. Johnson renders a short, but memorable story about how we find meaning and make connections in the lives we lead. There’s no happy ending but there is resolution. There is some peace. To paraphrase one of the characters, there is enough. We don’t get a lot of time with the characters, we don’t get lengthy histories or long passages of dialogue but we do get enough. We get a mother connecting with a daughter in a way I think the daughter understands. We get a young girl and young man loving for a time. We see friends doing what they can. We get enough.

In a culture where communication is a juxtaposition of multi-tasking and texting, I think this kind of brevity matches teens' modern sensibility without compromising the art. This is life distilled in a meaningful way.

The length of the book works. This book is small but powerful. Yes, it is a good for a reluctant reader and a broader audience as well. My experience is that most teens want everything from food to entertainment to get to the point and get there fast. No, we don’t get 400 pages of pining or violence. It’s not an epic tale of adventure. It is what I think the author intended: an intimate close to a series that has looked at relationships the way they really happen.

For me the read is seamless; elegant in sparse prose lines that feel like poetry. The depth of the work is understated but potent.

Have you read any Johnson? How do you feel about slim volume YA titles? What elements do you need in a work to keep you interested: dialogue, action, fantasy, humor?

3WW: Honoring Women In History

On Fire For The Revolution

Roya and her sister were young college students when the Islamic Revolution swept their country. They had been part of history, rallying alongside their brothers for the overthrow of the Shah. On the day of victory, they took flowers to the Ministry of Justice where they interned. That’s when they were chided about covering their hair.

The invitation to show respect was the first warning. Women weren’t encouraged to simply modify how they dress. Unknowingly they had embraced a regime that would shroud them in inequality and oppression so heavy that their whole bodies would stoop from the weight of their diminished personhood. Their head scarves were no longer symbols of modesty but opportunities to assault and punish them.

No veil could contain the rage that threatened to consume them though. Laws could require wives to be obedient but some women like Roya’s sister could not go on in an abusive marriage that she could not leave without losing her children so like the growing number of women before her, one afternoon she returned to Ministry of Justice, pulled a liter of gasoline from her bag, doused herself and lit a match.

She cried out only once. Women in the square surrounded her, refusing to allow authorities to extinguish her final protest.

Every Wednesday Thom posts 3 words. Participants are free to interpret the words any way they choose. Find more entries at 3WW. This piece is based on my reading of Iran Awakening which I read for the Women Unbound Challenge.

Celebrating Black Women

Lanker is perhaps best known for his book and exhibition of portraits entitled, "I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America." The debut exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. set attendance records for the 111 year old museum in the nation's capital. Currently, his book "I Dream A World" is in its 14th printing.

These last two weeks, I’ve been reading a favorite book of women photo essays, Brian Lanker’s, I Dream A World. My copy is well worn. I have used it for quizzes at Color Online, for profiles for Black History Month and Women’s History Month. I bought my first copy when it published. I love the essays; the photographs and the list of women profiled include names that many readers likely cannot name. I think we should be celebrating these women during Black History Month and beyond. Herein are some of the women who have inspired and influenced the way I think and live:

*Septima Poinsette Clark
Norma Merrick Sklarek
Niara Sudarkasa
Gloria Dean Randle Scott
Harriet Elizabeth Byrd
Sherian Grace Cadoria
Alexa Canady
Jewel Jackson McCabe
Jackie Torrence
Anna Arnold Hedgeman

Does this list contain names you don’t know? Don’t you want to know who they are?

It’s been more than twenty years still every time I revisit this text I am inspired. I wish Mr. Lanker or anyone else would produce a current work like this. Given the lack of positive images of black women in the media this is the kind of work I want to pass out by the truck loads to young girls and young women everywhere. They need to be educated about the legacy of accomplished, beautiful and proud black women. All women should read this book.

