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Kingdom of Women
In a slightly alternate near-future, women are forming vigilante groups to wreak vengeance on rapists, child abusers, and murderers of women. In the midst of this turmoil is Averil Parnell, the world’s first female Catholic priest. Averil seeks the quiet life of a scholar, but instead she’s caught up in an obsessive affair with a younger man and an unlikely friendship with a mysterious female assassin. Worse, she finds herself beset by unwanted religious visions: she sees the souls of dead monks, converses with Jesus, and slips into alternate realities.
Spanning decades, KINGDOM OF WOMEN explores the spiritual evolution of a reluctant mystic, as well as larger themes like the use of violence against oppression and the tension between justice and mercy. Kirkus Reviews describes it as “a bold, politically minded tale with a spiritual soul.”
Spanning decades, KINGDOM OF WOMEN explores the spiritual evolution of a reluctant mystic, as well as larger themes like the use of violence against oppression and the tension between justice and mercy. Kirkus Reviews describes it as “a bold, politically minded tale with a spiritual soul.”
282 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2017
10 people are currently reading
557 people want to read
About the author
Rosalie Morales Kearns
5 books49 followersRosalie Morales Kearns, a writer of Puerto Rican and Pennsylvania Dutch descent, is the author of the novel
Kingdom of Women,
about a female Roman Catholic priest in an alternative near-future (Jaded Ibis Press, 2017). She’s also the author of the short story collection
Virgins and Tricksters
(Aqueous, 2012) and editor of the feminist short-story anthology
The Female Complaint: Tales of Unruly Women
(Shade Mountain Press, 2015). Rosalie is also the founder of Shade Mountain Press, a feminist press whose focus is literary fiction by women.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 17, 2017
Given the outpouring of stories about men who have taken advantage of their positions of power to sexually harass and abuse women, this novel is especially timely. In it, bands of vigilante women target rapists and other perpetrators of violent misogyny--perpetrators who have escaped punishment by the justice system.
Yet to the great credit of the book, its treatment of vengeance is far richer and more nuanced than this vigilantism suggests. That’s thanks to the central character, Averil Parnell, a practitioner of a progressive, nonpatriarchal form of Catholicism. Over the course of the novel, Parnell is personally and spiritually tested by violence—committed both against and by women—and as she grapples with how to respond to it, she raises an important question for herself, her community, and readers: can mercy have a place in the delivery of justice? Or, more pointedly, can justice truly be delivered in the absence of mercy?
The novel explores these questions thoughtfully while offering a compelling, well-paced plot. For my full review of the book, see http://smallpresspicks.com/kingdom-of....
Yet to the great credit of the book, its treatment of vengeance is far richer and more nuanced than this vigilantism suggests. That’s thanks to the central character, Averil Parnell, a practitioner of a progressive, nonpatriarchal form of Catholicism. Over the course of the novel, Parnell is personally and spiritually tested by violence—committed both against and by women—and as she grapples with how to respond to it, she raises an important question for herself, her community, and readers: can mercy have a place in the delivery of justice? Or, more pointedly, can justice truly be delivered in the absence of mercy?
The novel explores these questions thoughtfully while offering a compelling, well-paced plot. For my full review of the book, see http://smallpresspicks.com/kingdom-of....
December 25, 2017
"'You don't look demented,' he said.
"'Thank you. That's reassuring.'"
Full disclosure: I've known the author for years. Indeed, I probably wouldn't have read this otherwise, as it's not really in my usual genres -- but knowing how smart she is, and how skilled with words, I was pretty sure this would be a good read. And indeed it was. I was perhaps a little put off by having a serial-killer/rapist as one of the most prominent male characters, and his relationship with another central character, but not to the point of disconnecting with the story. And the writing is just so sharp! I liked how even during the war the focus stayed on the main characters rather than getting lost in battles and strategies, and the inner life of Averil is nicely presented, and philosophically interesting without being pretentious. In fact, that's a good summary of the book: There's none of the pretentiousness and oh-so-clever self-involvement that typifies so much contemporary work, just good, engaging, interesting characters and storytelling. Like most good books it left me wanting more -- not like a sequel, or a sense that something is missing, but just that it's so engaging I'd happily go back into the created world.
