Reviews

A Small Flood: Intimate Histories of Periods, Growing & Changing by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff

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kojali's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

4.5

I am so impressed with this book - this is true feat of creative nonfiction. Having read widely in gender and women's studies, and purely being a woman, I expected to enjoy this collection, but I did not expect to feel so emotional and gratified at the end of it. Nalebuff has a serious talent for weaving such diverse stories together. This reading experience was so fluid, so lively, so engrossing. I will certainly binge the rest of her work!

rgfred's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

lwrose's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

lattelibrarian's review against another edition

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4.0

Rachel Nalebuff has taken on the task of compiling stories about periods, menstruation, and menopause across various communities, generations, and demographics. Told through short essays, interviews, and comics, this book allows for a variety of stories to be told and shared. She believes that sharing these stories with each other is hugely important--even if our experience with getting our period is "welp, I got it one day and I've been bleeding once a month ever since." The purpose is to destigmatize what happens at some point to nearly half of the world's population.

For some, it was a joyous or neutral occasion. For others, it was terrifying and heart-wrenching. For others, it was stressful and difficult and menopause brought about a freedom they'd never felt before.

Certainly with a project of this scope, I didn't find every essay compelling nor did I totally agree with everyone's feelings regarding their periods--but that's okay! The point of this is to open our minds and understand where others might be coming from, from personal families to organizations looking to destigmatize such a common event in our lives.