Each woman in this volume shares a powerful message. You don’t experience the kind of strength and quiet elegance these women possess enough. Mr. Lanker’s photographers are fitting tributes to extraordinary women.

I encourage you to look for this book. If you’re not happy with it, you can send your copy to me.

* Cover photo

Children of The Waters: Love, Family and Reconciliation

We’re currently having a discussion about Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice at Color Online. It’s a story about a young, educated black woman who despite having Lupus has a pretty good life. Then her half-sister shows up and Billie discovers not only that she was adopted, but also that she’s half white. Now Billie is a sister who prides herself on been culturally and spiritually grounded. She is a sister who relishes her blackness. She is an African dance teaching, ancestor altar praising and holistic-living sister. Then she finds out she’s not who she thought she was.

Billie has a great family. She has proud, accomplished parents and a loving older brother. She’s involved with a good man and she’s just found out she’s pregnant. Her health is a real concern with her pregnancy and her great man doesn’t respond to the pregnancy like she had hoped. Then this chunky, too friendly, white woman shows up. And the drama begins.

Let me tell you what works for me in the contemporary fiction. The socioeconomic element works. I don’t think we talk enough about class and socioeconomics in this country. We try to have the race discussion but we rarely include how socioeconomics weighs in the mix. Brice inserts it without screaming LESSON. It would have been easy and predictably boring to have made Billie a poor black girl discovering she was rejected by her white wealthy family. Instead the main character is smart, educated, comes from a solid economic background and her family is happy and functional.

The dynamics between men and women in relationships works here. Brice gives us love that works. Nick’s parents’ relationship is ugly and Trish is divorced from a cheating husband but even her relationship with her son’s father had been good at one time. But these relationships don’t dominate the story. Billie’s parents and her brother’s marriages are solid and while Billie and Nick hit a rough patch, they work through it.

The conflict between Trish and Billie feels real. Their reunion is rocky. There is race and the rejection they have to confront and they do, and like in real life it’s not easy. The delivery works. The tone in Children of the Waters has the same comfortable and natural feel of Brice’s successful Orange Mint and Honey (watch Lifetime premier of the tv adapted movie 2/21)

What doesn’t work? I can’t say. I suggest you read the book, join the discussion and honestly tell us what worked and what concerned you. Let’s have a good sistergirl talk about what family, love and reconciliation looks like.

Wanting Mor: Is This Freedom?

Wanting Mor
Ruhksana Khan
Groundwood Books
2009

After reading Zetta Eliott’s review of Wanting Mor and reading another mention of the book at GA Novelty, I thought, Once again, a book I’ve read and enjoyed and not reviewed. I’m writing now though because Zetta and I have divergent views on the book. We’re both feminists and we share a lot of the same views but this time, we see culture and faith differently.

Wanting Mor is akin to a Cinderella set in Afghanistan based on a true events in 2001. There is no prince but there is maturation and freedom though I think in this book, it's not freedom in the way many of us would define it. I see women making choices and exerting themselves while Zetta questions why women willingly embrace restrictions placed on them by their religion and culture. Like Zetta, I’m very interested to learn how teen girls would interpret this story. There are great comments and observations at Fledgling. Do check them out.

I read this and like Doret, I see Jameela in the context of her circumstances and culture. I think the writer gives an honest and realistic, and in a modern setting by the way a view of how some Muslim women see themselves. I prefer this to a version that is more aligned with my Western views. This is Kabul after the Taliban and during an established US presence.

I concede Jameela is judgmental towards other women, but she does mature. She comes to love and care for her friend who does not share her conservative values or adherence to their religion. Jameela also breaks from her father and chooses an alternative life as a single, employed woman. Jameela chooses her destiny.

I see Jameela and her religious views very much in the way I know Christians have very different views of what it means to be Christian. Many follow Christianity but we all do not interpret our faith and live our lives the same way, and among ourselves we are judgmental. There are many of us who are Christian, but we are also pro-choice, we reject homophobia and we are Democratic and Republican. I think Khan presents different shades of culture and faith, a view of women who live in a Muslim country and how they unapologetically live and practice and reject it, too. I think this story reflects how some women see themselves. That is valuable to see.

