JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

No Country Woman by Zoya Patel

No Country Woman is the story of never knowing where you belong. It’s about not feeling represented in the media you consumed, not being connected to the culture of your forebears, not having the respect of your peers.

It’s about living in a multicultural society with a monocultural focus but being determined to be heard. It’s about challenging society’s need to define us and it’s a rallying cry for the future. It’s a memoir full of heart, fury and intelligence – and the book we need right now.

No Country Woman by Zoya Patel is a feminist memoir about what it means to never feel at home where you live.

Zoya Patel is the founder of Feminartsy and is a Fijian-Indian writer. She’s based in Canberra and moved to Australia when she was very little. No Country Woman is an exploration of her heritage, culture and place in this country.

‘I was born in a hospital in Suva, Fiji. …It is not a place I’ve thought of often, but I think of it now and wonder how it has shaped me. I am Fijian-Indian, and have lived in Australia since I was three years old. Memories of my early life in Fiji are limited to flashes, like an old film projector running backwards. I remember a blue dress, a trip on a boat where my father handed me a dried, floating starfish that I clutched in my fingers, determined not to lose it back to the ocean.’

Zoya explores her identity through a number of lenses — location, family, religion, relationships, holidays, education. She reflects on her own experiences as a migrant to Australia, and how she’s experienced racism and prejudice in this country. She examines her childhood and her attempts to rebel against her heritage, and she also documents the times she travelled away from home and how her experiences shaped her identity.

No Country Woman is an eye-opening read for anyone who isn’t a migrant to this country, and who hasn’t experienced racism. Zoya tries to help us understand the complexities of a multicultural society, and how important it is to be aware of one’s privilege and circumstance.

Zoya also touches on discrimination, because many people in the world experience it. Sometimes it may be because of the colour of their skin, or their culture, or it may be because of sexuality, gender or disability. It’s important to be an ally for the disadvantaged and marginalised in society.

I admire Zoya’s ability to look at many issues from different perspectives, so that she’s not just pushing one agenda to the reader but presenting a situation from many different sides to allow the reader to make up their own mind.

“One of the most pervasive stereotypes of Indian immigrants the world over is that of the Indian small-business owner, the savvy, stingy subcontinental with a cockroach-like ability to thrive in any environment, who infiltrates a milker or service station and takes over entirely, unable to be dislodged as they feed off the economy they have adopted.”

I struggled with the book’s jarring balance of memoir vs. academia. I connected with the book most when Zoya was exploring her history and her memories, when she was telling us about her parents and her family and other aspects of her life that were important to her.

But at times, Zoya moves between memoir and statistics, or memoir and academic research, and I found the transition very jolting and not as seamless as it could’ve been.

Additionally, some parts of the book felt very drawn out. For example, there’s one whole chapter on Zoya’s relationship with the water and swimming. Whilst the chapter is interesting and important to her identity, it’s seventeen pages long and I felt that she could’ve been more succinct in what she was trying to say.

Despite this, Zoya’s memoir will be enjoyed by many readers. There are moments of humour and light-heartedness, and Zoya’s writing is sharp. No Country Woman allows the reader to develop a greater understanding of issues surrounding race, culture and identity. It’s revelatory read.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

No Country Woman
Zoya Patel
August 2018
Hachette Book Publishers

Forgotten Women: The Artists and The Writers

Forgotten Women is a new series of books that uncover the lost herstories of influential women who have refused over hundreds of years to accept the hand they’ve been dealt and, as a result, have formed, shaped and changed the course of our futures. From leaders and scientists to artists and writers, the fascinating stories of these women that time forgot are now celebrated, putting their achievements firmly back on the map.

The Writers celebrates 48 unsung genius female writers from throughout history and across the world, including the Girl Stunt Reporters, who went undercover to write exposes on the ills of 1890s America; Aemilia Lanyer, the contemporary of Shakespeare whose polemical re-writing of The Bible’s Passion Story is regarded as one of the earliest feminist works of literature; and Sarojini Naidu, the freedom fighter and ‘Nightingale of India’ whose poetry echoed her political desire for Indian independence.

Including writers from across a wide spectrum of disciplines including poets, journalists, novelists, essayists and diarists, this is an alternative gynocentric history of literature that will surprise, empower, and leave you with a reading list a mile long.

The Artists brings together the stories of 48* brilliant woman artists who made huge yet unacknowledged contributions to the history of art, including Camille Claudel, the extraordinarily talented sculptor who was always unfairly overshadowed by her lover, Rodin; Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, who has been claimed as the true originator of Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain; and Ana Mendieta, the Cuban refugee who approached violence against women through her performance art before her own untimely death.

