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dinaklarisse's review against another edition
Lingering somewhere between historical and fiction, Woman in Battle Dress follows the journey of real-life Henrietta Faber, a doctor who practiced surgery during the Napoleonic Wars and was later persecuted in Cuba for having lived as a man. An exhausted Henrietta writes to her reader at the dusk of her life, reflecting on love won and lost, wars won and lost, and the effects of these triumphs and tragedies on her identity and capability to live on.
As a soldier who sees some of the most grotesque scenes of war as well as the revolving politics of nationalism and imperialism, Henrietta laments on colonial greed and its impact on all sides. I appreciated the nuances detailed in her and her friends’ brand of liberalism that acknowledged the injustices of their society but made transparent their complacency in the name of individual comfort and conveniences.
What stood out in Benítez-Rojo’s writing was a balance of action and adventure with careful, compassionate contemplation. Weaving together her life as a physician, soldier, and lover, Henrietta also meditates on what this meant as a woman under the guise of a man, tasting freedoms and respect that had been out of her reach from birth. She craves and pines out of love and lust, bound to silence by her secret, betrayed by her trust. Despite -- or maybe because of -- the pains and tribulations of her life, she finds deep and perpetual love in her friendships, coming back to them in the different stages of her life, carrying them inside of her as the people she loved inevitably leave her.
This was a great blend of odyssean adventure, history, and liberal lamenting to start off my reading year. I read this for an upcoming discussion with @sabayabookclub, and am again super happy to have been introduced to a book I would’ve otherwise never crossed paths with!
Recommend this to fans of The Odyssey, Twelfth Night/She’s the Man, and anyone who wants to shit on Napoleon for marching to Moscow right before winter.
As a soldier who sees some of the most grotesque scenes of war as well as the revolving politics of nationalism and imperialism, Henrietta laments on colonial greed and its impact on all sides. I appreciated the nuances detailed in her and her friends’ brand of liberalism that acknowledged the injustices of their society but made transparent their complacency in the name of individual comfort and conveniences.
What stood out in Benítez-Rojo’s writing was a balance of action and adventure with careful, compassionate contemplation. Weaving together her life as a physician, soldier, and lover, Henrietta also meditates on what this meant as a woman under the guise of a man, tasting freedoms and respect that had been out of her reach from birth. She craves and pines out of love and lust, bound to silence by her secret, betrayed by her trust. Despite -- or maybe because of -- the pains and tribulations of her life, she finds deep and perpetual love in her friendships, coming back to them in the different stages of her life, carrying them inside of her as the people she loved inevitably leave her.
This was a great blend of odyssean adventure, history, and liberal lamenting to start off my reading year. I read this for an upcoming discussion with @sabayabookclub, and am again super happy to have been introduced to a book I would’ve otherwise never crossed paths with!
Recommend this to fans of The Odyssey, Twelfth Night/She’s the Man, and anyone who wants to shit on Napoleon for marching to Moscow right before winter.
j__tram's review against another edition
3.0
Very much enjoyed the novel's ability to immerse the reader in women's struggles during this time period. Henriette's story, especially because it is based partially in fact, truly resonates with me as a powerful narrative about a young woman trying to make her way in a world that doesn't see her fit enough to make a difference. I only wish the ending had been more satisfying. In the context of the fact that we don't know what happens to the real Henriette in the end, the story's conclusion makes sense. However, I would have appreciated the author creating a satisfying ending for her of his own.
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