Jameela emulates the strongest, most positive figure in her life. Her mother believed in modesty but that didn't mean her mother believed in abuse or that she didn't think for herself. She married a non-practicing Muslim but she didn't abandon her faith. She did not live as her husband did. Mor believed and practiced what mattered most to her and that is empowering.

I think that if we're going to use our own measuring stick for what it means to be empowered then we inevitably are going to find others coming up short often.
Many of us have rejected parts of our mother's thinking and living but many of these same women were also the strongest women we knew and we drew on their strength. Sometimes we saw how limiting a woman's life could be and we were steadfast in having a different life.

In much of the multicultural literature I read, I discover girls and women who find ways to exert themselves within the context of their culture and circumstances. They find purpose, love and happiness within what they know and I find that empowering. And as undesirable as we may find some customs, there are women who find comfort and joy in their traditions. Jameela liked how she looked in the mirror. She also liked being free of being looked at. There was no reason to cover her lip after the surgery but she felt wearing the burka was her way of choosing who and when others had access to her.

I don’t think it serves us to think women have to reject culture or religion completely in order to live a life a woman finds fulfilling. And I can respect and celebrate a life a woman chooses for herself in spite of finding aspects of that life personally objectionable.

I read Wanting Mor for Women Unbound and J. Kaye’s 2010 Young Adult Challenge. I also think this fits Social Justice: Religious Freedom. I encourage you to read this book. You might also be interested in Climbing The Stairs and Beneath My Mother’s Feet. These are stories about girls growing up in traditional, conservative cultures yet they make breaks as well.

What are your thoughts about the restrictions or freedom of culture and faith? Have you read stories that elicit similar conflicts for you?

Women Unbound: Street Art

Graffiti Women: Street Art from Five Continents
Nicholas Ganz, Nancy MacDonald and Swoon
Harry N. Abrams, Inc
2006

Female writers have always been in the vanguard of the graffiti movement, though often shunted to the sidelines by their male counterparts. This exhaustive volume places them front and center, featuring 1,000 full-color illustrations from some of the world’s most prominent artists, including Brazil’s Nina, Japan’s Sasu, Mexico’s Peste, and the Americans Lady Pink, Swoon, and Miss 17.

Lately I have wanted to give all of my attention to reflecting our humanness, our fragility and strength, back out at us from our city walls in a way that makes all these fake images screaming at us form billboards seem irrelevant and cruel, which is what they are….~Swoon


Graffiti Women is kickass. The strength of this collection is the diversity of art styles and the equally diverse personalities of the contributors. Their stories and perspectives vary but all the writers exude self-confidence. They clearly are committed to their art and there is undeniable power in their messages. Each writer had a voice and she uses it not only to express herself, but also to encourage others to find their voices and speak up.

As much as I enjoyed the collection, Ganz’s commentary is uneven and awkward at times. I was disappointed that the author's commentary didn't match the power of the pieces. When the artists themselves spoke though, a feature was empowering:

What I would like to express with my art is the endless possibilities of ideas that we can all share, learn and grow from. I would like to strike a chord within mass consciousness, to lift our minds higher, beyond prejudices or misconceptions. I would like to communicate on a positive level for women, and to surpass any expectations or limitations the world may put us….”~ EGR

I was also distracted by the idea that given the talent and wealth of experience here, this was championed by a man. I am glad Ganz thought enough of these artists to publish this body of work but why hadn’t women managed to celebrate themselves?

Overall, my complaints pale to the joy I felt taking in this work. I can’t draw a stick man so I’m in awe of those who transform what they see and feel and create something we can share in. Street art is dynamic. The energy and attitude of these women is something I’d like more young girls to be exposed to. Our girls deserve alternative role models and other paths of inspiration. Kudos to graffiti women for finding their path, they are creating indelible legacies.

