Reviews for Divining women

The average rating for Divining women based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-06-07 00:00:00 Ana Rosa Gonzalez Audiobook read by the author. 3.5*** In 1918 Mary Oliver, the child of well-to-do and somewhat liberal parents and raised in Washington DC, goes to spend time with her uncle Troop Ross, and his wife Maureen, who is expecting her first child. They live in small town in North Carolina, on a property a little out of town. Mary quickly learns that Troop is a bully, keeping his wife isolated, belittling her concerns, and threatening to put her in an asylum if she doesn't shape up. The Spanish influenza epidemic further isolates the women, but also strengthens their resolve. I have been a fan of Gibbons' writing since the 1990s. For a time, I was devouring every one of her books; and I've read several of them more than once. But somehow, I missed this book until now. I like the way Gibbons writes her characters. There are some very unpleasant goings on, and much of it makes me in turns uncomfortable, despairing, and angry. I was rather irritated with Mary for a time, feeling that she was butting in where she had no business. But as it became clear how much control Troop exerted over Maureen, I began to cheer for Mary's involvement. This is at a time when women had few rights on their own, and yet Mary refused to be cowed by her uncle. And her strength empowered Maureen to fight for the freedom and respect she was due. Brava, ladies! Gibbons narrates the audiobook herself. I really did not like her performance at all. She showed little emotion and it seemed like a student reading aloud because she was required to do so. Only 1 star for her performance on the audio. I think I'll pick this up again at a later date and read it in text format.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-05-26 00:00:00 Tonje Fallan Isaksen It just goes to show that some things speak to one person while others are turned off. I was turned off by this book and would not even have finished reading it had it not been a book club read. My first issue was that I didn't like the characters. They were so black and white. I didn't think it was believable that a woman who was strong would end up so weakened and inept because of a man she married. I didn't find the beginning setting of the book had any relation to the whole of the book, it was merely an attention getter. I found the language of the book was confusing and unclear. Some of the words that were used to convey things were nebulous and awkward. I am interested to hear what my book club members thought of the book, as I am sure my dislike helped me miss many deeper meanings or observations. I must admit that I read "Ellen Foster" years ago and cannot remember one thing about it. I do remember thinking it was mysterious why the book received such glowing reviews.