How to Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran
Strident feminist checking in! ::yanks off bra, throws away razors and smacks a man across the face::
Now, the fact that so many of you probably nodded your head when I said that proves to me that you NEED to read this book. On top of the fact that Moran takes you through some of the most controversial aspects of being a woman (her first period, her abortion experience)... the point of her book is that these things shouldn't be controversial. But she didn't make this point in a preachy, angry tone. This book was one of the funniest I've read in a long time. It was the first time in awhile I posted funny passages because I felt my Facebook friends (and that one random person I spoke 4 sentences to 3 years ago at a boring party) just had to acknowledge Moran's brilliance.
The humor with which she shares her story doesn't undermine the seriousness of the loss of body autonomy, sexism and the self-esteem issues that the world forces on girls at a tender age. In fact, her comedic voice makes her point stronger. It proves that the feminist movement isn't full of bitter, angry man-haters. You can be a feminist and love and respect men at the same level you love and respect yourself. And you can do so with laughter and light and an appreciation for what it means to be a woman in today's society. She showed that you can be strong and vulnerable at the same time.
And all I kept thinking while I read How to Be a Woman is that her two daughters are so incredibly lucky to be raised by this woman.
Synopsis:
Though they have the vote and the Pill and haven't been burned as witches since 1727, life isn't exactly a stroll down the catwalk for modern women. They are beset by uncertainties and questions: Why are they supposed to get Brazilians? Why do bras hurt? Why the incessant talk about babies? And do men secretly hate them?
Caitlin Moran interweaves provocative observations on women's lives with laugh-out-loud funny scenes from her own, from the riot of adolescence to her development as a writer, wife, and mother. With rapier wit, Moran slices right to the truth--whether it's about the workplace, strip clubs, love, fat, abortion, popular entertainment, or children--to jump-start a new conversation about feminism. With humor, insight, and verve, How To Be a Woman lays bare the reasons why female rights and empowerment are essential issues not only for women today but also for society itself.