A really good read!
I really appreciated being able to see through the eyes of Keiko Furukura, but I did realise that I didn't really find any of the book very funny. This isn't the fault of the book at all, but potentially the marketing? Not to say this was a detractor though, was still fantastic!
Overall I ended up so truly frustrated at everyone around Keiko, the author really doing a fantastic job of evoking those emotions in me in a way that didn't feel like she was intentionally antagonising the reader. It's just that the way the world treated Keiko sucked, and her realising that was really quite sad to see as we the reader also realise that along with her.
This book also contains an amazing representation of the feelings of mourning that arrive not when a loved one has passed away, but mourning loss through change. Be it the loss of the you before you moved away from your family for the first time, or the loss of the version of you that you always dreamed of being when growing up when you realise that it may never be.
Really enjoyed the read, though I feel like it is probably a book that would read very different depending on who you are and your own experiences.
I really appreciated being able to see through the eyes of Keiko Furukura, but I did realise that I didn't really find any of the book very funny. This isn't the fault of the book at all, but potentially the marketing? Not to say this was a detractor though, was still fantastic!
This book also contains an amazing representation of the feelings of mourning that arrive not when a loved one has passed away, but mourning loss through change. Be it the loss of the you before you moved away from your family for the first time, or the loss of the version of you that you always dreamed of being when growing up when you realise that it may never be.
Really enjoyed the read, though I feel like it is probably a book that would read very different depending on who you are and your own experiences.
Femina : A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It /anglais by Janina Ramirez
A fantastic read!
I can't sing the praises of this book enough. I've always enjoyed reading about history. Consequently, I already knew versions of the History told by much of the earlier chapters of the book. But what this book did fantastically is to reinforce and give voice to the women who were there all along, tucked behind the narratives that have taken hold over time (as well as all the people who put so much effort and time to discover those voices)
A fantastic example (I've set this as a spoiler, but it consists of me telling the version of History I knew, and praising the book for expanding it in ways I never knew) isthe telling of the story of the conversion of the Kentish people to Christianity. The basic version that I knew quite well can be summed up in this skit by my childhood favourite, Horrible Histories: https://youtu.be/MpWVj2ZCRKE?si=3WhrtxMdu6qoqPI7&t=125 (The Gist being St. Augustine came, convinced the king to convert, and he was readily accepting; the ease being explained by him having a wife that was Christian. This put the emphasis on St. Augustine and King Aethelbert, leaving his wife unnamed and as an afterthought) Through The author's efforts, it felt like Queen Bertha's voice was near enough put to paper. Her efforts, sacrifices and achievements taking centre stage, I now have a much deeper understanding and appreciation for this part of history, and for her as a critical person in the History of English Christianity. (And that of her family show more as well!)
I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you already know about this period of history to some degree. (Though I only had a bit of knowledge on the Anglo-Saxon period and thoroughly enjoyed learning about all the other periods of history included!)
This book was sold to me as an informative book about important historical women, and in fact was so much more. The Author showed what is becoming possible with modern techniques of analysing the past and has left me so excited to see and hear the voices of the past continue to be rediscovered! show less
I can't sing the praises of this book enough. I've always enjoyed reading about history. Consequently, I already knew versions of the History told by much of the earlier chapters of the book. But what this book did fantastically is to reinforce and give voice to the women who were there all along, tucked behind the narratives that have taken hold over time (as well as all the people who put so much effort and time to discover those voices)
A fantastic example (I've set this as a spoiler, but it consists of me telling the version of History I knew, and praising the book for expanding it in ways I never knew) is
I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you already know about this period of history to some degree. (Though I only had a bit of knowledge on the Anglo-Saxon period and thoroughly enjoyed learning about all the other periods of history included!)
This book was sold to me as an informative book about important historical women, and in fact was so much more. The Author showed what is becoming possible with modern techniques of analysing the past and has left me so excited to see and hear the voices of the past continue to be rediscovered! show less