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mmeagan's review against another edition
4.0
I really appreciated that this book encouraged me to ask my family and friends about their first periods and led to some positive discussions around menstruation!
Positives:
The stories collected in this anthology were wonderfully diverse in both walks of life, decades, ages, and tone. Some made me laugh, others had me feeling frustrated along side the woman that wrote it. Reading the entry from Tamora Pierce was a special treat for me. My favourite story was called "Hot Dog on a String".
Critiques:
I would have formatted this differently: the order of the stories didn't fit any rhyme or reason. I suspect it was in an order that was meaningful to the editor but not me as a reader. Also each entry is headed with a title and year but we don't get the name or desciption of the author until the end. Having that all upfront would have given some much needed context for the stories. Also a big grievance for me personally was that the Introduction claimed that "every woman remembers her first period" - uh, no! I don't! And that made me feel alienated right at the start of the book. Another contributor in the anthology also shared that she doesn’t remember her first period either, so why was that line included at the top of the anthology?
Positives:
The stories collected in this anthology were wonderfully diverse in both walks of life, decades, ages, and tone. Some made me laugh, others had me feeling frustrated along side the woman that wrote it. Reading the entry from Tamora Pierce was a special treat for me. My favourite story was called "Hot Dog on a String".
Critiques:
I would have formatted this differently: the order of the stories didn't fit any rhyme or reason. I suspect it was in an order that was meaningful to the editor but not me as a reader. Also each entry is headed with a title and year but we don't get the name or desciption of the author until the end. Having that all upfront would have given some much needed context for the stories. Also a big grievance for me personally was that the Introduction claimed that "every woman remembers her first period" - uh, no! I don't! And that made me feel alienated right at the start of the book. Another contributor in the anthology also shared that she doesn’t remember her first period either, so why was that line included at the top of the anthology?
smemmott's review against another edition
2.0
I wouldn't have picked this up on my own, but read it because it was in the house when I wasn't feeling well and wanted something light to read. I found a few of the stories to be moving, and it was worthwhile to learn about the Health and Water Foundation in Kenya, which provides water and sanitary supplies that help girls stay in school. But the pieces are all so short that it felt like a long series of anecdotes; there just wasn't enough depth to hold my attention. I can't remember much about my own first period and menstruation is pretty much just a practical matter for me, so I think I'm not really part of the target audience for this book.
kasiabrenna's review against another edition
5.0
I really wish this book had been around when I was 11! I think everyone should read this book, especially people with daughters.
jillreads77's review against another edition
3.0
Solid three and a half. I did like how the book made me think about how I want to present things to my daughters and the attitude I would like to convey. I liked how each story was different and how each person had a different perspective. It was a great book for discussion. I love that it was compiled by young woman.
lisajh5858's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. Reading other's stories of their first period is reassuring and a reminding that it is not a shameful process no matter how much society would like us to believe that.
Periods are full of contradictory meaning.
Periods are full of contradictory meaning.
emilygrace_'s review against another edition
5.0
So, so good. I'm going to keep a copy to give to my daughters one day, if I'm blessed enough to have them. I will keep it on the family bookcase so even my sons may be curious and ask. This book proves there's nothing to be ashamed of, everyone should understand.
dippyfresh's review
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
misslureads's review against another edition
4.0
Really really nice to normalise periods. It is a great book for all those young girls who don't know what to expect or don't have anyone they feel they can talk to.
For someone who has lost their period for a few years and is now mourning its return, it helps me come to terms with the fact that it is something normal and important to have as a woman.
For someone who has lost their period for a few years and is now mourning its return, it helps me come to terms with the fact that it is something normal and important to have as a woman.
andreablythe's review against another edition
4.0
This is a collection of first-period stories, written by women of all ages from around the world. They are artists, writers, professionals, doctors, and students. Many of these stories have similar themes, for example:
*The author thought she were dying.
*The author was excited about becoming a woman.
*The author got their period in a public situation and bled through her clothes.
*The author didn't know anything about periods until it happened.
And so on.
And yet, despite these similarities than run through, each story maintains a sense of unique experience particular to that author. The story may be universal, but the experience is deeply personal. As I continued to read through these stories, and even as I saw more of the similarities that tied them together, I became more and more fascinated with these people who all experienced a similar event in their own way.
In many ways, I think this is a vital and necessary book, normalizing an experience that is often treated as a secret shame, even today. We need to be more open about these kind of things, to bring them out in the open, to facilitate discussion, and this book does that in a classy and tactful way.
*The author thought she were dying.
*The author was excited about becoming a woman.
*The author got their period in a public situation and bled through her clothes.
*The author didn't know anything about periods until it happened.
And so on.
And yet, despite these similarities than run through, each story maintains a sense of unique experience particular to that author. The story may be universal, but the experience is deeply personal. As I continued to read through these stories, and even as I saw more of the similarities that tied them together, I became more and more fascinated with these people who all experienced a similar event in their own way.
In many ways, I think this is a vital and necessary book, normalizing an experience that is often treated as a secret shame, even today. We need to be more open about these kind of things, to bring them out in the open, to facilitate discussion, and this book does that in a classy and tactful way.
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