I read this book for Women Unbound.
*First installation by Swoon. The second is by jan_joana.

2010 Challenge Update

I realize given the economy I should not complain about my job but it is seriously putting a cramp in my blogging life. The upside is that I ride the bus to work so I am reading. Here's a rundown of what I've read for my challenges. With an any luck, I'll spend the remainder of the weekend writing reviews and other blog posts in advance.



YA challenge
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Say The Word by Jeanine Garsee
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan

GLBT
Say The Word by Jeanine Garsee

South Asian
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama (Pakistan)
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman

Women Unbound
Grafitti Women: Street Art from Five Continents by Nicholas Ganz Nancy MacDonald, Swoon
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama (Pakistan)
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman (India)
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan (Afghanistan)

Reading The World Challenge
Faith by Maya Amjera
14 Cows Carmen Agra Deedy, Thomas Gonzalez, Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah

Social Justice
Faith by Maya Amjera

That's 8 books. Loved them all! Thanks to Edi at Crazy Quilts for turning me on to 14 Cows and Faith. Both books are beautifully illustrated. They inspire and remind us that we our faith and hope in our children is well placed.

Thanks to Akilah for When You Reach Me. I haven't read A Wrinkle in Time but Stead's book took me to a place I wanted to linger. I suppose time travel is technically sci-fi, but the book felt like magic and the writing caught me up;I refused to let go.

I was so frustrated with Shawna in Say The Word and every time I thought about why, I knew Jeanine had created realistic characters. A good read about how mixed up, complex and flawed we are and how we can draw on the good in us to do the right thing.

While reading Beneath My Mother's Feet, Wanting Mor (see interview with author, Rukhsana Khan at Paper Tigers.) and Climbing the Stairs, I couldn't stop asking myself how do we impart to our girls in this instance, a love for education, to get them to understand that an education not a man or fame is the means to opportunity, personal choice and freedom? The main characters, all young girls in each book, were desperate to complete their education and they knew their chances at a life beyond servitude, abuse and dependence were inscrutably tied to being educated. For so many women outside of our country, education means an independent life.


Graffiti Women is kickass. The writers are diverse. Their stories and perspectives vary but all the writers exude self-confidence, they are clearly are committed to their art and there is undeniable power in their messages. Each writer had a voice and she uses it not only to express herself but to encourage others to find their voices and speak up.

Women Unbound: Stealing Budhha's Dinner

Stealing Budhha's Dinner:a memoir
Bich Minh Nyguen
Viking
2009

Stealing Buddha’s Dinner is a good and uneven story of a Vietnamese girl who grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the early 80s. Bich’s family escapes Saigon in 1975 and are sponsored by a Christian Reformed Church family in what Bich describes as a sea of blonde and blue-eyed people. The memoir chronicles how the narrator struggles to define who she is: a Vietnamese girl who left her native home so young that she only identifies with her culture through her grandmother and her grandmother’s food and faith. Bich desperately wants to be American and for her assimilation is fed by her obsession with American junk food.

I’ve read a few memoirs that use food as a way of showing how we relate to family and how our identities are in part shaped by how food is integral to our culture; a promising vehicle and I was excited to read this. What is most problematic with the memoir however is how tightly Bich binds everything in either lists of food, episodes of eating food or thinking about food. Still in a society that is currently suffering in mass from obesity and our own neurosis with food disorders, Bich’s obsession works for me. While our relationships with food vary, for most of us, food is comfort.

