Our October book club book was once a Book of the Month option. I did not choose it for my BOTM, but I did win it at an event at my local library, so I do happen to own it, though I will not be keeping it for various reasons as described below…
Book 40:
Three Women
by Lisa Taddeo
Genre:
Nonfiction, Feminism
Published:
July 2019
Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, Three Women explores the sex lives of three real women based on nearly a decade of reporting. Lina, Sloane and Maggie are human. They have desires. And they all face non-traditional sexual circumstances in attempts to accommodate their desires.
Favorite Quote(s):
“We don’t remember what we want to remember. We remember what we can’t forget.”
– Lisa Taddeo, Three Women
Awards (based upon my brief research):
#1 New York Times Bestseller
Pages:
304
My Overall Rating:
2 – For me, Maggie’s story was the redemptive quality in this book. While Lina’s and Sloane’s stories often seemed pornographic, Maggie’s gave insight to the mistreatment of women in the sexual context. A teenager wrapped up in a student/teacher relationship, whether she was “asking for it” or not, I think it was wrong of the teacher to pursue anything with his student.
And then the book as a whole… I had to remind myself time and time again that these were true stories. It read like an emotionless novel. The flow made sense, but there was no heart in it. I understand the book was report based, but I think Taddeo should have considered adding some depth to make the reader feel… something… anything.
All this being said, though I always try to come at books with an open mind, I will not be keeping this book. It’s not a book I can have on my shelves with kids around. It’s not a book I would ever reread or recommend to a friend. If it weren’t for book club, I most likely would not have finished this book after chapter two.
