Unlike any book I’ve read before, this novel tells the story of a young woman coming into her career in the women’s empowerment space and the stories of her mentor, friend and boyfriend all in coinciding order. It’s extremely well-researched and tells some painful truths of the white feminist movement as well as the nonprofit and foundation world more generally. As a current young professional, it’s a relatable and important book that emphasizes with the feeling of unknown and lostness in your early 20s. I will say though, it’s one of those books where I grew to hate the main character, making it difficult to love. However, I appreciate three dimensional characters like that in fiction, that are imperfect enough that you are allowed to hate them. I’m not sure that you’re supposed to like this main character, particularly by the end of the novel. The Female Persuasion is honest and artfully written. It can be on the slower side of reads, so I recommend to a patient reader.