With chapters ranging from Figurative to Photography, and Craft to Conceptual, this is an alternative guide to art history that demonstrates the broad range of artistic movements that included, and were often pioneered by, female artists who have been largely overlooked.

The Writers and The Artists are the third and fourth books in the Forgotten Women series, each book focusing on a selection of women who shaped our history but whose contribution has largely been forgotten. Each book celebrates 48 women who were influential and inspiring. They made significant contributions to history.

This series is a favourite of mine. Earlier in the year, I read and reviewed the first two books in the series: The Leaders and the Scientists.

Each book is a beautiful hardback, with gorgeous illustrations to accompany each entry. I love that each women is dedicated approx. 2-3 pages for her story, because this allows us to understand who she was but at the same time, we aren’t bogged down with excess detail. This allows for a quick read.

“With William’s support, Margaret Cavendish was able to publish her own work, which included everything from philosophical treatises to plays and poetry. At a time when most female authors wrote anonymously, Margaret published under her own name.”

Readers of different ages, genders and backgrounds will find inspiration in these pages. The women were courages and ahead of their time, and their art and their words made a lasting impact on society. A lot of the women in these books I’d never heard of before, and it was great to discover and read about these amazing women from history.

Marjorie Cameron was a Los Angeles occultist who was known for her Surreal paintings that conjured up Jungian myth and aliens in coitus; Alma Thomas began painting vivid, abstract works after she retired at the age of 69; Carolina Maria De Jesus was a Brazilian writer and her country’s first black author.

“At the time, women were not allowed to make a living from their painting, but this was not for the reasons you might expect. The Qing dynasty believed that the greatest art was created only by educated amateurs who painted in the privacy of their home for leisure and enjoyment, and didn’t seek to profit from it like common tradesmen.”

Readers will find the Forgotten Women series a delight, the pages filled with gorgeous illustrations and remarkable stories.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Forgotten Women: The Artists & The Writers
Zing Tsjeng
September 2018
Hachette Book Publishers

Books About Inspirational Women

Ever since Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls was published, there’s been a definite trend in publishing. There are now so many fantastic books about inspirational women from history. I’ve been reading and reviewing a fair few of them for this blog, so I thought it’d be great to compile them all for one master post.

Forgotten Women: The Leaders & The Scientists
Zing Tsjeng
March 2018
Hachette Book Publishers

Forgotten Women is a new series of books that uncover the lost herstories of influential women who have refused over hundreds of years to accept the hand they’ve been dealt and, as a result, have formed, shaped and changed the course of our futures. From leaders and scientists to artists and writers, the fascinating stories of these women that time forgot are now celebrated, putting their achievements firmly back on the map.

Forgotten Women by Zing Tsjeng is a really wonderful new series, allowing readers to discover 96 women who I can guarantee you’ve never heard of before.

Each of these books features 48 incredible women of history, styled with beautiful artwork and colourful layouts. The Leaders is all about women who were true pioneers. They may not have lived long, or they may have been overlooked, but their contributions were important.

Grace O’Malley was a 16th century Irish pirate queen, Sylvia Rivera spearheaded the modern transgender rights movement, and Agent 355 was an unknown rebel spy who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution.

The series is both informative and interesting. I thought I would’ve gotten sick of these types of books, but I’ve found myself just as enthralled and intrigued as ever. In The Leaders, chapters are broken down into different categories, from rebels to warriors, rulers to activists. In The Scientists, the chapters range from Biology & Natural Sciences to Physics & Chemistry.

Each woman is given around three pages of information, so the books are pretty quick to read and the information not too heavy.

In The Scientists, we meet women whose scientific achievements or whose inventions have paved the way for the future, but unfortunately their successes weren’t as acknowledged or praised as highly or as often as they should’ve been.

Ruby Hirose developed a vaccine for polio, Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was a brilliant inventor who found ways to improve everyday struggles, and Ynes Mexia was a botanist who discovered 500 new plant species.

Both of these books are packaged beautifully. They’re hardback, with thick, high quality paper and bright colours. They look wonderful together on the shelf, and I hope the series will have more books coming out. I’m sure there are plenty more women out there whose achievements have been sadly forgotten.

