by Bonnie Garmus

A Historical Fiction, 2022 by Doubleday, 404 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

For a book that is touted as being about a woman, this one spends a lot of time on her love interest early on. It’s the kind of thing you notice because she is so adamant that she been seen as someone without him and separate from him, yet we keep having his part of the story. I don’t know, it just felt like it went against its own point.
Random chapters from the dog are … interesting. Not what I expected from the book and I wasn’t sure what I felt about them. It’s also weird that, despite them being from the dog, they have the same voice.
The ending felt a little too perfect, to the point of being totally unrealistic. Everything was just too convenient.

I do love the points made by the main character about equality, which is the point of the novel. She’s absolutely right about all of it and eloquent in her delivery.
The second half of the book is beautiful. The main character just sings in this role and it gives the story depth. That being said, if we hadn’t taken the journey in the first half, we wouldn’t understand her well enough to let this half work.
Mad is a great character. Yes, there’s the intelligence and the logic but there’s also a questioning of life and existence. Still, at her roots, she’s a kid. Somehow, you never forget that.

Readers who want something about women coming into their roles and demanding equality during unequal times. Fans of Marvelous Mrs Maisel, for example, may enjoy this. Although it’s chemistry, not comedy!