I was expecting what I thought was a typical immigrant story but early on it became clear this would be different. Bich was eight-months-old when her family fled Vietnam. When they moved to Grand Rapids, Bich's family was part of a small, but growing minority surrounded by a largely homogeneous Dutch-descent, CRC community. Because they were sponsored, there was work and the extended family was intact. Every immigrant experience isn't punctuated by strife though assimilation is common factor. Bich’s story is about creating an identity not holding on to one. The memoir isn’t linear and the jumping around can be a bit confusing but overall, the obsession with food and the desire to be accepted unifies the work. Bich’s reluctance to relay her feelings without food to help her is at times tedious yet just when I had had enough of the food, she’d share something personal and intimate like the time she spends with her grandmother while she prays or watching television with her.

In one review, the reader felt the Laura Ingalls Wilder passage was disjointed and unnecessary. I couldn’t disagree more. This passage provides the kind of clarity that was missing for most of the book. Sans the food descriptions, in this section the author describes with incredible clarity the internal conflict of alienation yet an undeniable desire to fit in with people who reject her, will always see her as a foreigner and who frankly are prejudice and unkind; they aren’t perfect. They are not ideal. The Ingall section was an acknowledgment I had been waiting for. I had grown impatient with the child Bich who up to then failed to acknowledge how she willingly glossed over the pain of alienation and prejudice and instead fixated on the fantasy she believed was key to her happiness. And while she didn’t overtly discuss it, her descriptions of the Cleaver homes in the 80s was a juxtaposition I couldn’t stop thinking about. Here’s a child growing up with a progressive though enabler stepmother, idolizing pop icons like Madonna and what this child craves most is a dated model of a mother in a starched apron baking cookies.

Some readers have remarked they wanted to know more about her parents' strained relationship and the author’s relationships with her siblings and uncles, but for me, I get the not sharing too much about her family. This is Bich’s story. Her family didn’t sign up for having their lives opened for examination and speculation. Could Bich have done better to show how she related to them, maybe, but I appreciate her respecting their privacy.

There are moments here that are memorable and well written. Yes, the book is uneven, it’s not a smooth ride but neither is real life. This is non-fiction not a screenplay. It’s one woman attempting to wrangle into words a girl’s tumultuous coming of age and her struggle to reconcile a hunger she couldn’t satiate while growing up. Despite its shortcomings this feels real to me. It feels honest and that is satisfying.

How do you feel about memoirs? Have you read this? If so, what did you think? After reading my take on the work, are you interested or you'll pass?

As I mentioned I have read other memoirs where food was central to family and identity. You might enjoy The Skin Between Us by Kym Regusa or Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee

Ash: Love, Empowerment and Happiness

Ash
Malinda Lo
Little, Brown
2009

A fresh, imaginative retelling of a classic fairy tale, this is how most reviews lead off, but this lead falls short of what a fantastic, modern tale of resilience, growth, loss and love this is. In the classic tale, Cinderella is forced into servitude. She grieves. Blah, blah, blah. She meets a handsome prince and lives happily ever after. Snooze. Yes, I was not enthralled with the fairy tale as a child and as an adult I am not impressed with women being swept off their feet by perfect men who are the key to our ultimate happiness. Blame it on my politics.

So why did I give Ash a chance? Because despite my prejudice, I knew a little about the writer and I felt reasonably sure that if I were going to appreciate fairy tales, Lo was my evangelist. She doesn’t disappoint. Ash is provocative. It is empowering. It provides intriguing twists to a classic. It’s a love story but this one is tender, intimate and the lover doesn’t swoop in and save the poor girl. Poor girl saves herself and the girl chooses who she loves.

This retelling of Cinderella is far better than what I remember of the original fairy tale. In Lo's version, Ash falls in love with the King's Huntress. The main character is fond of fairy tales and she recounts many for Kaisa, leader of the King’s hunters. What I know is a staple in the fairy tales and fantasy is that imaginary worlds are described in detail and these descriptions significantly lengthen the story; the details help the reader fully immerse herself in the world. Well, I’m not a big fairy tale fan and this element doesn’t appeal to me. If Lo had written long passages describing the history, landscape and inhabitants, I would have likely been bored. I’m glad that writer opted instead to use Ash’s interweaving story telling as a way to inform the reader.

