The Women Could Fly
The Women Could Fly
by Megan Giddings
2 out of 5Synopsis
Reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood, Shirley Jackson, and Octavia Butler, a biting social commentary from the acclaimed author of Lakewood that speaks to our times--a piercing dystopian novel about the unbreakable bond between a young woman and her mysterious mother, set in a world in which witches are real and single women are closely monitored.
Josephine Thomas has heard every conceivable theory about her mother's disappearance. That she was kidnapped. Murdered. That she took on a new identity to start a new family. That she was a witch. This is the most worrying charge because in a world where witches are real, peculiar behavior raises suspicions and a woman--especially a Black woman--can find herself on trial for witchcraft.
But fourteen years have passed since her mother's disappearance, and now Jo is finally ready to let go of the past. Yet her future is in doubt. The State mandates that all women marry by the age of 30--or enroll in a registry that allows them to be monitored, effectively forfeiting their autonomy. At 28, Jo is ambivalent about marriage. With her ability to control her life on the line, she feels as if she has her never understood her mother more. When she's offered the opportunity to honor one last request from her mother's will, Jo leaves her regular life to feel connected to her one last time.
In this powerful and timely novel, Megan Giddings explores the limits women face--and the powers they have to transgress and transcend them.
Review
Jo doesn't fit in anywhere, and in a world that still persecutes witches, that is a very dangerous things.
Her missing-suspected-dead-mother leaves her an inheritance. The journey might finally reveal some answers.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is set in the modern world, where witches exist. It is not illegal to be a witch, but their freedoms are greatly reduced, and in some areas they are still attacked.
As with the original witch-hunting craze, the proof of witches is questionable. The existence of magic has not been proven, except in the testimonies of their 'victims'.
In this toxic version of the world, equality doesn't exist. Women are expected to marry by the age of 28, at which point they can only work if their husband allows it.
Jo doesn't fit in. The world isn't designed for her to fit in. She's a black, bi woman. She could fold and follow the strict rules for women, but she doesn't see why she should have to.
Her mother railed against a normal life, and she disappeared when Jo was young. From Jo's perspective, and the following investigations - it's equally likely that her mother was murdered; or that she deserted her husband and child to be a witch.
Ever since, Jo has felt like everyone is watching her, waiting for her to show signs of magic.
On paper, this sounded like the perfect read for me. Witches and persecution and women defying a patriarchal world...
In reality, it was so dense with powerful meaning and assessments that I couldn't make any track with it. It just hits you again and again, driving home the author's point. I found it very hard to make any progress.
It's such a promising story, but suffered from constant heavy-handedness.
Away from 'The Meanings' nothing happened. Jo goes through the mundane aspects of life - which I am totally fine with, but they were drowned in Points and Meanings.
She's always musing about the now, the future and the past - to the point where I couldn't decipher what was actually happening and what wasn't.
I did actually like the world that the author created, and the questionable existence of witches and magic, and the fear-driven society that perpetuates it. Which is why I was so very disappointed this book was a miss for me.
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