"She was trying to learn to let go of those old expectations: efficiency, common sense. She was learning to go with the absurdity."
"'Thank you. That's reassuring.'"
Full disclosure: I've known the author for years. Indeed, I probably wouldn't have read this otherwise, as it's not really in my usual genres -- but knowing how smart she is, and how skilled with words, I was pretty sure this would be a good read. And indeed it was. I was perhaps a little put off by having a serial-killer/rapist as one of the most prominent male characters, and his relationship with another central character, but not to the point of disconnecting with the story. And the writing is just so sharp! I liked how even during the war the focus stayed on the main characters rather than getting lost in battles and strategies, and the inner life of Averil is nicely presented, and philosophically interesting without being pretentious. In fact, that's a good summary of the book: There's none of the pretentiousness and oh-so-clever self-involvement that typifies so much contemporary work, just good, engaging, interesting characters and storytelling. Like most good books it left me wanting more -- not like a sequel, or a sense that something is missing, but just that it's so engaging I'd happily go back into the created world.
"She was trying to learn to let go of those old expectations: efficiency, common sense. She was learning to go with the absurdity."
November 30, 2017
In a near-future world very much like our own, Averil Parnell would have been among the first class of women to be ordained as Catholic priests. Instead, she is the world’s only female Catholic priest, and the lone survivor of the massacre of her sister seminarians by a man who hates women.
Across the U.S., women have grown so sick of male violence that they secede and create a country of their own, called Erda, in the now-depopulated North Dakota. Even as Averil struggles with unwelcome religious visions and her compulsive affair with a man who embodies all she despises, the women of Erda reckon with questions of vengeance, justice, and what kind of country they want to create. In this they are led in part by Averil, who becomes the seer of the nation (or, as she herself thinks, “a slightly up-market version of the village idiot,”) and her close friend Catherine, who becomes the general of the women’s army Erda must mount to protect itself.
Despite the deep questions of spirituality, violence, gender, race and power the novel explores, the writing is light on its feet and filled with wit. For example, scholarly Averil “consulted the authorities, conveniently located in her head.” And a male soldier, captured by the Erdan army as he fought to preserve patriarchy, describes how the Erdans torture their prisoners: “They make a bunch of us sit in a circle and take turns talking about our childhoods and how we were raised to think about women.”
This novel is perfect for women who are weary of male violence (is there any other kind?), readers who like to wrestle with questions of morality and theology, and book groups who enjoy talking late into the night.
Across the U.S., women have grown so sick of male violence that they secede and create a country of their own, called Erda, in the now-depopulated North Dakota. Even as Averil struggles with unwelcome religious visions and her compulsive affair with a man who embodies all she despises, the women of Erda reckon with questions of vengeance, justice, and what kind of country they want to create. In this they are led in part by Averil, who becomes the seer of the nation (or, as she herself thinks, “a slightly up-market version of the village idiot,”) and her close friend Catherine, who becomes the general of the women’s army Erda must mount to protect itself.
Despite the deep questions of spirituality, violence, gender, race and power the novel explores, the writing is light on its feet and filled with wit. For example, scholarly Averil “consulted the authorities, conveniently located in her head.” And a male soldier, captured by the Erdan army as he fought to preserve patriarchy, describes how the Erdans torture their prisoners: “They make a bunch of us sit in a circle and take turns talking about our childhoods and how we were raised to think about women.”
This novel is perfect for women who are weary of male violence (is there any other kind?), readers who like to wrestle with questions of morality and theology, and book groups who enjoy talking late into the night.
June 13, 2018
How do women receive justice in an unjust world?
