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There are currently 20 member reviews
for Stories from Suffragette City
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Sarah B. (Streamwood, IL)
Short story collection
I loved this collection. Each story was excellent and I enjoyed the glimpses of the suffragette movement from so many different author point of views. I enjoyed the little peaks of Grace too.
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Lee L.
Wonderful and timely anthology!
I'm usually not a huge fan of short story collections and when it comes to books related to politics, I try to steer as far away as possible -- based on these two reasons alone, I most likely would not have picked up this book under normal circumstances. However, I ended up being drawn to this anthology mostly because of the 13 authors involved, as several of them are among my favorites in terms of previous works of theirs that I've read and adored – plus this one being historical fiction definitely helped, since it's one of my favored genres to read. Also, this anthology is different from the typical short story collection in that there is a distinct connection between all the stories: the women's march for the right to vote that took place in New York City on October 23, 1915.
One of the things I loved about this collection was how each author was able to weave into each of their stories some of the themes from their own works, yet still have it tie so perfectly back to the theme of the collection and the specific events that took place. I thought the flow of the stories was wonderful as well and I absolutely loved seeing some of the same characters "show up" in each other's stories, even if it was only for a small "blink and you'll miss it" scene. I also loved the diversity of the women in the story and how they were from all different walks of life, with a variety of experiences and backgrounds, yet all were impacted by the suffrage movement in a meaningful way.
Overall, what blew me away with this collection was how well it was put together (especially given the confines of the premise): the flow was seamless, the writing was stellar, the stories were compelling, and best of all, the characters were wonderfully drawn. Of course, this should come as no surprise given the 13 authors involved with this collection are all accomplished writers at the top of their craft. I went into this one with high expectations and it absolutely delivered!
As this book is meant to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, I found this to be a fantastic tribute to all the women who played a role (whether directly or indirectly) in helping our voices be heard. With most short story collections, each reader will usually have certain stories that they enjoyed more than others, but for me, that wasn't the case here – I can't say which stories I liked more because, to be honest, all the stories stood out and I loved all of them equally. I definitely highly recommend this one, especially to historical fiction fans whom I'm sure will find much to enjoy with this collection, regardless of whether you've read these authors' previous works or not. For me though, reading and loving this collection has inspired me to seek out the works of the other authors that I'm less familiar with and add those to my TBR list!
Received finished copy from publisher Henry Holt via BookBrowse First Impressions program.
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Karen B. (Red Wing, MN)
Historical fiction-short stories
I work at the Red Wing Public Library, and tend to be the person that offers many book recommendations, as I read a wide variety of books. But my favorite genre is historical fiction, and there has been a plethora of these books published in the last year, mainly WWII, and you do tend to get tired of reading the same type of book; even if the subject is different, the tone and the general idea can be the same. I am not generally a fan of short stories, and I think this is because if one author is writing them all, they tend to be too similar. This collection, though, with stories written by different authors (so many of my favorites!), brought this period in time to life from so many different points of view. Even though the subject of each story was the same, each story itself was so carefully crafted and researched, I wanted to know more, so I went to the next chapter! And a whole other viewpoint of the same event by another amazing author was right there! The backstory for this book, how Fiona and M.J. brainstormed this whole idea sitting in an airport in Minnesota, was intriguing, also. I was pretty ignorant of the suffragette movement and I feel that this book leaves you wanting to learn a bit more, especially about some of the historical women that were highlighted in various stories. Thanks to them, we are where we are today.
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Martha S. (Mentor, OH)
Stories from Suffragette City
I loved this book! Really loved it. Although I am not a fan of short stories, I was drawn to this book because of the authors, all current influential writers. I didn't know much about the 1915 Women's Suffragette March for the right to vote. The timing and topic could not be more appropriate for today's audience. Surely anyone reading these stories will thoughtfully compare that time in history to what is happening in 2020. The main characters in each story, either real or imaginary, are so well developed that I felt like I was part of the march and I had a better understanding why these women marched. Most endearing was the character of "Grace" appearing in several stories. As a side note, I also learned reading short stories can be as fulfilling as reading a whole novel.
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Judith C. (Santa Rosa, CA)
Stories From Suffragette City
I really enjoyed this book. I thought I knew a reasonable amount about the Suffragette movement in the US but was totally unaware of the huge march of thousands and thousands of women (and some men) down 5th Avenue in New York City on Oct. 23rd 1915. The stories are vignettes about women and girls who participated in the parade with a few of the stories having threads of connection. Highly recommended for book clubs and for young adults--especially girls who take suffrage for granted. The stories are by lots of well known authors including Chris Bohjalian, Jamie Ford, Paula McLain and Christina Baler Kline. I hated to leave each chapter but was then quickly immersed in the next one!
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Carol P. (Tuscaloosa, AL)
Not just for this year, but going forward too
An historic and tumultuous election year, simultaneous with a global pandemic, back-burnered many of the commemorations of the passage of the 19th Amendment. But this book has a message that, perhaps, becomes even more meaningful as political winds blow from differing directions. Your favorite writers personalize a social upheaval that has shaped all our lives, writing short vignettes that can easily be wedged into your reading day. What could be better? Definitely recommend and give copies to your friends, too.
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Jo B. (DeRidder, LA)
Great idea
What a great concept to have different authors write a short story about the same event. This gives the reader a varied perspective on the women's march for the right to vote which was held in NYC, 101 years ago last month. Each story was well written and unique. Thank you for the advanced reader copy.
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