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Period. It's About Bloody Time
Revised and updated with a new chapter
In this frank, funny rallying cry, Emma Barnett shares her story, as well as those of others, to ask why we've clammed up about menstruation. She'll make you laugh, weep, and maybe squirm, about the natural process that nobody talks about, and smash this taboo once and for all.
In this frank, funny rallying cry, Emma Barnett shares her story, as well as those of others, to ask why we've clammed up about menstruation. She'll make you laugh, weep, and maybe squirm, about the natural process that nobody talks about, and smash this taboo once and for all.
228 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2019
161 people are currently reading
3519 people want to read
About the author
Emma Barnett
18 books30 followersEmma Barnett is a British broadcaster and journalist. A former Digital Media and Women Editor for The Daily Telegraph, she is a presenter for BBC Radio 5 Live and an occasional presenter of Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. Since August 2016, Barnett has been a columnist for The Sunday Times and, from June 2017, a co-presenter of BBC One's Sunday Morning Live.
In autumn 2017, she co-presented the live discussion program After the News on ITV. In March 2019 she became one of the regular presenters on BBC Two’s Newsnight.
In autumn 2017, she co-presented the live discussion program After the News on ITV. In March 2019 she became one of the regular presenters on BBC Two’s Newsnight.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews
October 15, 2019
I shall start with an anecdote...
Once upon a time, when I was still teaching, I was overheard saying 'I am tired of coaching rugby.' My reward was to be put in charge of Netball (the implication being I was no longer 'a man'.) Thus I found myself with a squad of 40 teenage girls. Just before the second or so practice a girl approached me shyly and said 'I can't come to practice today, sir.' 'Why not Emma?' 'Er, I'm not feeling well.' 'Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What's wrong?'
Embarrassed silence ensued as I stood gormlessly by...
'Oh, for goodness' sake, sir, she's just got her period!' said the team captain.
Rabbit in the headlights...
Do I
(1) Run screaming with my fingers in my ears going 'lalalala...'?
(2) Continue to grin like an idiot?
(3) Try and act like an adult?
'Okay, Emma, you're excused. Girls, to save potential embarrassment, can we agree to just say quietly 'Sir, I've got my period, so won't be at practice today'?'
I really wish this book had been around when I was starting to teach: not just for me but for my colleagues and students. It's an important and timely book. It's ridiculous that such a normal biological function is still subject to such stupid taboos and that so many men are still reduced to giggling schoolboys when it is mentioned by whatever stupid euphemism. (I did not know there were so many!)
As napkins and tampons should be freely available in schools, so should this book! (Well, not freely maybe, but you know what I mean.)
Once upon a time, when I was still teaching, I was overheard saying 'I am tired of coaching rugby.' My reward was to be put in charge of Netball (the implication being I was no longer 'a man'.) Thus I found myself with a squad of 40 teenage girls. Just before the second or so practice a girl approached me shyly and said 'I can't come to practice today, sir.' 'Why not Emma?' 'Er, I'm not feeling well.' 'Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What's wrong?'
Embarrassed silence ensued as I stood gormlessly by...
'Oh, for goodness' sake, sir, she's just got her period!' said the team captain.
Rabbit in the headlights...
Do I
(1) Run screaming with my fingers in my ears going 'lalalala...'?
(2) Continue to grin like an idiot?
(3) Try and act like an adult?
'Okay, Emma, you're excused. Girls, to save potential embarrassment, can we agree to just say quietly 'Sir, I've got my period, so won't be at practice today'?'
I really wish this book had been around when I was starting to teach: not just for me but for my colleagues and students. It's an important and timely book. It's ridiculous that such a normal biological function is still subject to such stupid taboos and that so many men are still reduced to giggling schoolboys when it is mentioned by whatever stupid euphemism. (I did not know there were so many!)
As napkins and tampons should be freely available in schools, so should this book! (Well, not freely maybe, but you know what I mean.)
January 10, 2021
The moment I saw that this book existed, I knew I just had to have it. I'm pretty passionate on anything "Period" related, and it may become tiring to some of you, or even grating in some cases, but while I still have breath in me, I'll carry on my passion and the ranting, hopefully, until this bullshit changes.
Although the majority of the content within these pages is good, the writing style, however, is not. It is rather irritating when a person is trying to be funny, but really isn't, and, I disliked the enormity of the repetitiveness in this book. I mean, saying it once is enough, right?
The subject matter in this book makes me angry. It makes me angry how working women are still discriminated by men over the fact that they bleed once a month, and men don't. And yes, this STILL happens. It baffles me how there is a lack of a proper education in some schools in regards to periods, and some young girls have no idea what is going on when they do get their first period. It makes me laugh when I read these superstitions about what women can and cannot do when they are on their period, such as;
Women shouldn't venture near dogs as they go crazy in the vicinity of period blood.
Or, better still;
Women shouldn't make mayonnaise, as it will curdle.
It exasperates me how women are regarded as "unclean" and "dirty" by some when they are menstruating, and they feel they are bound to some kind of sex debt to their partner. I realise that some women will indeed steer clear of sexual relations during this time, but personally, I don't think a little blood should stop you.
And something I took from this book that devastates me, is the fact that some girls and women around the world, and also here in the UK, cannot afford sanitary towels, so some are using folded up toilet roll, some are using rags, some are even using old socks to soak up their flow. I think that prices on sanitary wear for women should be slashed or in some parts, entirely abolished. It just isn't right that people are going without with something that is a basic human need. Sometimes I think that if it was the male species that menstruated every month, all sanitary products would be free...
Although the majority of the content within these pages is good, the writing style, however, is not. It is rather irritating when a person is trying to be funny, but really isn't, and, I disliked the enormity of the repetitiveness in this book. I mean, saying it once is enough, right?
