Jane Roper

When Kathleen Held returns home from a trip one day to find her garage on fire, her running-for-office husband with his pants down, and a young woman laying on the lawn with her dress up she thinks things could not get any worse. But Kathleen’s troubles are just beginning because all of the news outlets and social media sites are using a picture of her standing in front of her house with a giant period stain on the back of her pants. Society of Shame by Jane Roper uses this absurd but show more realistic situation to explore popular culture’s obsession with fame and infamy as Kathleen unwillingly finds herself at the center of a hashtag movement. Roper treads a fine line between satire and ridiculousness, but overall produces a funny and very current novel about motherhood, growing older, feminism, and finding yourself at any age. show less

This was a joy to read, as I giggled my way through it!

When Kathleen arrived home early from a trip, she discovered her garage was on fire and her taxi driver told her he would save her one eyed dog. Her husband the politician ran out with a fire extinguisher and another woman with her panties. A picture was taken of this threesome and the most embarrassing part was Kathleen, being perimenopausal, had a bad period that bled through. This gathered so much attention, that a feminist movement show more took charge proclaiming Yes We Bleed!!

As we watch Kathleen become Kat and become the spokesperson for this cause, her 12 year old daughter is truly the one who is all about supporting it.

Don’t miss out on this hilarious, realistic book that highlights the bond of mother/daughter relationships!

#YesWeBleed #UmYeahNo show less

Funny, emotionally resonant, ridiculous (in the best, most over-the-top ways), but most of all razor sharp in its treatment of social media and cancel culture—this book is many things, but all those threads are skillfully woven together to create a satire with an emotionally complex heroine. There are so many things to love about this book, including watching the main character progress and change in ways both satisfying and infuriating. But I really was in awe of how the author clearly show more has a microscope to the whims of social media discourse. At times I had to catch myself and ask—wait did that really happen or is it just something made up for this book? What makes it all come together for me is the author’s compassionate eye to her characters, the feeling that even in a social media world gone mad she is standing right beside you, equally aghast, yet also able to glean the humor from it because really—what else can you do? show less

Thank you to NetGalley for this clever and witty novel. The satirical prose had me laughing many times.

Kathleen (Kat) comes home to find her garage on fire and her husband in the precarious position of trying to douse the flames with his pants at his ankles and another woman in the background. Her taxi driver manages to capture it all on his phone and Kat’s life is never the same. To her horror, one of the pictures show her from behind with dried blood on her pants. Shortly thereafter, a show more new hashtag is born - #yeswebleed. Kat leans into her new role as a perimenopausal warrior alongside her 12-year-old daughter in the “Yes We Bleed” movement.

There are many aspects of today’s social media world portrayed in this book, the good, the bad and the ugly. Social media can be damaging to one’s psyche and it can elevate others to fame. This book shines a light on all of it. It’s the first book I’ve ever read that has a focus on menstruation and it’s done in a unique, mostly hilarious, way. show less