SHE: A Celebration of 100 Renegade Women

Harriet Hall

March 2018

Hachette Book Publishers

SHE is a love letter to all the women who have thrown out the rulebook and threatened the status quo. It’s a toast to the brave, bold and brilliant women who make us proud to be ladies.

From fashion icon Coco Chanel to Queen Cleopatra, from literary legend Jane Austen to trailblazer Michelle Obama and from kick-ass activist Malala Yousafzai to the one-and-only Beyoncé, SHE honours 100 truly renegade women, from history through to present day.

SHE by Harriet Hall is a compact book highlighting 100 women from history who contributed to positive change within society. Some of these women have long since passed, but some are still alive today.

What I loved most about this book is that each woman was dedicated only two pages — one page had a black and white sketch illustration of the woman, and the other page detailed their life story. I loved that their story was summarised so succinctly.

YOU CAN READ THE REST OF MY REVIEW HERE

Rebel Voices: The Rise of Votes for Women

Louise Kay Stewart & Eve Lloyd Knight

January 2018

Hachette Publishers

A beautifully illustrated celebration of the brave campaigners who fought for women’s right to vote.

Discover that it was never illegal for women to vote in Ecuador, or how 40,000 Russian women marched through St Petersburg demanding their rights. Find out how one Canadian woman changed opinions with a play, and Kuwaiti women protested via text message. And learn that women climbed mountains, walked a lion through the streets of Paris, and starved themselves, all in the name of having a voice.

Meet the women who rioted, rallied and refused to give up. This book celebrates the women who refused to behave, rebelling against convention to give women everywhere a voice.

Rebel Voices by Louise Kay Stewart and Eve Lloyd Knight is gorgeous and inspiring, educating readers on the history of the female vote and how a woman’s right to vote was achieved in different countries.

This is a hardback book, the size of a portrait picture book. It’s quite large in size, to allow for all the stunning illustrations on every page. The quality is amazing — thick and heavy paper. And there are only 47 pages to this book and there aren’t too many words. So, it doesn’t take long to read.

YOU CAN READ THE REST OF MY REVIEW HERE

100 Nasty Women of History

Hannah Jewell

November 2017

Hachette Book Publishers

These are the women who were deemed too nasty for their times – too nasty to be recognised, too nasty to be paid for their work and sometimes too nasty to be allowed to live.

In 100 Nasty Women of History, Hannah will spill the tea on:
-the women with impressive kill counts

-the women who wrote dangerous things

-the women who fought empires and racists

-the women who knew how to have a good-ass time

-the women who punched Nazis (metaphorically but also not)

So, if you think that Nasty Women are a new thing, think again. They’ve always been around – you just haven’t always heard of them.

Well, this is just hilarious and so so fun to read. 100 Nasty Women of History is all about history’s bravest, most ballsy women. And most of them you’ve probably never heard of!

In the final debate of the 2016 US presidential election, Donald Trump leaned into the microphone as Hilary Clinton spoke about social security, and he called his opponent ‘such a nasty woman’. I’m sure Donald Trump didn’t realise that this phrase would go on to become a badge of honour for women around the world. Being a ‘nasty woman’ is now considered a compliment!

Hannah Jewell is a senior writer for Buzzfeed UK, so she brings into this book her wit and sarcasm. I laughed out loud many times when reading this book, chuckling on public transport to and from work.

YOU CAN READ THE REST OF MY REVIEW HERE

SHE: A Celebration of 100 Renegade Women by Harriet Hall

SHE is a love letter to all the women who have thrown out the rulebook and threatened the status quo. It’s a toast to the brave, bold and brilliant women who make us proud to be ladies.

From fashion icon Coco Chanel to Queen Cleopatra, from literary legend Jane Austen to trailblazer Michelle Obama and from kick-ass activist Malala Yousafzai to the one-and-only Beyoncé, SHE honours 100 truly renegade women, from history through to present day.

SHE by Harriet Hall is a compact book highlighting 100 women from history who contributed to positive change within society. Some of these women have long since passed, but some are still alive today.

What I loved most about this book is that each woman was dedicated only two pages — one page had a black and white sketch illustration of the woman, and the other page detailed their life story. I loved that their story was summarised so succinctly.

I’ve read a lot of these types of books and I always felt like there was too much description that could’ve been edited down. Essentially, I think the reader wants a quick snapshot of how that person changed history, so a one-page summary is really wonderful.

“History paints Cleopatra as a beguiling woman who had legendary affairs with Rome’s two most powerful leaders. But this telling of events overlooks her military aptitude an an intelligence that enabled her to rule a country fragmented by male-dominated political turmoil for two decades.”