Averil (the first ordained female Catholic priest) and Catherine (an ex-military woman who has turned vigilante) take different routes throughout the decades-long narrative. They live in a time much like our own, where male predators often go unpunished. The difference between their world and ours being that groups of women have begun seeking justice on their own terms.
What most impacted me about this book is how real it is. There are no easy answers. No clear heroes (or saints, if you prefer that). For me, this book raises questions about what a just world might look like, what the cost might be to make it happen, and if that cost would be worth it.
Averil (the first ordained female Catholic priest) and Catherine (an ex-military woman who has turned vigilante) take different routes throughout the decades-long narrative. They live in a time much like our own, where male predators often go unpunished. The difference between their world and ours being that groups of women have begun seeking justice on their own terms.
What most impacted me about this book is how real it is. There are no easy answers. No clear heroes (or saints, if you prefer that). For me, this book raises questions about what a just world might look like, what the cost might be to make it happen, and if that cost would be worth it.
March 15, 2022
Intro
Kingdom of Women by Rosalie Morales Kearns is a very interesting book. While I found it to have a couple of rather significant faults, and I didn't agree with all of its conclusions, it was also very thought-provoking and engenders a lot of thinking and discussion. There were some very weighty themes and questions explored therein. I want to call the novel dystopian fiction, as that's the feeling it gives when I read it, but most of the "dystopia" aspects are really just some current realities of existing as a women in a patriarchal society. That sort of fails the "imaginary" part of a society full of injustice and suffering in the definition.
Small content warning, sexual violence and violence against women will be mentioned here, without any specifics, because that's one of the main things the novel examines.
Premise
This novel is set in a near future where women begin to form vigilante bands to take justice on men who perpetrate violence against women, but whom the system doesn't punish. As these vigilante movements gain fervour and momentum and the world moves towards Erda, the titular Kingdom of Women, we follow Averil Parnell, the first female Catholic priest, and her relationships with two others: a female vigilante taking justice into her own hands she befriends; and a debauched, handsome young man she begins an affair with.
Themes
Many of the acts of violence against women that lead to the emergence of vigilante justice in the novel are far too familiar in our current world- from rapists getting a mere slap on the wrist while others cite their "promising future," to women being blamed for their "loss of honour" after being assaulted. There was therefore, to me, a good amount of catharsis in hearing and seeing extrajudicial justice being taken, and looking at the effect both these acts and the growing awareness of their feasibility would have. However, while it's easy to take catharsis from seeing justice being taken by any means, the novel does ask whether revenge is justice, and whether it's enough. Even though I personally found it cathartic, it is left up to the reader to decide. And I'm quite sure that, as a man, regardless of how much I've listened to and read from women, there's nuance and weight to any catharsis that was lost on me by never having had to experience or fear this violence systematically or generally.
As one might imagine, there was also a lot of examination in this story of the interaction and intersection of religion and the patriarchy, and it looks at many of the double-standards, glass ceilings, and patronization that women have to deal with in many fields through Averil's relationship with the Catholic Church. One part I found particularly interesting was Averil's use of female or gender-neutral terms when interpreting the Bible while staying within the confine of Catholicism, and the emphasis she put on Mary's importance in the scriptures. While I found it interesting, because I'm not religious and wasn't raised so the portrayal and interpretations of religion here may also be an aspect I missed nuances or weight to. Or perhaps a more feminist reinterpretation of Christianity is well established and I've simply never sought it out, not being interested in Christianity.
I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of those who've read this or decide to pick it up, especially people who have more personal experience with the ideas examined.
Minor Flaws
There were two more minor qualms I found with the novel, one flaw and one disagreement, alongside one that I thought was pretty glaring. For the first of the two minor flaws, the character of John Honig, one of the three most frequenty followed perspectives, vacillated between two extremes of portrayal that I hated both of. Oftentimes, John was almost moustache-twirling straw-man example of how terrible men could be, relating in his inner dialogue how much he loved sexually assaulting women and manipulating them, and how easy it was to deceive and seduce them with his superior intellect and dashing good looks. It was almost as insufferable as I found the main character in The Fountainhead before I gave up on it- there was a sort of Randian depiction of how superior and twisted he was. On the other hand, the novel seemend to depict his affair with Averil as racy and exciting, even in a positive light in retrospect later on, depite it being founded on a terrible basis and John continuing to be a complete waste of oxygen.