Ash’s story telling allows us to gradually learn about the mores and history of the two different societies. I am far more interested in the development of relationships and deliberate though subtle revelations of character. Through Ash’s interactions with her stepfamily, Kaisa, and Sidhean, Lo examines gender roles, power hierarchies and autonomy.

Lo makes decisive breaks from the traditional story: There aren’t drawn out descriptions of history and clans, Ash falls in love with a woman and there is no matronly fairy godmother. The latter is the most intriguing element for me. Sidhean, a fairy, is dark but not campy b-movie creepy. He is closer to the archetype. He isn’t cute or sparkly. And while his skin is pale almost translucent, he is not beautiful; beauty isn’t his allure. He is an enigma, dark and menacing, a sensual being whose charms could easily seduce all others, except Ash the daughter of the human he loved. This departure from the original yields the greatest effect for me. There is palpable tension between Ash and Sidhean and despite the clear power and influence he has over her, he cannot conquer his desire for her.

Sidhean is more than someone who could help Ash; he is her companion. Their relationship is unconventional, far more complicated than the budding relationship between Ash and Kaisa. Because of their relationship, Ash learns about boundaries and acceptance, and her ability to embrace or reject her circumstances. Over time she stops trying to figure out what’s between them and accepts it for what it is. Ultimately, she learns the power of choice and rejects what Sidhean wants.

I am not sure if Lo anticipated a reader like me who would see a love triangle, one that is complex and unsatisfying. Despite Sidhean’s feelings (won’t debate the magic) for her, there is the inequality of power; the inequality in part speaks to what love is not while the slow, mutual desire building between Ash and Kaisa represents what love can be. I am glad that Ash unlike another character in a hugely popular work, moves beyond infatuation and makes an informed decision to pursue a relationship where she is an equal partner. Cinderella falls in love with a handsome man she knows nothing about. Ash spends a fair amount of time getting to a know a woman who she is not only attracted to, but a woman who accepts her and cares about what matters to her. That’s the kind of love that leads to happily ever after.

Regardless if you see what I see in the book, Ash is a good story. Good story telling has layers. I hope you take the time to discover what Ash has to offer you.

I'm participating in Women Unbound. Visit the WU blog to find more reviews spotlighting women's literature.

Women Unbound: My Shortlist

Below is my tentative reading list. When I'm not reading YA with strong female leads, I'm reading women's lit with the same. This challenge came right on time. I'm participating at the highest number of books level, suffragette. This means committing to read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction ones. To learn more about the challenge, visit the Women Unbound.



Non-fiction

Graffiti Women by Nicholas Ganz, Nancy Macdonald and swoon.
A Burst of Light by Audre Lorde
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
Some of Us Did Not Die by June Jordan
When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women From 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins
Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen

Fiction

Corregidora by Gayle Jones
Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall
Runaway by Alice Munro
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Children of The Waters by Carleen Brice
The Untelling by Tayari Jones
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amar Qamar
Ash by Malinda Lo
Climbing The Stairs by Padma Venkatraman

Women Unbound: Meme & Recommended List

A group of women have taken on the task of hosting a challenge that examines and celebrates women in literature and non-fiction. There are 3 levels of participation. The challenge will run one year including memes and other fun activities. For details visit Women Unbound. The first meme asked participants to address the following questions:

1. What does feminism mean to you? Does it have to do with the work sphere? The social sphere? How you dress? How you act? 2. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

Do you mean to say that you don’t believe in working in the interest of women? That’s what feminism is: It’s working to assure that women are not limited in their options and opportunities by virtue of their gender.~Faye Wattleton

I am a feminist. I am committed to speaking out against all forms of oppression. I believe the personal is political. I believe writing is political and a form of activism. I believe in a woman’s right to decide what is done with and to her body, her right to equal opportunity in employment and representation. I speak out for the liberation, protection and empowerment of all women especially those who are marginalized and disenfranchised. I argue that all people deserve access to health, safety, food, shelter, education and the opportunity to pursue the means necessary to support them without regard to gender or station.