The subject matter in this book makes me angry. It makes me angry how working women are still discriminated by men over the fact that they bleed once a month, and men don't. And yes, this STILL happens. It baffles me how there is a lack of a proper education in some schools in regards to periods, and some young girls have no idea what is going on when they do get their first period. It makes me laugh when I read these superstitions about what women can and cannot do when they are on their period, such as;
Women shouldn't venture near dogs as they go crazy in the vicinity of period blood.
Or, better still;
Women shouldn't make mayonnaise, as it will curdle.
It exasperates me how women are regarded as "unclean" and "dirty" by some when they are menstruating, and they feel they are bound to some kind of sex debt to their partner. I realise that some women will indeed steer clear of sexual relations during this time, but personally, I don't think a little blood should stop you.
And something I took from this book that devastates me, is the fact that some girls and women around the world, and also here in the UK, cannot afford sanitary towels, so some are using folded up toilet roll, some are using rags, some are even using old socks to soak up their flow. I think that prices on sanitary wear for women should be slashed or in some parts, entirely abolished. It just isn't right that people are going without with something that is a basic human need. Sometimes I think that if it was the male species that menstruated every month, all sanitary products would be free...
December 4, 2019
TLDR: The book contains some interesting content, but I think it would have been more interesting/groundbreaking 5 years ago. The mix of memoir and science/history/sociology didn't really work for me even though I am a big fan of those genres separately. For most of the book the language/framing is NOT LGBT+ inclusive which almost made me stop reading.
This book was quite memoir-based, which I wasn't expecting (and didn't really like). My favourite chapters were more the fact based ones (e.g. the section on period poverty, the histories of companies selling pads and tampons).
However, my major gripe with this book was the way almost all of it was presented in a very hetero- and cis-normative framework. It positions having periods and being a woman as being equivalent for 95% of the book (language such as "becoming a woman"). There is a chapter on women who don't have periods and non-women who do have periods, but it seems very cut off from the rest of the book. Much of this chapter focuses on woman who was born with a medical condition which means she has no periods. She experiences being sidelined and feeling "less than" because she has never experienced a period - a message the rest of the book contributes to by centering periods as the defining experience of womanhood. There is a brief discussion of trans men/nonbinary people who bleed but this was mainly via the story of a single person rather than looking at statistics/trends. People who have hysterectomies and then do or don't go through the menopause were also only discussed anecdotally and in passing. These topics would have fit in well in this chapter, along with a more inclusive/thoughtful use of language throughout the book.
Even more aggravatingly the chapter concerning "period sex" only considered penetrative sex between men and women - not only is this exclusionary, but I think discussion of women who have sex with women would have been really interesting (is it more likely if you have two periods to contend with? is there something about your partner also having a period that makes things different?).
I watch a lot of sex/relationships/queer content on youtube and lots of the discussions there are way ahead of the content of this book. Alternative menstrual products are barely mentioned in the book, even though there has been a huge rise in popularity of these in recent years for environmental and health purposes.
All in all, I'm not sure I'd recommend this book due to the weird framing of periods = woman, and odd tone of semi memoir/semi reporting.
This book was quite memoir-based, which I wasn't expecting (and didn't really like). My favourite chapters were more the fact based ones (e.g. the section on period poverty, the histories of companies selling pads and tampons).
However, my major gripe with this book was the way almost all of it was presented in a very hetero- and cis-normative framework. It positions having periods and being a woman as being equivalent for 95% of the book (language such as "becoming a woman"). There is a chapter on women who don't have periods and non-women who do have periods, but it seems very cut off from the rest of the book. Much of this chapter focuses on woman who was born with a medical condition which means she has no periods. She experiences being sidelined and feeling "less than" because she has never experienced a period - a message the rest of the book contributes to by centering periods as the defining experience of womanhood. There is a brief discussion of trans men/nonbinary people who bleed but this was mainly via the story of a single person rather than looking at statistics/trends. People who have hysterectomies and then do or don't go through the menopause were also only discussed anecdotally and in passing. These topics would have fit in well in this chapter, along with a more inclusive/thoughtful use of language throughout the book.
Even more aggravatingly the chapter concerning "period sex" only considered penetrative sex between men and women - not only is this exclusionary, but I think discussion of women who have sex with women would have been really interesting (is it more likely if you have two periods to contend with? is there something about your partner also having a period that makes things different?).
I watch a lot of sex/relationships/queer content on youtube and lots of the discussions there are way ahead of the content of this book. Alternative menstrual products are barely mentioned in the book, even though there has been a huge rise in popularity of these in recent years for environmental and health purposes.
All in all, I'm not sure I'd recommend this book due to the weird framing of periods = woman, and odd tone of semi memoir/semi reporting.
March 5, 2023
Okay so I only picked this up because there was recently a readalong hosted for the book and there were rave reviews. I was skeptical because the author has said some problematic things in the past and honestly this book left me a screaming ball of rage.
This is yet another white western feminist book that speaks about how enlightened they are and how their view is the correct view. The condescending manner in which she spoke about women of colour and inaccurate religious beliefs and cultural practices just left me incredibly angry. How are you going to write this book which is supposed to be empowering while perpetuating harmful stereotypes and giving false information which people can use as ammunition against people of colour. Utterly disgusting that this was even published and not once questioned as to where she got this information.
She did not in fact list any sources anywhere in the book about where she got the stats she shared or any other information and yet somehow it was published and people are raving about it? Why? This book isn’t even ground breaking, nothing she says is new or even remotely helpful. It’s a vague, trying way too hard to be funny (when she’s not) and just her screaming DON’T BE EMBARRASED SPEAK ABOUT PERIODS. Yes, Emma, but how? Was there anything in there to suggest ways in which to bring up the topic in different situations? Was there any resources for people to go and look up for help? Absolutely nothing. Just her screaming about how we shouldn’t be ashamed of it anymore. So what even was the point of this utterly useless book?
“Factions of Islam believe women shouldn’t touch the Quran, pray or have sexual intercourse with their husbands while menstruating. Muslim women are similarly deemed impure and must be limited in terms of contaminating their faith or their men.”
