Rate: 4/5

Medium: Audiobook

Overview (No Spoilers): Each December I find myself sifting through every list I can find highlighting upcoming releases for the impending year. The Female Persuasion became a familiar title as it showed up over and over again within the various lists, especially with its vivid, memorable cover. Despite observing several of my fellow bloggers giving this read glowing reviews, I’d initially hesitated picking up this novel due to The Female Persuasion falling outside of the genres I’m typically drawn toward. As I so often find, when the masses are enjoying a particular book, there’s a solid reason behind the praise and I rarely find disappointment by jumping on the bandwagon. That being said, The Female Persuasion was a read just as vibrant as its cover. Wolitzer crafted complex characters who rang clearly with a note of genuine realism due to their flawed actions and the unexpected events that sprang up to tragically dash the most well laid of plans, vastly altering their looming future. Wolitzer volleyed back and forth between present day and self reflection of past events, which had led the characters to who they had eventually become. Reading Where the Crawdads Sing and The Female Persuasion back to back has set a high precedence for the next book in the queue with regard to the elegant writing style employed by Owens and Wolitzer, respectively. Overall, The Female Persuasion will prove to hook readers from the very first chapter by stimulating a wide range of emotions throughout this provoking, eloquent story.

Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):

• It was fascinating that Wolitzer chose to skip key interactions such as the breakup and reunion of Corey and Greer. Instead we were given the details leading up to the events and then the aftermath often years in the future.
• Do Greer and Faith ever reconnect?
• I wanted details around Faith’s marriage. This was a key aspect of her life that was a huge black hole.
• What happened to Corey’s Dad? Him disappearing and abandoning his wife and son during the tragic accident, ultimately causing Corey to totally abandon his dreams was infuriating in the unfairness.
• I hated that Corey cheated on Greer in college.