Book Details
Date Read: October 6, 2022
Publication Date: August 2022
Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Format: Audio Book
Page Count: 277
Listening Time: 9 hours 9 minutes
Print Publisher: Amistad
Audio Publisher: HarperAudio
The Women Could Fly Book Review
The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings gave a view of womanhood and motherhood through the eyes of a dystopian and magical world, told from a character who is at critical juncture in her life. Jo is 28 years old and in a society that mandates all women marry by the age of 30 or enroll in a registry that effectively removes their autonomy in society.
Jo’s mother disappeared when she was younger and there are no clues to what happened, leaving her with grief and a lack of resolution during a time when she most needed advice. To further complicate things, in this society witches are real and shunned. Any woman can be accused, tried, punished. It adds a layer of fear and persecution to the already cruel marriage laws. As readers, we jump into the society already formed and the focus is on Jo’s story.
The book has a strong feminism undercurrent and challenges the limits that society places on women, and it ties in intersectionality with race and sexuality. The story is grounded in Jo’s experiences as a Black, bisexual woman.
Now if you were to say to me “read this dystopian book on intersectional feminism with witchy magical realism” I’d have a skeptical look on my face, too. It’s an unexpected combination of sub-genres, but it really worked.
Personally, in dystopian novels I prefer not to read about the destruction / rebuilding of society. I favor character development within the already formed society, so this was a good fit. The feminism was intersectional, and the magical realism did not veer into fantasy. It was character-driven, reflective, and well-paced.
If you read her prior novel, Lakewood, it has a similar feel and approach with a different plotline and message. I personally enjoyed this one more and understand the author’s writing style better now. I will definitely read more from her in the future.
Content warnings: Sexism, Misogyny, Abandonment, Grief, Racism, Homophobia, Biphobia