Who told her this? Because she didn’t learn that from us. The utter rage I felt reading this paragraph and her wording of it. Yes, we do not pray or fast or do certain acts of worship. No it is not because we are impure. No it is not because we are less nor do we find it oppressive. Not having to wake up before sunrise when we are on our period to pray is a blessing from Allah, He gives us a break so we can rest, because we sure as hell aren’t going to get that same level of care and understanding from anyone else. We are also not considered impure. It is a state of ritual impurity, the Quran is sacred and we have to be in a state of ritual purity to touch the Arabic Quran, this is regardless of whether you are a man or a woman. There are several things which cause both men and women to be in a state of ritual impurity and yet she makes it sound like this is an oppression for women. Please calm down with your fake woke attitude we do not need nor want to be ‘saved’ by you. Throughout the book in fact she only ever mentions religion in a negative way, the same goes for any mentions of cultural practices different to her own or people of colour.
She repeatedly tells us that she is educated and living in one of the most advanced societies on earth and yet her opinions show her lack of knowledge of intersectional feminism and even the ability to see that maybe not everyone finds her brand of feminism empowering at all. That her brand of feminism should have died a long time ago and she really needs to go back to school and get up to date on these things. That white western feminism only cares about white middle class women to the detriment of everyone else.
Her privilege oozed out of the pages making me nauseous. She said women need to be taken seriously about their health. How she had suffered from horrible periods and yet she doesn’t see how her white privilege gave her the ability to seek help and be believed. Women of colour don’t get that same treatment. Just saying go to a different doctor as if everyone has that option isn’t exactly helpful information. She shares stories of women who made radical choices that made headline news and uses that as examples of how we should all speak up but she doesn’t see how women are speaking up in so many ways that may not be as radical and not newsworthy.
The constant comparison of the west and developing world using such loaded terms will have an impact on how people view those not living in the ‘privileged’ west. Her words matter and yet not her, nor her editor or any other person who read this before release mentioned it, and that is another example of how she uses her privilege to push her white western feminism that benefits no one except people that look like her. She speaks about how women wanted to show that they are as good as men so anything ‘expressly female’ were downplayed. But again, only white western feminism is calling for this. She speaks as if her brand of feminism is the superior feminist brand and yet is still holding on to things that are decades out of date.
“When you are a minority, you don’t want to seem like you are kicking up a stink about something which nobody else fully understands or at the that time felt like they could talk about.“
Is she talking about the many minority groups that need their voices uplifted? Nope. She’s talking about Margaret Thatcher, a white woman in a position of power. Now normally I wouldn’t have an issue with this discussion however considering how she dehumanised and othered actual minority groups throughout the book, yes I absolutely do. Words matter, the way you write things matter.
“We have made huge progress on all of these fronts. As I write this, a woman runs the country I live in, another runs the most powerful country in the European Union and sexual harassment is being called out the world over with the hashtag #MeToo”
Okay but does this actually mean we have all benefited from this? Does it mean all people can feel safer about speaking up about sexual harassment? She makes sweeping statements like this to make it sound like there has been huge progress for all. But people of colour haven’t felt that progress, we are still fighting to be able to exist and live safely. Ignoring everything happening to people of colour shows how little she actually cares about anyone who doesn’t look like her.
I also found the book to be so mundane in the things she chose to write about. There are a myriad of complex issues regarding periods and women’s health that should and could have been discussed in a nuanced manner however there is no nuance in this book at all. Some of the issues too seem like she is just saying it to show how woke she is. “Don’t you just hate those patronising aisles in supermarkets which have the label feminine hygiene dangling above them in a halo of fluorescent lighting? Just call a pad a pad already.” Clearly, she doesn’t understand that the aisles have more than just pads. She was also complaining about we don’t have a pad emoji and she has been forced to use the Japanese flag. I just think about all the discussions she could have had about all the very real issues people face all over the world regarding periods and yet she chose to speak about these. Like I get it, it’s part of the shaming that we don’t have these emojis etc but women are literally dying due to so many issues surrounding periods and women’s health. And so much of it is just not touched upon at all.
She did speak about how women don’t always have access to pads or tampons which yes, it does need to be spoken about more but again she just complained about the issue with no real discussion on what can be done about it. Every single complaint she had about lack of awareness or shame or access to pads etc had no real discussion about things that could be done or what is being done with resources listed so people can actually go and find them and help these organisations. Instead of actual resources and sources for her information in the book she decided to list all the different things people have used to call periods. I wouldn’t have minded that if there had been actual sources too to show that her information is accurate because she already showed me she will include false information when I read about what she wrote about Islamic beliefs so how can I actually trust the information she wrote in the rest of the book?
This book left me incredibly angry and not for the reasons it should have. It is full of inaccurate information about religious beliefs. It erases people of colour and how different our fight against shame about periods is. It dehumanises people of colour with her comparisons about how educated she is and how advanced a society she lives in compared to the uneducated people and backwards societies of the developing world. Nothing she speaks about is remotely inspiring or made me want to rage about the injustices and even the writing itself was poor. How this has been published and praised is beyond me. Do yourselves a favour and skip this for other books about periods and empowerment.
This is yet another white western feminist book that speaks about how enlightened they are and how their view is the correct view. The condescending manner in which she spoke about women of colour and inaccurate religious beliefs and cultural practices just left me incredibly angry. How are you going to write this book which is supposed to be empowering while perpetuating harmful stereotypes and giving false information which people can use as ammunition against people of colour. Utterly disgusting that this was even published and not once questioned as to where she got this information.
She did not in fact list any sources anywhere in the book about where she got the stats she shared or any other information and yet somehow it was published and people are raving about it? Why? This book isn’t even ground breaking, nothing she says is new or even remotely helpful. It’s a vague, trying way too hard to be funny (when she’s not) and just her screaming DON’T BE EMBARRASED SPEAK ABOUT PERIODS. Yes, Emma, but how? Was there anything in there to suggest ways in which to bring up the topic in different situations? Was there any resources for people to go and look up for help? Absolutely nothing. Just her screaming about how we shouldn’t be ashamed of it anymore. So what even was the point of this utterly useless book?
