tbr

Based on horrifying true events, Miriam Toews felt compelled to tell this story about these women. After women in a Mennonite colony in Bolivia realize they are being attacked at night by the men, with the help of belladonna (and it isn't the devil visiting them to make them pay for their sins) they have to decide whether to Do Nothing, Stay and Fight or Leave. The book relates the fictional discussion the women have. The book seems equally split between nine characters: the eight women talking and a man: August Epp, who is taking the minutes of the discussion as the women can not read or write, and because of this is the first person narrator. Having a male narrator in this book was an interesting choice, especially when part of what the women were talking about was that they wanted to have the right to their own thoughts and voices. But August is only the best possible male narrator, as he has been to the outside world is also very sensitive to what is going on, being a very caring man. Another odd choice was having August be in love with one of the women, though he was in love with her at a very young age. Possibly the book might have been a bit more manageable and smooth going with six women talking? Up to the end, the details parceled out are superb -- seemed really nicely planned. I love the detail of the bishop playing games on his cellphone while others work the fields, when none of them are even allowed rubber tires on their buggies because it might enable a faster escape. Based on such darkness, there is a lovely way that Toews observes even the smallest of details, much like Ona, one of the main characters. At one point, the women ask August to write "a list of good things" which is all one can do sometimes in oppressive unbearable situations: appreciate the small, good things. Personally, somehow I had never heard that any of these events happened, so I think Miriam Toews definitely should have written this book: it does give a voice to these women, especially as Toews herself was once in a Mennonite community. However, I think the only people who can truly judge this book, are those that lived the real life version.

**Note: My advance reading copy had some major typos involving dates, which was VERY confusing, and took me out of the book a bit, so that was destined to create a diminished reading experience for me. I wasn't sure where I could check the actual dates in the finished copy, considering the book isn't published in the US until April. I tried contacting marketing but they weren't much help and that was the only e-mail address I had. The detail that was confusing: On the first pages of the book, it is said that the 'minutes' of the meeting are being taken in real time (as 'minutes' usually are) on June 6 and 7 2009. 2009 is mentioned on the early page 'minutes of the women talking'. But on page 99, when this is still supposed to be 2009 (as far as I can tell), August is talking about a newspaper article with a headline "in 2011". So this makes it sound like the minutes aren't being taken in 2009? If anyone can clarify, I'd appreciate it.

enjoy!