3. What do you consider the biggest obstacle women face in the world today?

Is there ever a single obstacle when discussing a complex issue? Major obstacles include but are not limited to:

1) Restriction or non-access to education, employment, mobility.
2) Threats of physical harm, lack of safety and protection
3) Restricted or non-existent legal rights/protections and legal representation.
4) Second class status
5) The psychological onslaught of misogynistic and sexist behaviors and attitudes that compromise a woman’s ability to become a fully self-actualized human being.

Has that obstacle changed over time, or does it basically remain the same?

The question is very broad and therefore difficult to answer with a single response. It depends on what obstacle we're talking about, what time period and what culture. There are too many places and too many obstacles facing women worldwide. There is more wrong than right.

We were also asked to share our reading lists. I haven't finished my list but I do want to share a list of recommended titles as others have done.

Fiction

In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (historical fiction) This is a fictional account of the Mirable sisters who lost their lives rebelling against an oppressive regime. Told in alternate narrations from each sister. This is what hooked me on historical fiction and its power to teach.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (speculative fiction). I can't think of any other writer who challenges a reader like Butler does. All of her work is a critique and examination of accepted social mores and behaviors. All of her women leads and all of her books I've read have women leads are complex, flawed and often problematic. They refuse to conform to convention.

No Laughter Here by Rita Williams Garica (YA) Young girl suffers the cultural practice of FGM.

Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins (YA). A fantastic look at culture, gender and family.

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott (YA) an impressive blend of historical and speculative fiction. An accessible, noteworthy examination of race, racism, history and terrorism.

Non-fiction

The Skin Between Us by Kim Regusa (memoir) Moving, well-written work about 3 women of 3 different generations, cultures and race.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. One woman's criticism of Islam, multiculturalism and her campaign to bring attention to a myriad of issues including female circumcision.

The Other Side of Paradise by Stacy Ann Chin (memoir) A young artist describes her difficult years and triumph. Chin is a writer, activist, lesbian poet.

Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja One woman's detailed account of seeking asylum in America to escape the horrific practice of FGM.

The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde. (essays) One of the most important and respected intellectual among her peers. She was brilliant, an iconic figure. You don't have a full picture of feminism without reading the Lorde.

Sex for One: The Joy of Self-Loving by Betty Dodson (sexuality) I think this should be required reading in Women's Studies.

My Secret Garden by Nancy Friday (sexuality) A classic. For the progressive woman and for the woman who wants to explore who she is.

Why do we have to wait until we're young adults before we discover women's studies? Wouldn't it help if we educated our young girls about their bodies, body image and biology before they go off to college?

Body Drama Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers by Nancy Amanda Redd Give me a 'V' for vulva. Say it like you're proud.

33 Things Every Girl Should Know: Stories, Songs, Poems and Smart Talk edited by Tonya Bolden (self-esteem)

Things I have To Tell You: Poems and Writings by Teenage Girls edited by Betsy Franco and Nina Nickles (body image/identity/self-esteem)

Plays

Flying West by Pearl Cleage. I think plays are Cleage's strength. This volumes contains plays that center on strong women if different places and different time periods. Strong emphasis on migration and place. Solid work.

For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Was Enuf by Ntozake Shange I don't a woman or girl who has read or seen a production of the seminal work that was not moved by it. Another work that should be required for any serious women's studies program.

Poetry

Like The Singing Coming Off The Drums by Sonia Sanchez. A true poet/activist. Sanchez embodies what it means to tap the feminine energy and power.

The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni: 1968-1995 by Nikki Giovanni Ms. Giovanni is old-school, the real deal poet/activist. She's been penning about social, political and feminist issues her entire writing career.