“Factions of Islam believe women shouldn’t touch the Quran, pray or have sexual intercourse with their husbands while menstruating. Muslim women are similarly deemed impure and must be limited in terms of contaminating their faith or their men.”
Who told her this? Because she didn’t learn that from us. The utter rage I felt reading this paragraph and her wording of it. Yes, we do not pray or fast or do certain acts of worship. No it is not because we are impure. No it is not because we are less nor do we find it oppressive. Not having to wake up before sunrise when we are on our period to pray is a blessing from Allah, He gives us a break so we can rest, because we sure as hell aren’t going to get that same level of care and understanding from anyone else. We are also not considered impure. It is a state of ritual impurity, the Quran is sacred and we have to be in a state of ritual purity to touch the Arabic Quran, this is regardless of whether you are a man or a woman. There are several things which cause both men and women to be in a state of ritual impurity and yet she makes it sound like this is an oppression for women. Please calm down with your fake woke attitude we do not need nor want to be ‘saved’ by you. Throughout the book in fact she only ever mentions religion in a negative way, the same goes for any mentions of cultural practices different to her own or people of colour.
She repeatedly tells us that she is educated and living in one of the most advanced societies on earth and yet her opinions show her lack of knowledge of intersectional feminism and even the ability to see that maybe not everyone finds her brand of feminism empowering at all. That her brand of feminism should have died a long time ago and she really needs to go back to school and get up to date on these things. That white western feminism only cares about white middle class women to the detriment of everyone else.
Her privilege oozed out of the pages making me nauseous. She said women need to be taken seriously about their health. How she had suffered from horrible periods and yet she doesn’t see how her white privilege gave her the ability to seek help and be believed. Women of colour don’t get that same treatment. Just saying go to a different doctor as if everyone has that option isn’t exactly helpful information. She shares stories of women who made radical choices that made headline news and uses that as examples of how we should all speak up but she doesn’t see how women are speaking up in so many ways that may not be as radical and not newsworthy.
The constant comparison of the west and developing world using such loaded terms will have an impact on how people view those not living in the ‘privileged’ west. Her words matter and yet not her, nor her editor or any other person who read this before release mentioned it, and that is another example of how she uses her privilege to push her white western feminism that benefits no one except people that look like her. She speaks about how women wanted to show that they are as good as men so anything ‘expressly female’ were downplayed. But again, only white western feminism is calling for this. She speaks as if her brand of feminism is the superior feminist brand and yet is still holding on to things that are decades out of date.
“When you are a minority, you don’t want to seem like you are kicking up a stink about something which nobody else fully understands or at the that time felt like they could talk about.“
Is she talking about the many minority groups that need their voices uplifted? Nope. She’s talking about Margaret Thatcher, a white woman in a position of power. Now normally I wouldn’t have an issue with this discussion however considering how she dehumanised and othered actual minority groups throughout the book, yes I absolutely do. Words matter, the way you write things matter.
“We have made huge progress on all of these fronts. As I write this, a woman runs the country I live in, another runs the most powerful country in the European Union and sexual harassment is being called out the world over with the hashtag #MeToo”
Okay but does this actually mean we have all benefited from this? Does it mean all people can feel safer about speaking up about sexual harassment? She makes sweeping statements like this to make it sound like there has been huge progress for all. But people of colour haven’t felt that progress, we are still fighting to be able to exist and live safely. Ignoring everything happening to people of colour shows how little she actually cares about anyone who doesn’t look like her.
I also found the book to be so mundane in the things she chose to write about. There are a myriad of complex issues regarding periods and women’s health that should and could have been discussed in a nuanced manner however there is no nuance in this book at all. Some of the issues too seem like she is just saying it to show how woke she is. “Don’t you just hate those patronising aisles in supermarkets which have the label feminine hygiene dangling above them in a halo of fluorescent lighting? Just call a pad a pad already.” Clearly, she doesn’t understand that the aisles have more than just pads. She was also complaining about we don’t have a pad emoji and she has been forced to use the Japanese flag. I just think about all the discussions she could have had about all the very real issues people face all over the world regarding periods and yet she chose to speak about these. Like I get it, it’s part of the shaming that we don’t have these emojis etc but women are literally dying due to so many issues surrounding periods and women’s health. And so much of it is just not touched upon at all.
She did speak about how women don’t always have access to pads or tampons which yes, it does need to be spoken about more but again she just complained about the issue with no real discussion on what can be done about it. Every single complaint she had about lack of awareness or shame or access to pads etc had no real discussion about things that could be done or what is being done with resources listed so people can actually go and find them and help these organisations. Instead of actual resources and sources for her information in the book she decided to list all the different things people have used to call periods. I wouldn’t have minded that if there had been actual sources too to show that her information is accurate because she already showed me she will include false information when I read about what she wrote about Islamic beliefs so how can I actually trust the information she wrote in the rest of the book?
This book left me incredibly angry and not for the reasons it should have. It is full of inaccurate information about religious beliefs. It erases people of colour and how different our fight against shame about periods is. It dehumanises people of colour with her comparisons about how educated she is and how advanced a society she lives in compared to the uneducated people and backwards societies of the developing world. Nothing she speaks about is remotely inspiring or made me want to rage about the injustices and even the writing itself was poor. How this has been published and praised is beyond me. Do yourselves a favour and skip this for other books about periods and empowerment.
July 18, 2020
How much do you know about periods? Emma Barnett's books explores the facts about periods, the cultural and political attitude towards menstruation and women's health in general, and what needs to be done to make it better for women.
Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.
#gifted: Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book for free in exchange for an honest review!
Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.
#gifted: Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book for free in exchange for an honest review!
