Women Talking

Bookseller recommendation

“This powerful, slim novel is based on a real story of a town of deeply religious families who find that their women are being preyed on by a group of the village men. The women (and girls) finally speak out and the men are "arrested" by the locals but only after one of the women attempts to harm the men are the actual authorities contacted. The village men (who are not implicated) get together to post the bail for the offending men and announce that the women must forgive the rapists. The women meet to decide how they will react, asking the local teacher to write their words down as they are unable to read or write themselves. The discussion is lively and both heartbreaking and heartwarming. This audio will linger with you long after you've finished the last sentence...”

— Genavieve • Books & Company

Bookseller recommendation

“Women Talking is an eloquent exploration of how a group mind coalesces — as a kind of vision that comes in fits and starts, arguments and digression — to finally arrive at a decision. Or, read another way, it’s a compelling examination of the opposing voices in our own heads as we wrestle with impossible choices between the known and the unknown. What’s most compelling about Toews’ novel is its lack of sensationalism and how it shows real people struggling through the aftermath of devastating violence. Grounded in a religious culture where suffering and obedience are an expectation, these women grapple with uneasy answers to what’s best for themselves and their children. Women Talking is the quiet, startling story of coming to terms with how, or if, we save ourselves.”

— Steve Mitchell • Scuppernong Books