The disagreement I had, which is a personal thing and not by far unique to this novel, is of a theme explored in the final section of the novel (mild spoilers of the theme/how it occurs): I disagree with the idea that power inevitably corrupts, and that a society led by women would end up being sexist in reverse, especially with history to look back on
Major Flaw
There was one very glaring flaw in this novel to me, I think pretty much an objective flaw. Despite enjoying thinking about the themes and ideas this book brings up, and even being willing to recommend it to those who want to think about and discuss those things, this flaw is bad enough to stop me from being able to call the book good.
In general, I try to be pretty inclusive in the statements I make, and use gender neautral language and so on as often as I can. While I only referred to women throughout this review, you would be more than correct to reflect that many of these ideas also apply to racial, sexual, and gender minorities too.
There is not a single mention of where trans women, trans men, genderfluid, non-binary, or intersex indivuals fit into this discussion or would land in this future anywhere in the book.
There's a smattering of side characters described as being black or latinx or asian, and a vague hint towards one character being attracted to another woman, and that's it for representation. There are no depictions of same sex couples in Erda, no mentions of violence against trans people as well as women (despite it being far more prevalent), and no mentions of what side LGBT+ people would end up on in a conflict against the patriarchy (despite likely being the first and most numerous casualties, and even attacked by both sides).
Final Thoughts
I hesistated to write this review, both because it might be perfectly reasonable to say that, not being a woman or religious, I'm not the target audience, and being so heavily critical on a couple of points.
I do think this book is worth reading, and I'm very glad to think about its themes and the questions it asks. The story itself is written well and easy to read, and Averil is an engaging, if somewhat enigmatic, character. The plausibility and portrayal of the novel's events make it an easy world to immerse yourself in, and it doesn't tell you what to think about the themes and questions it asks, merely brings them up to discuss and be thought about.
But on the other hand, that flaw is such a deep and glaring omission to me. Caught between enjoying a lot of aspects of this novel, and finding the major flaw so unnacceptable, the novel defies my ability to comfortably rate it. I think it's worth the time to read, and a great diving-off point for further discussion (this would be an excellent book club book I think), but I can't ignore or forgive the erasure of any LGBT+ issues either.
Kingdom of Women by Rosalie Morales Kearns is a very interesting book. While I found it to have a couple of rather significant faults, and I didn't agree with all of its conclusions, it was also very thought-provoking and engenders a lot of thinking and discussion. There were some very weighty themes and questions explored therein. I want to call the novel dystopian fiction, as that's the feeling it gives when I read it, but most of the "dystopia" aspects are really just some current realities of existing as a women in a patriarchal society. That sort of fails the "imaginary" part of a society full of injustice and suffering in the definition.
Small content warning, sexual violence and violence against women will be mentioned here, without any specifics, because that's one of the main things the novel examines.
Premise
This novel is set in a near future where women begin to form vigilante bands to take justice on men who perpetrate violence against women, but whom the system doesn't punish. As these vigilante movements gain fervour and momentum and the world moves towards Erda, the titular Kingdom of Women, we follow Averil Parnell, the first female Catholic priest, and her relationships with two others: a female vigilante taking justice into her own hands she befriends; and a debauched, handsome young man she begins an affair with.
Themes
Many of the acts of violence against women that lead to the emergence of vigilante justice in the novel are far too familiar in our current world- from rapists getting a mere slap on the wrist while others cite their "promising future," to women being blamed for their "loss of honour" after being assaulted. There was therefore, to me, a good amount of catharsis in hearing and seeing extrajudicial justice being taken, and looking at the effect both these acts and the growing awareness of their feasibility would have. However, while it's easy to take catharsis from seeing justice being taken by any means, the novel does ask whether revenge is justice, and whether it's enough. Even though I personally found it cathartic, it is left up to the reader to decide. And I'm quite sure that, as a man, regardless of how much I've listened to and read from women, there's nuance and weight to any catharsis that was lost on me by never having had to experience or fear this violence systematically or generally.
As one might imagine, there was also a lot of examination in this story of the interaction and intersection of religion and the patriarchy, and it looks at many of the double-standards, glass ceilings, and patronization that women have to deal with in many fields through Averil's relationship with the Catholic Church. One part I found particularly interesting was Averil's use of female or gender-neutral terms when interpreting the Bible while staying within the confine of Catholicism, and the emphasis she put on Mary's importance in the scriptures. While I found it interesting, because I'm not religious and wasn't raised so the portrayal and interpretations of religion here may also be an aspect I missed nuances or weight to. Or perhaps a more feminist reinterpretation of Christianity is well established and I've simply never sought it out, not being interested in Christianity.
I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of those who've read this or decide to pick it up, especially people who have more personal experience with the ideas examined.
Minor Flaws
There were two more minor qualms I found with the novel, one flaw and one disagreement, alongside one that I thought was pretty glaring. For the first of the two minor flaws, the character of John Honig, one of the three most frequenty followed perspectives, vacillated between two extremes of portrayal that I hated both of. Oftentimes, John was almost moustache-twirling straw-man example of how terrible men could be, relating in his inner dialogue how much he loved sexually assaulting women and manipulating them, and how easy it was to deceive and seduce them with his superior intellect and dashing good looks. It was almost as insufferable as I found the main character in The Fountainhead before I gave up on it- there was a sort of Randian depiction of how superior and twisted he was. On the other hand, the novel seemend to depict his affair with Averil as racy and exciting, even in a positive light in retrospect later on, depite it being founded on a terrible basis and John continuing to be a complete waste of oxygen.
The disagreement I had, which is a personal thing and not by far unique to this novel, is of a theme explored in the final section of the novel (mild spoilers of the theme/how it occurs): I disagree with the idea that power inevitably corrupts, and that a society led by women would end up being sexist in reverse, especially with history to look back on
Major Flaw
There was one very glaring flaw in this novel to me, I think pretty much an objective flaw. Despite enjoying thinking about the themes and ideas this book brings up, and even being willing to recommend it to those who want to think about and discuss those things, this flaw is bad enough to stop me from being able to call the book good.
In general, I try to be pretty inclusive in the statements I make, and use gender neautral language and so on as often as I can. While I only referred to women throughout this review, you would be more than correct to reflect that many of these ideas also apply to racial, sexual, and gender minorities too.
There is not a single mention of where trans women, trans men, genderfluid, non-binary, or intersex indivuals fit into this discussion or would land in this future anywhere in the book.
There's a smattering of side characters described as being black or latinx or asian, and a vague hint towards one character being attracted to another woman, and that's it for representation. There are no depictions of same sex couples in Erda, no mentions of violence against trans people as well as women (despite it being far more prevalent), and no mentions of what side LGBT+ people would end up on in a conflict against the patriarchy (despite likely being the first and most numerous casualties, and even attacked by both sides).
Final Thoughts
I hesistated to write this review, both because it might be perfectly reasonable to say that, not being a woman or religious, I'm not the target audience, and being so heavily critical on a couple of points.
I do think this book is worth reading, and I'm very glad to think about its themes and the questions it asks. The story itself is written well and easy to read, and Averil is an engaging, if somewhat enigmatic, character. The plausibility and portrayal of the novel's events make it an easy world to immerse yourself in, and it doesn't tell you what to think about the themes and questions it asks, merely brings them up to discuss and be thought about.
But on the other hand, that flaw is such a deep and glaring omission to me. Caught between enjoying a lot of aspects of this novel, and finding the major flaw so unnacceptable, the novel defies my ability to comfortably rate it. I think it's worth the time to read, and a great diving-off point for further discussion (this would be an excellent book club book I think), but I can't ignore or forgive the erasure of any LGBT+ issues either.
January 11, 2018
I am humbled by this novel. The truth is the truth, and the unknown and uncertain is the unknown and uncertain.
I was fortunate enough to attend the same MFA program as Rosalie, and getting to know her and her work put me on a better path of discovery. I'm thrilled that she agreed to work with me for my 2018 Minnesota Artist Initiative Grant, where my project is trying to find new models of storytelling grounded in human flourishing. Reading this novel helps me along my path, and I am incredibly fortunate to get to work with Rosalie on my new project. Women working together toward common goals is nothing new or to be "disclosed," but something to be shouted out and celebrated.
Read this book. <3
I was fortunate enough to attend the same MFA program as Rosalie, and getting to know her and her work put me on a better path of discovery. I'm thrilled that she agreed to work with me for my 2018 Minnesota Artist Initiative Grant, where my project is trying to find new models of storytelling grounded in human flourishing. Reading this novel helps me along my path, and I am incredibly fortunate to get to work with Rosalie on my new project. Women working together toward common goals is nothing new or to be "disclosed," but something to be shouted out and celebrated.
Read this book. <3
January 19, 2018
I think the premise of women revolting against the abusive men and male-dominated society and setting up their own nation is fascinating. This story and its timely elements captured my attention.
Key points/observations:
The women who form a new society ultimately behave like men. Some of them become totalitarian and narrow, stubborn and aggressive, and defensive and irrational. While these behaviors or attitudes aren’t necessarily male or female, I wonder if the book intends a certain fatalism here.
This book is achingly heteronormative. Ok, a “women uprising and female village” don’t have to consist of only lesbians. But none…well, possibly one and vaguely at that?! Really? The sheer weight of straight people was noticeable, and I felt it was confining and unimaginative. In addition, gender expression and sexuality seem to match very staid “conservative or traditional” definitions.
There are many people of color, as indicated by their last names or a brief description. I’m grateful for this inclusion and that they are Asian American and Latinx as well as African American. However, these are the most boring characters I’ve ever read about. They may have important titles or roles but they are portrayed in a very dull and flat way. When I told a friend that these characters were drab but not painted in stereotypical ways, she replied, “What’s the difference?” And my friend is correct. I adapted the Bechdel test to people of color and applied it here. I don’t think this book passed.
The ending could have occurred in at least five different times. But I felt the author kept dragging it out. New characters and superfluous twists kept appearing, each making the concluding point different or muddy.
Key points/observations:
The women who form a new society ultimately behave like men. Some of them become totalitarian and narrow, stubborn and aggressive, and defensive and irrational. While these behaviors or attitudes aren’t necessarily male or female, I wonder if the book intends a certain fatalism here.
This book is achingly heteronormative. Ok, a “women uprising and female village” don’t have to consist of only lesbians. But none…well, possibly one and vaguely at that?! Really? The sheer weight of straight people was noticeable, and I felt it was confining and unimaginative. In addition, gender expression and sexuality seem to match very staid “conservative or traditional” definitions.
There are many people of color, as indicated by their last names or a brief description. I’m grateful for this inclusion and that they are Asian American and Latinx as well as African American. However, these are the most boring characters I’ve ever read about. They may have important titles or roles but they are portrayed in a very dull and flat way. When I told a friend that these characters were drab but not painted in stereotypical ways, she replied, “What’s the difference?” And my friend is correct. I adapted the Bechdel test to people of color and applied it here. I don’t think this book passed.
The ending could have occurred in at least five different times. But I felt the author kept dragging it out. New characters and superfluous twists kept appearing, each making the concluding point different or muddy.
December 3, 2018
This novel has given my wife and me lots of opportunities for discussion, which is a major criterion of a good book for us. I'll let you read the other reviews for the synopsis. Let's talk about the themes here. Semi-big spoilers ahead. This is a book very much about religion. The heroine is the world's first female Catholic priest, and one of the major minor characters is a priest. The chapter titles are Latin phrases from the liturgy (I think). Each chapter is headed by a quote, 95% of which are from women figures from Catholic history, such as Hildegard von Bingen. Even the repellent bad guy went to Catholic school. The protagonist, by the end of the story, has become a saint.
This is also a novel about women standing up to men. The second most important character is a vigilante who kills rapists and the like. Women have formed a matriarchal society in North Dakota and seceded from the Union. (The society is a republic. There is no literal "kingdom" in the novel, and of course using the male term "kingdom" is meant as irony.) A three-sided war between the women's republic, the U.S. and racist/misogynist militias ensues. Guess who wins. Guess who becomes almost as bad as the people they defeat.
Clearly, one of the themes of the novel is that power corrupts. It corrupts men, and it corrupts women too. The only way not to be corrupted is to become a saint. There is a suggestion that the defeat of patriarchy will lead to a woman-centered religion, but that religion seems to have no power against injustice and just becomes a cult surrounding the saint. Spirituality, as beautiful as it may be, is futile in the face of oligarchy. Nevertheless, it is what makes a good life possible.
I'm still digesting the novel, but I think that another major theme is that for women, men are (at least sometimes) the Shadow, if I may be permitted to use a term from Jung, when I haven't actually read Jung. Women are projecting their own darkness onto men and cannot simply drive it out by exercising (exorcizing?) power. Even the saint has problems with this, which I will not disclose.
Of course, half the fun of the story is just the story. How might it be possible for the U.S. to become a female-dominated society? Morales Kearns gives a plausible scenario. Whether such a thing would be good is a question the author leaves up to the reader to decide.
This is also a novel about women standing up to men. The second most important character is a vigilante who kills rapists and the like. Women have formed a matriarchal society in North Dakota and seceded from the Union. (The society is a republic. There is no literal "kingdom" in the novel, and of course using the male term "kingdom" is meant as irony.) A three-sided war between the women's republic, the U.S. and racist/misogynist militias ensues. Guess who wins. Guess who becomes almost as bad as the people they defeat.
Clearly, one of the themes of the novel is that power corrupts. It corrupts men, and it corrupts women too. The only way not to be corrupted is to become a saint. There is a suggestion that the defeat of patriarchy will lead to a woman-centered religion, but that religion seems to have no power against injustice and just becomes a cult surrounding the saint. Spirituality, as beautiful as it may be, is futile in the face of oligarchy. Nevertheless, it is what makes a good life possible.
I'm still digesting the novel, but I think that another major theme is that for women, men are (at least sometimes) the Shadow, if I may be permitted to use a term from Jung, when I haven't actually read Jung. Women are projecting their own darkness onto men and cannot simply drive it out by exercising (exorcizing?) power. Even the saint has problems with this, which I will not disclose.
Of course, half the fun of the story is just the story. How might it be possible for the U.S. to become a female-dominated society? Morales Kearns gives a plausible scenario. Whether such a thing would be good is a question the author leaves up to the reader to decide.
March 29, 2018
" If Catherine had believed in a god, perhaps she would have found comfort in the idea of an afterlife, the possibility of some arrangement by which each rapist, each woman killer would be punished not only for what he had done to his victims, but also the collateral damage he inflicted on every woman. The unease every woman, the background static formed by the knowledge that she too could become a victim at any time."
"They discovered they liked not having men around."
VERY interesting book.
What is not to love when you find a well written, intelligent book detailing the overthrow of the patriarchy.
Refreshingly, unapologetically feminist, this was a delight to read. In my opinion, it leaves THE POWER in the dust.