September 20, 2019
Having heard some amazing reviews of this book I was looking forward to something funny any informative. Well I'll accept that it was informative and I did learn some things. The style of writing grated with me though and I also found that the author tended to lay it on rather thick (why say it once if you can say it three times or more). As for the laughter the book promised, I felt like the author was trying rather too hard to be funny and as such wasn't really succeeding and that's before mentioning all the period related puns, each with their "sorry, not sorry" type disclaimer to make sure you didn't miss it.
Two stars as I did learn some interesting things but I won't be recommending it.
Two stars as I did learn some interesting things but I won't be recommending it.
July 13, 2020
This is such an incredible book that I believe everybody should be reading. It champions not being embarrassed about periods and encourages people to talk about them much more openly without fearing people's reactions. It shocked me to realise that I myself am guilty of hiding my period away to a certain extent; I sometimes use the term 'that time of the month' or speak about 'coming on' to avoid calling it a period... but why on earth do I do this? If someone is to take offence to the word period then that is entirely their problem. I also try to hide my period at work, carrying pads to the toilet in a small make-up bag, or ridiculously in my entire work bag... but again why do I do this? I shouldn't feel that I have to hide the fact that I bleed once a month.
As well as making me look at my own attitude to periods, it made me realise how backwards the world's attitude to periods really is. I was so upset by the thought of some Hindu women not being able to attend their place of worship simply because they are of menstruating age, to the extent that they are prohibited from attending memorial services of loved ones. It also made me sad to hear of the women across the world, and yes even in the UK, who have to use a sock or a strip of fabric to soak up the blood from their periods; and of how many homeless men take pads or tampons to exercise a level of control over homeless women. And I was shocked, albeit on a more superficial level, that a period emoji was rejected.
These are just some of the issues and topics that the book spoke about. The book looked at females who don't have periods but want them, people who do have periods that don't want them (mainly focusing on the story of the period prince, a non-binary trans activist), sex on periods, pad and tampon adverts, periods in schools and so much more. This book completely opened my mind to various angles from which I had never considered periods. I have seen some criticisms of the book not being inclusive enough, however I think that Barnett did a great job at exploring periods from as many angles as she could. It's clearly not an easy topic to get people to speak out about! I also really enjoyed Barnett's blunt and honest approach to the topic, she didn't shy away from anything and made the book lighthearted where she could. She also had a friendly tone which really helped to convey her message.
Overall I would thoroughly recommend this book to everybody and I hope that more people start to take a more open-minded and unashamed approach to periods.
As well as making me look at my own attitude to periods, it made me realise how backwards the world's attitude to periods really is. I was so upset by the thought of some Hindu women not being able to attend their place of worship simply because they are of menstruating age, to the extent that they are prohibited from attending memorial services of loved ones. It also made me sad to hear of the women across the world, and yes even in the UK, who have to use a sock or a strip of fabric to soak up the blood from their periods; and of how many homeless men take pads or tampons to exercise a level of control over homeless women. And I was shocked, albeit on a more superficial level, that a period emoji was rejected.
These are just some of the issues and topics that the book spoke about. The book looked at females who don't have periods but want them, people who do have periods that don't want them (mainly focusing on the story of the period prince, a non-binary trans activist), sex on periods, pad and tampon adverts, periods in schools and so much more. This book completely opened my mind to various angles from which I had never considered periods. I have seen some criticisms of the book not being inclusive enough, however I think that Barnett did a great job at exploring periods from as many angles as she could. It's clearly not an easy topic to get people to speak out about! I also really enjoyed Barnett's blunt and honest approach to the topic, she didn't shy away from anything and made the book lighthearted where she could. She also had a friendly tone which really helped to convey her message.
Overall I would thoroughly recommend this book to everybody and I hope that more people start to take a more open-minded and unashamed approach to periods.
October 9, 2022
it was ok!
December 7, 2020
Piesaistīja izcili trāpīgais grāmatas nosaukums, žēl, ka latviski tik precīzi nevar iztulkot.
Grāmata - feministes sapnis. Jā, es piekrītu, ka pasaulē un pat Eiropā ir pārāk daudz mītu par mēnešreizēm. Piemēram, Nepālā joprojām sievietes šajās dienās mēdz izdzīt dzīvot uz aukstu šķūni, savukārt Ķīnā tamponi joprojām nav higiēnas prece, bet gan sex shop cienīgs produkts. Nemaz nerunāsim par to, ka ieeja dažādos tempļos un kulta vietās šajās dienās ir aizliegta.
Jā, es piekrītu, ka sieviešu higiēnas produktiem nav jābūt apliktiem ar nodokļiem. Un, protams, es piekrītu, ka par to visu nav jākautrējas runāt.
Tomēr mani neuzrunā autores rakstības stils. Viņa kareivīgi vēlreiz un vēlreiz apgalvo, ka mums, sievietēm, jāsaņemas un jāaizstāv savas tiesības brīvi runāt par šo tēmu. Tāpat grāmatā vismaz 5x tiek atkārtots pieņēmums, ja vīriešiem būtu mēnešreizes, tad īpašājām dienām jau sen būtu lielāki atvieglojumi. Gan jau tā būtu, bet autore to tik uzstājīgi pasniedz, ka paliek žēl nabaga vīriešu, šie palika vainīgi tikai tāpēc, ka viņiem ir citi dabas noteikti procesi.
Grāmata - feministes sapnis. Jā, es piekrītu, ka pasaulē un pat Eiropā ir pārāk daudz mītu par mēnešreizēm. Piemēram, Nepālā joprojām sievietes šajās dienās mēdz izdzīt dzīvot uz aukstu šķūni, savukārt Ķīnā tamponi joprojām nav higiēnas prece, bet gan sex shop cienīgs produkts. Nemaz nerunāsim par to, ka ieeja dažādos tempļos un kulta vietās šajās dienās ir aizliegta.
Jā, es piekrītu, ka sieviešu higiēnas produktiem nav jābūt apliktiem ar nodokļiem. Un, protams, es piekrītu, ka par to visu nav jākautrējas runāt.
