I think the one thing that has stuck with me about Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion is the idea there is a “flame we all believe is flickering inside of us, waiting to be seen and fanned by the right person at the right time.”
When I first picked up The Female Persuasion I was expecting something much more about the dynamics of contemporary feminism, something deeply and overtly political. Don’t get me wrong it was definitely about what it means to be a feminist now, but it was so much more about that desire to be seen. That desire is universal but it’s been magnified tenfold for those growing up in today’s society where we’ve been conditioned to believe we can all be stars and that our relationships will be like the movies.
For this month’s alternative cover I wanted to do something simple and bold. I wanted it to say that this is a books which isn’t afraid to take up space, to say something.
The Female Persuasion follows four characters primarily – Greer Kadetsky (our protagonist), Faith Frank (who has been in “women’s movement for decades, a figure who inspires others to influence the world”), Cory Pinto (Greer’s boyfriend), and Zee Einstat (Greer’s college bestfriend). They’re all growing up in their own ways and they’re all experiencing those big moments where one person has an irrevocable impact, positive or negative, on your life.
Despite being much longer than most of the books I normally pick up – I find I rarely have the concentration or patience for anything over around 300 pages anymore which is so sad. I thoroughly enjoyed The Female Persuasion, and for a read I found myself desperate to pick up so I could live in the world of its characters it left me with a lot more big questions than I expected as I read.
I would highly recommend this one to pretty much anyone. It’s definitely not “women’s book” whatever that may be, but I know that there might be the perception that it would only speak to those of the female persuasion. It raises big societal and personal questions, that I think we all face at some point, in a way that’s supremely human.
SOME QUESTIONS TO PONDER AS YOU READ
- How do you think the different stories play off and support one another?
- One of the central themes of the novel is mentorship and the power dynamics it involves, have you ever had a mentor?
- As with every bildungsroman, The Female Persuasion asks a lot of questions around how where we come from can change how we grow up and who we become. How do you think the different characters backgrounds shape the lives they lead?
- The Female Persuasion features the end of a number of relationships. Is this an inevitable part of the story? Is it an inevitable part of life?
IF YOU WANT SOME FURTHER READING TRY…
- Eva Wiseman argues that the dynamics of a female mentoring relationship are at the heart of Meg Wolitzer’s witty and perceptive novel for the Guardian
- The Atlantic’s Ruth Franklin says Meg Wolitzer’s novel is a timely, dynamic examination of women and power that male readers and gatekeepers should take seriously.
- Lena Dunham, who it could be argued is the same kind of slightly controversial white feminist described in The Female Persuasion, shares a wonderfully erudite review for the New York Times which takes a step back from the novel’s timeliness.
- The page dedicated to the novel on Meg Wolitzer’s own site is a great introduction to the book and features a great reading guide if you’re after one!
IF YOU WANT MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS HAVE A LOOK AT…
- Meg Wolitzer’s The Wife
- Stephanie Danler’s Sweetbitter
- Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends
