Reviews

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

bentonnnn1's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

ratsirk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

lancastergainesville's review

5.0

I very much appreciated the discussions, the simple way they determined their course of action while discussing faith (or lack thereof) and philosophy .

rachelmayp's review

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

konsgard's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

lydia_woolf's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

readingonmountains's review against another edition

4.0

Women Talking is based on horrific true events that occurred in a Mennonite colony in Bolivia, where about 100 women were drugged and raped repeatedly and led to believe that it was their imagination or demons. When one of the colony’s men is caught crawling through a window he confesses to the horrible truth, that he and seven other men were guilty of abusing the women.

In the book the author, also raised Mennonite, gives the women a voice as they meet secretly in a hayloft over two days to decide if they should forgive the men and stay, fight or leave the colony.

The story is fascinating, the subject difficult at times. The women of Molotschna colony are loving, smart, caring & strong. Their wisdom and resilience is inspiring.

leighlucas's review

5.0

"She may have glanced in my direction when she said this, but I cannot tell for certain. "My" direction is in the same direction as the window (directly behind me), which is filthy and crawling with flies and looks out at the miles and miles of fields and sky and galaxies beyond that, and then to infinity. So perhaps not."

bookdsolid's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

helenmeigs's review

4.0

Such an interesting view into a society that is otherwise opaque. So generous to it's characters and an deep meditation on faith and responsibility to community and family and when that can get twisted in harmful directions. Would recommend!