Tomēr mani neuzrunā autores rakstības stils. Viņa kareivīgi vēlreiz un vēlreiz apgalvo, ka mums, sievietēm, jāsaņemas un jāaizstāv savas tiesības brīvi runāt par šo tēmu. Tāpat grāmatā vismaz 5x tiek atkārtots pieņēmums, ja vīriešiem būtu mēnešreizes, tad īpašājām dienām jau sen būtu lielāki atvieglojumi. Gan jau tā būtu, bet autore to tik uzstājīgi pasniedz, ka paliek žēl nabaga vīriešu, šie palika vainīgi tikai tāpēc, ka viņiem ir citi dabas noteikti procesi.
May 28, 2020
This was a really fun book, that was easy to read and had a nice friendly tone throughout, I think for me personally I would have liked an it to have a chapter to do with biological and psychological parts of periods because I feel you can't write a whole book about the topic and not visit those areas. But overall a charming, funny book which I think anyone could learn something from.
June 29, 2023
Reads more like a think-piece. There were some interesting facts presented, as well as a few specific studies, but the lack of sources really annoyed me.
February 17, 2022
This book was an impulse buy from our local bookstore last summer. It wasn't in my plans, I didn't even know it existed, but the moment I saw it, I had to have it.
And I really liked it to be honest, which kind of an oxymoron since I don't like my period, not one bit. But I do believe, like the author of this book, that we should openly talk about our periods, good or bad without shame and without fear. It's high time we stopped hiding our menstrual products stop hiding our pain and discomfort , or sexual desire while menstruating and it is certainly bloody time we used the word period (and menstruation) loud and proud and teach (by example) our kids (girls, boys, non-binary) to do the same.
There were a few things that I would change of course, I would make it shorter (a few things were quite repetitive), I would skip a few things (like the "motivational" phrases at the end of each chapter), I would rephrase a few other things (like the fact that we owe our existence to periods, and that menstruation is a woman thing), I would make it more diverse and inclusive (I wanted more trans and menopause experiences and references) and I would also like more reference to menstrual cups and the possible toxic shock syndrome due to the use of tampons.
And I really liked it to be honest, which kind of an oxymoron since I don't like my period, not one bit. But I do believe, like the author of this book, that we should openly talk about our periods, good or bad without shame and without fear. It's high time we stopped hiding our menstrual products stop hiding our pain and discomfort , or sexual desire while menstruating and it is certainly bloody time we used the word period (and menstruation) loud and proud and teach (by example) our kids (girls, boys, non-binary) to do the same.
There were a few things that I would change of course, I would make it shorter (a few things were quite repetitive), I would skip a few things (like the "motivational" phrases at the end of each chapter), I would rephrase a few other things (like the fact that we owe our existence to periods, and that menstruation is a woman thing), I would make it more diverse and inclusive (I wanted more trans and menopause experiences and references) and I would also like more reference to menstrual cups and the possible toxic shock syndrome due to the use of tampons.
November 25, 2019
A detailed and important social commentary on all things period related. The author eloquently describes a wide range of topics such as education, workplace initiatives, period poverty and periods in transgender men.
So many of the issues described in this book are to be noted and explored further. The author is a big advocate for education in young people of all genders in order to learn how periods work and why they are so important. She also dedicates part of her book into understanding how and why periods impact on culture and religious practices.
This is a very well written book ideal for young women in particular, although all the issues described should indeed be considered by people of all ages and genders.
So many of the issues described in this book are to be noted and explored further. The author is a big advocate for education in young people of all genders in order to learn how periods work and why they are so important. She also dedicates part of her book into understanding how and why periods impact on culture and religious practices.
This is a very well written book ideal for young women in particular, although all the issues described should indeed be considered by people of all ages and genders.
March 3, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded up because I think it's an important topic and we should be talking about periods a lot more than we are (especially in the workplace). I really enjoyed the content, but found the writing often repetitive and a bit grating. After reading something along the lines of "let that sink in for a moment" for the fifth time, I started wondering whether this book had actually been edited. That being said, it is an important book, and I found it interesting in spite of the writing style, so I would still recommend it. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had taken my time, maybe reading a chapter every couple of weeks, but I had to read it relatively quickly since I got it from the library. Still, if you find a copy in a charity shop, I say go for it. And maybe read it in public. Let's get that conversation going.
January 7, 2024
Bloody good, everyone should read this!
Emma Barnett makes a compelling argument that it's time to shed the taboo around periods and instead go forward with Period Pride. A compelling read that explores the social, cultural and political aspects of periods with good amounts of entertainment and shock.
Emma Barnett makes a compelling argument that it's time to shed the taboo around periods and instead go forward with Period Pride. A compelling read that explores the social, cultural and political aspects of periods with good amounts of entertainment and shock.
October 29, 2021
"You are not about to read a lengthy diatribe against capitalism or these 'feminine care brands'" - Emma Barnett, chapter nine. More's the pity.
If you want a book that floats microfinance and venture capital as the solution to period poverty, this is the book for you.
I'll give it some credit for a sensitive handling of the issues of endometriosis and a (rather too brief) chapter on what having, or not having, periods might mean to the trans community. However, it reads for the most part like a buzzfeed article stretched out to the length of a novel, with the pop quotes to boot. It is so basic in its analysis of women's issues as to be borderline patronising - this might have been a good read for me at age 12, as I was coming to this part of my life, but now it more than pales in comparison to genuine feminist literary texts and papers.
Not a huge surprise from a previous telegraph editor, but hey, we all love a story about using our period to get out of swimming lessons at the pool in our expensive elite private school.
The issue is that the author is quite noticeably an established, nominally Centre right wing British journalist, which creates only a surface level interpretation of the issue, explained in the most condescending way possible. The name drops of various British press moguls and politicians in this are nauseating, and the message is skewed for me by Emma's tenure at the telegraph, a paper that regularly calls for the NHS to be defunded. I understand that she has doctor mates and enough money to go private, but that would certainly give me pause if I was criticising women's reluctance to seek medical help for gynae issues. I'm gonna leave it here but christ I could write an essay on this book.
