Comments (69)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 69 items
Nov 07, 2023
The novel, based on a real incident, is compelling, heartbreaking, dark and disturbing. Yet it is also uplifting. As the women gather to discuss their problem and what to do about it, they begin to question their community's values,…
Oct 28, 2023ayles rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This was not an easy book to read. Friends and I discussed the frustration and limitations the woman endure and the decisions they made. Interesting read given the history of this book and its characters.
Sep 02, 2023jasnadzinic rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
This was definitely not what I hoped it would be. So dull and boring.
Aug 17, 2023Walter724 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I read this after seeing the film. It’s well written and powerful, but I have mixed feelings. I wanted justice, and I wanted more to happen! I actually liked the film more.
Jun 29, 2023katjespin rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Devastating. Deeply philosophical. Written in a fashion that leaves myriad gaps, large spaces between breaths and characters and dialog, that the reader must fill in themselves - a brilliant and frustrating technique at the same time.…
Jun 20, 2023Confetti817 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent, powerful, and moving! I liked that I learned about the individual women's experiences as an aftermath, as they had. I wouldn't want to read all of the gory details. The aftermath was bad enough. I was outraged by their…
Jun 17, 2023Danielle Izzard rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed the simplicity of Toews’ writing in Women Talking, especially when contrasted with such a complex and disturbing subject matter. Her writing style is spare, but she effectively captures the horrors and strong emotions of women in…
Jun 16, 2023Spillie rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I was very disappointed in this book. It didn’t have a focus and there was no resolution. Using the male point of view could have added interest but it just convoluted the story. Difficult writing style to follow and not approachable. …
spudwil
Apr 23, 2023spudwil rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The writing style takes a bit getting used to, but it's conveying the story as told by the women to the note-taker, so it actually contributes to the story itself, if that makes any sense. This is an important, eye opening book. So many…
Apr 05, 2023colind85 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I loved so much of this book. The conversations were important and the characters had so much life. My problems were with the structure which didn’t feel fully realized as minutes to a meeting and that the narrator himself was a man. I…
Apr 04, 2023dirtbag rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Much more going on in this book than what floats at the surface. It is a Feminist treatise from powerless women that are still willing to stand up for their rights and the rights of their vulnerable community members. The only direct male…
Apr 02, 2023CJTroffe rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book kicked a** and so did the women in it. The movie was wonderful as well. I was afraid of this book because of the subject matter, but it is written so gently that the reader feels safe and protected while reading about the…
Mar 26, 2023PankajMehra rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Very dark and depressing, especially as one is aware that the (fictionalized) events described had actually occurred! Such tales are still a reality - shocking! It is fascinating to see how disparate characters start to come together to…
Mar 23, 2023sunnyblonde rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Not a book for everyone. The 'talking' is very drawn out, giving the reader time to reflect. Confess the ending was disappointing. The last part with August turned the novel to him vs the women. I would have preferred if that part had been…
Mar 16, 2023writermala rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This book was at the same time shocking and funny. It is based in a Mennonite Colony where women of three generations have been raped, abused, and ill treated by the menfolk of the colony. Finally the women have had enough and are deciding…
Mar 02, 2023Seabird42 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Read the first two chapters. The rest was very repetitive. So sad that women are kept so isolated and dehumanized. I think they decided to leave, and go where? How did they support themselves? Did the men come back? What lasting effects…
Jan 17, 2023Mrsdoolittle rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Waste of time, curious what the movie will be like.
Jan 16, 2023Sssincaol rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Most boring book I’ve ever read
Oct 22, 2022cannoli rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
In my youth, I would never start a book without finishing it. But in my old age, time is precious. About 40 pages in, I was not at all engaged and gave up. Disappointing, because I like some of the author's other novels immensely.
Oct 12, 2022
RETURNED 10-21-22 DUE BACK 11-3-22 CHECKED OUT 10-13-22 Recommended by Patricia, saw film @ MV Film Festival 10-11-22.
Sep 23, 2022jeannettekeir rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I gave this book 3 stars because I’m not a big fan of Miriam Toews writing. I have read one of her other books “All My Puny Sorrows” and found it flat with the characters not coming to life for me. This book was a difficult read due to the…
Sep 03, 2022BarbPopel rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Worth reading, definitely. The debate that is at the centre of the book shows the women's intellectual maturity as well as their profound religious faith. I'm very interested in seeing how this is made into a film, as so much of the…
Jun 26, 2022ZepedaL rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A fictionalized account of real events: a Mennonite colony in the 2000s where women and girls as young as 3 were drugged and raped for years. The women and girls had been told they imagined the attacks, they brought it on themselves, and…
Feb 12, 2022giraffasus rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Read through twice as it is a short and easy read. A few wonderfully written sentences carry the book. An odd sense of dread builds as the women know what they are to do early on, but fear grips them due to the unknown of that which must…
Oct 09, 2021lisac925 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I found it difficult to keep up with this book. The unique names and constant change of which character was speaking made this one a challenge for me to follow. I did not finish it.