SHE transcends decades and doesn’t just stick to the same women you read about in these kinds of books. Yes, Harriet talks about Marie Curie and Maya Angelou, but she also talks about Hillary Clinton and Beyonce.

This is a really great book for young readers, because there isn’t too much reading and there are illustrations to look at. Plus, the compact size of the book will be appealing to young children.

“The work of Joan Clarke is relatively unknown, but she played a vital role in breaking the code that eventually led to the end of the Second World War.”

This book is filled with inspirational women and their amazing stories. I really enjoyed reading it — I finished it in one sitting on the train to work. It’s been curated so well and the black and white illustrations are stunning. This would make a great addition to anyone’s library.

“The only woman on the team, Sacagawea proved an invaluable member. Clark noted in his diaries that she foraged for edible plants and bought horses for travel. In one particularly dangerous moment, she saved vital cargo when the team’s boat capsized.”

I recommend this to parents who aren’t looking for something too complex for their kids to read. As I mentioned, each woman is explained with only one page so it’s easy to move through this book quickly. I imagine young girls will love reading about all these inspirational women.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

SHE: A Celebration of 100 Renegade Women
Harriet Hall
March 2018
Hachette Book Publishers

Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin

Personal, political and passionate, Finding Nevo is an autobiography about gender and everything that comes with it.

Meet Nevo: girl, boy, he, she, him, her, they, them, daughter, son, teacher, student, friend, gay, bi, lesbian, trans, homo, Jew, dyke, masculine, feminine, androgynous, queer.

Nevo was not born in the wrong body. Nevo just wants everyone to catch up with all that Nevo is. Personal, political and passionate, Finding Nevo is an autobiography about gender and everything that comes with it.

Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin is an inspirational memoir about identity and discovery. This is Nevo’s journey towards understanding their body and discovering who they want to be in the world.

This isn’t a long read — about 200 pages — and the book is incredibly informative. Nevo explains a lot of things about being non-binary and also transgender that readers can learn from, and this is not just medically or physiologically, but mentally.

When Nevo was going through various stages in their adolescent life, like coming out or changing their body, Nevo’s family, friends and peers didn’t always react how Nevo would’ve liked them too. It was rather confronting to read, and important to understand what Nevo’s childhood and adolescent life was like.

“Gender dysmorphia is this fun thing that happens sometimes when you exist outside of society’s very narrow understandings of gender, and it slowly started sneaking into my life.”

Nevo’s biography is really insightful, and not just for young readers. The book masterfully captures what life has been like for Nevo, both mentally but also physically. I learnt a lot from reading this.

Finding Nevo also addresses how society and the media like to portray transgender people. For example, the media describing someone as ‘being born in the wrong body’ is common, but not something that Nevo feels they went through. That isn’t them. So, it’s important to remember that every transgender person’s experiences are different, and if you don’t know what they’d like to be called, ask them. It’s important to keep them in the discussion so that you don’t end up marginalising them.

“Maybe I was neither male nor female, man or woman. Maybe the idea of gender is socially constructed through institutions and social norms we’ve created. Gender has changed through time, cultures and geographies.”

There is only one thing about this book that I didn’t particularly like, and that was the slight repetition of sentences when reflecting on past events. Often, Nevo would explain how something in their life made them feel, and then Nevo would explain how they overcame that. However, after that, Nevo would then again explain how they initially felt about it, and that final sentence always seemed unnecessary. Here’s an example of a couple of pages in the book that end up circling:

“The situation with my mum wasn’t improving. I had thought she was dealing with things in her own time, but she wasn’t confronting my transition at all, rather she was pushing it to the side an hoping it would go away…I had a few more conversations with her, then realised she needed to speak to people who were more detached from the situation…Although I still feel pain in regards to how she treated me at the beginning of my transition, her ability to take responsibility for her mistakes and apologise is what has saved our relationship.”

Even though that final sentence allows Nevo to reflect, there are quite a few moments in the book where a reflection statement is made and I think they could’ve been cut from the book. It felt repetitive, and I think the reader is able to understand the significance of these moments already.

I recommend this book to any young reader who doesn’t feel comfortable in their body, or who feels unable to be themselves around family or friends. I also recommend this book to people who feel like they have a lot to learn about gender and identity and what someone who is transgender might be going through. Finding Nevo is as much a learning tool as it is a memoir.

Finding Nevo
Nevo Zisin
May 2017
Walker Books Australia