If you want a book that floats microfinance and venture capital as the solution to period poverty, this is the book for you.
I'll give it some credit for a sensitive handling of the issues of endometriosis and a (rather too brief) chapter on what having, or not having, periods might mean to the trans community. However, it reads for the most part like a buzzfeed article stretched out to the length of a novel, with the pop quotes to boot. It is so basic in its analysis of women's issues as to be borderline patronising - this might have been a good read for me at age 12, as I was coming to this part of my life, but now it more than pales in comparison to genuine feminist literary texts and papers.
Not a huge surprise from a previous telegraph editor, but hey, we all love a story about using our period to get out of swimming lessons at the pool in our expensive elite private school.
The issue is that the author is quite noticeably an established, nominally Centre right wing British journalist, which creates only a surface level interpretation of the issue, explained in the most condescending way possible. The name drops of various British press moguls and politicians in this are nauseating, and the message is skewed for me by Emma's tenure at the telegraph, a paper that regularly calls for the NHS to be defunded. I understand that she has doctor mates and enough money to go private, but that would certainly give me pause if I was criticising women's reluctance to seek medical help for gynae issues. I'm gonna leave it here but christ I could write an essay on this book.
October 7, 2019
Periods run deep, and they can be powerful signifiers of health, fertility and identity. But we have been so busy making sure no one talks about them at all, we have failed to see the other types of pain, beyond the physical, they can cause on a daily basis.Chatty and informal, this book is all about starting a conversation, and ridding society of the shame and silence around something that should feel so mundane and normal. I really enjoyed Barnett's why of presenting the various stories and issues she brought up. Recommended, whether you have periods or not. None of this should be revelatory, but that just shows how far we have to go.
April 21, 2024
An incredibly insightful and passionate book all about breaking down the existing societal stigmas towards periods and the extent of period poverty in the UK. This should be required reading for all. Period. (Couldn't resist!) 🎧
November 15, 2020
Попаднах по случайност на книгата и да се образовам малко на тема цикъл никак не ми се стори лоша идея. Цикълът е сериозно табу в обществото ни и като такова - информацията и знанията на тази тема са нищожни - жени, мъже или който, както се определя - всички знаем твърде малко за тази естествена женска функция, която реално засяга половината население на света.
Очаквах, може би, наистина, повече фокус върху самия цикъл и какво едно младо момиче може да очаква и една жена, приближаваща менопауза или въобще повече история относно борбата й да получи диагноза относно нейното заболяване. Опитът ми с докторите доказва, че когато става дума за цикъл - единственото, за което им пука е, дали ще може да имаш деца - това е, от там нататък - може си умираш в болка и агония, тях не ги засяга. :)
Признавам си - надявах се малко да ми се разбули мистерията около това чудо цикъл, защото ако има нещо, за което се съгласих с авторката, то това е, че няма никакво обучение на тази тема. Всичко, което научаваш в училище и дори в университета, е по отношение каква функция играе цикълът ти спрямо репродуктивните ти функции и това е.
Изумително е колко малко информация има и за всичките синдроми и заболявания, свързани с цикъла, при все че засягат голям процент от жените и правят животите им ад. И от тази гледна точка - разбирам защо книгата е по-фемистично настроена, защото без темата да стане незначителна (в смисъла на нещо нормално) и напълно естествено като тема на разговор - никой няма да тръгне да проучва и да се опитва да намери решение за толкова много жени, които страдат всеки божи месец - не просто за 5-10 дни, ами понякога през целия месец и после адът се отваря отново. Та, разбирам защо е насочена към движението за правата на жените книгата, но пак можеше да има малко ресурси къде да погледнеш за повече инфо ако се интересуваш. Това би било прекрасно - за всяко момиче и жена, която попадне на книгата.
Също така, щях да бъда много щастлива, ако авторката беше включила гледна точка на жени, които не искат деца и не им пука за репродуктивните им функции, и реално как те възприемат циклите си. Авторката е много забавна, скъсах се да се смея, но е жена, винаги мечтаела да стане майка и говори за цикъла от тази гледна точка и колкото да се е постарала да включи много различни гледни точки, е пропуснала тази - на жените не намиращи никакъв позитив в това да страдаш всеки месец за нещо, което за теб не е важно и не е определящо да си жена - възпроизвеждането.
Та, определено съм разочарована. Не беше лошо четиво, просто, не ме накара да се почувствам по-позитивно относно цикъла си, напротив - успя още повече да ме депресира. Ама, каквото - такова. Провокира любопитството ми, което не е малко и не е лошо начало. :)
Очаквах, може би, наистина, повече фокус върху самия цикъл и какво едно младо момиче може да очаква и една жена, приближаваща менопауза или въобще повече история относно борбата й да получи диагноза относно нейното заболяване. Опитът ми с докторите доказва, че когато става дума за цикъл - единственото, за което им пука е, дали ще може да имаш деца - това е, от там нататък - може си умираш в болка и агония, тях не ги засяга. :)
Признавам си - надявах се малко да ми се разбули мистерията около това чудо цикъл, защото ако има нещо, за което се съгласих с авторката, то това е, че няма никакво обучение на тази тема. Всичко, което научаваш в училище и дори в университета, е по отношение каква функция играе цикълът ти спрямо репродуктивните ти функции и това е.
Изумително е колко малко информация има и за всичките синдроми и заболявания, свързани с цикъла, при все че засягат голям процент от жените и правят животите им ад. И от тази гледна точка - разбирам защо книгата е по-фемистично настроена, защото без темата да стане незначителна (в смисъла на нещо нормално) и напълно естествено като тема на разговор - никой няма да тръгне да проучва и да се опитва да намери решение за толкова много жени, които страдат всеки божи месец - не просто за 5-10 дни, ами понякога през целия месец и после адът се отваря отново. Та, разбирам защо е насочена към движението за правата на жените книгата, но пак можеше да има малко ресурси къде да погледнеш за повече инфо ако се интересуваш. Това би било прекрасно - за всяко момиче и жена, която попадне на книгата.