Each chapter begins with a quote from a bad ass medieval saint, poet, mystic, seer, wise woman. A real one, from history. Hildegard of Bingen or Christina Mirabilis or Hadewijch of Antwerp, these women are just a few of the dead` souls that accompany Averil throughout her life. The overthrow of the patriarchy is meticulously detailed. The articulation of crimes against women through history and the rage that fuels the revolution had a purging effect on me.
This whole book was like justice porn for me.
The protagonists of the book, Catherine Beck and Averil Parnell, beautifully embody strength and take-no-shit of fully realized women. Autonomous women, one in the military, one in the spiritual world, they hold a wisdom and a connection to life and death that make them fully fleshed and interesting characters. They complement each other and I aspire to be like both of them.
Curiously, I thought, Kearns gives Averil an obsession with the serial rapist and total sociopath, John. What, the sex is good? She is a Catholic priest who breaks her vows for the cold, intelligent, broken man. Hmmm. Of course, she shows him as much disdain as he shows her. Leaves after sex, doesn't talk, isn't interested in him. And that seems to be the attraction. It is odd but then, what in human nature isn't odd? I like that Kearnes never shies away from the darkness within all of us, needs that are inexplicable even to ourselves.
Satisfying and timely book. I really enjoyed it.
"They discovered they liked not having men around."
VERY interesting book.
What is not to love when you find a well written, intelligent book detailing the overthrow of the patriarchy.
Refreshingly, unapologetically feminist, this was a delight to read. In my opinion, it leaves THE POWER in the dust.
Each chapter begins with a quote from a bad ass medieval saint, poet, mystic, seer, wise woman. A real one, from history. Hildegard of Bingen or Christina Mirabilis or Hadewijch of Antwerp, these women are just a few of the dead` souls that accompany Averil throughout her life. The overthrow of the patriarchy is meticulously detailed. The articulation of crimes against women through history and the rage that fuels the revolution had a purging effect on me.
This whole book was like justice porn for me.
The protagonists of the book, Catherine Beck and Averil Parnell, beautifully embody strength and take-no-shit of fully realized women. Autonomous women, one in the military, one in the spiritual world, they hold a wisdom and a connection to life and death that make them fully fleshed and interesting characters. They complement each other and I aspire to be like both of them.
Curiously, I thought, Kearns gives Averil an obsession with the serial rapist and total sociopath, John. What, the sex is good? She is a Catholic priest who breaks her vows for the cold, intelligent, broken man. Hmmm. Of course, she shows him as much disdain as he shows her. Leaves after sex, doesn't talk, isn't interested in him. And that seems to be the attraction. It is odd but then, what in human nature isn't odd? I like that Kearnes never shies away from the darkness within all of us, needs that are inexplicable even to ourselves.
Satisfying and timely book. I really enjoyed it.
March 28, 2018
I was really moved by this book. Women band together to fight against the millennia of misogyny that have existed and wind up with a very different world indeed. While this world is not entirely to my liking, I think that it would eventually become a better one and, in the meantime, it's an improvement in many ways. I would recommend this to most of my women friends.
May 20, 2018
I kept reading this book because at times it was interesting and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the plot is slow-moving and convoluted. The heavy use of religious themes, militant feminism, and pseudo-science did little to improve this story. Also, the Averil Parnell character was unlikable and weak.
January 14, 2019
Broad. Sweeping. Brave. Pick this one up and get to know the people within it. Plus, it’s eerily timely.
August 21, 2019
This was a really special book. It’s the kind of book I’d read through shelves of books just to find.
July 21, 2025
Instantly one of my favorite books.
The story is beautifully written, with excellent prose and pacing. The characters are deeply relateable, and the themes of transformation, trauma, and power struggle are handled with remarkable depth. Incredibly well researched and thought provoking.
The story is beautifully written, with excellent prose and pacing. The characters are deeply relateable, and the themes of transformation, trauma, and power struggle are handled with remarkable depth. Incredibly well researched and thought provoking.
July 13, 2018
A must-read, here's why >> https://medium.com/@tcravet/the-futur...
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