Също така, щях да бъда много щастлива, ако авторката беше включила гледна точка на жени, които не искат деца и не им пука за репродуктивните им функции, и реално как те възприемат циклите си. Авторката е много забавна, скъсах се да се смея, но е жена, винаги мечтаела да стане майка и говори за цикъла от тази гледна точка и колкото да се е постарала да включи много различни гледни точки, е пропуснала тази - на жените не намиращи никакъв позитив в това да страдаш всеки месец за нещо, което за теб не е важно и не е определящо да си жена - възпроизвеждането.
Та, определено съм разочарована. Не беше лошо четиво, просто, не ме накара да се почувствам по-позитивно относно цикъла си, напротив - успя още повече да ме депресира. Ама, каквото - такова. Провокира любопитството ми, което не е малко и не е лошо начало. :)
August 20, 2023
Period pride doesn't mean loving your period ... but it does mean destroying one of the final most pernicious taboos about being a woman
September 27, 2019
Review to come.
I learnt something reading this, it was pretty interesting.
I learnt something reading this, it was pretty interesting.
November 4, 2022
Periods are a different experience for everyone who gets them but I think we can all agree that they are not the best thing to happen to our bodies. (My periods absolutely suck.)
The worst thing about them though is that even now it is still a taboo subject in many ways. I mean I haven't directly told my dad about mine. He knows because the signs are obvious but we've shied away from an actual conversation on it.
This book encourages us to break our silence. It should become second nature to talk about something which happens naturally to many of us. Written in an informative yet slightly informal way, it looks at several aspects including health issues, cultural attitudes and period poverty. It is by no means exhaustive but some very good points are made (I definitely think menstrual working policies should be a thing too). I also don't agree with every single opinion in the book but it's nice to feel that you're not alone in this.
One minor criticism: terms used are quite binary.
The worst thing about them though is that even now it is still a taboo subject in many ways. I mean I haven't directly told my dad about mine. He knows because the signs are obvious but we've shied away from an actual conversation on it.
This book encourages us to break our silence. It should become second nature to talk about something which happens naturally to many of us. Written in an informative yet slightly informal way, it looks at several aspects including health issues, cultural attitudes and period poverty. It is by no means exhaustive but some very good points are made (I definitely think menstrual working policies should be a thing too). I also don't agree with every single opinion in the book but it's nice to feel that you're not alone in this.
One minor criticism: terms used are quite binary.
November 24, 2019
4 stars
This book is a fantastic social commentary on periods by british broadcaster and journalist Emma Barnett.
It covers everything from period shame, education, politics to sex, stories from around the world, transgender periods and the menopause.
This isn't a scientific book, it is a book to break down barriers and start a conversation. It is incredibly informative whilst being funny and feminist. Emma is a fantastic writer and cleverly links in facts with personal anecdotes and historical facts.
As someone with endometriosis, I was happy to see it come up although saddened to hear Emma suffers from it herself.
It is a bloody brilliant book (pun intended) and I hope it makes women feel less alone with their period and feel brave enough to talk about this natural process that so many of us go through.
Please note that I was gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a fantastic social commentary on periods by british broadcaster and journalist Emma Barnett.
It covers everything from period shame, education, politics to sex, stories from around the world, transgender periods and the menopause.
This isn't a scientific book, it is a book to break down barriers and start a conversation. It is incredibly informative whilst being funny and feminist. Emma is a fantastic writer and cleverly links in facts with personal anecdotes and historical facts.
As someone with endometriosis, I was happy to see it come up although saddened to hear Emma suffers from it herself.
It is a bloody brilliant book (pun intended) and I hope it makes women feel less alone with their period and feel brave enough to talk about this natural process that so many of us go through.
Please note that I was gifted this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2020
“We can’t continue as a human race without periods - and yet we still can’t acknowledge their existence.”
I was so excited to learn there was a book being published about periods and even more excited that my (male) partner brought it to my attention. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the book.
I did enjoy this book. It was well researched, covering a wide range of topics related to periods and menstruation. It didn’t entirely focus on white feminism, although most of the book did, and I was glad to see it. That said, there were parts of white feminism that I was shocked by - we’re so “used to” imagining period poverty in the third world that we don’t realise it’s happening here too. I did wish we had gotten more non-white feminism though.
I liked a lot of the anecdotes the book offered. Although much of it is personal, the author has clearly spoken to other people to see where their expectations, experiences and opinions differ from hers. A lot of them were included to demonstrate a point and some were for humour purposes - which was amazing. Periods, for all the pain and upset they cause, can be funny! It makes the book and topic relatable, so hopefully more people could find it accessible.
Unfortunately, I was surprised to find I already knew a lot of the stuff that was covered in the book. That, of course, is no fault of the author, but maybe a reflection on the fact I’ve already tried to educate myself? Well, maybe it was just I knew the general information but not the specifics. I was also surprised by how some stuff had stayed the same since this was written and some had changed; for example, tampon tax: soon to be abolished on all non-reusable period products - but stigma involving period products (particularly reusable ones)? I still haven’t seen them on the tv.
Again, no fault of the author, but I wish she’d covered more of the alternative period products. I want to say it’s because sustainable periods weren’t a “thing” when she was writing it, but it’s definitely not true. She talks about Thinx and WUKA, albeit briefly, focusing for a paragraph or two on Thinx’s period sex blanket. Now, I knew sustainable periods were a thing by this point, and I wasn’t writing a book about periods, because I’d been using Thinx for months when the blanket came out. Plus, I don’t even remember the author mentioning menstrual cups once? This might not have been a problem had I not already been frustrated by her relationship towards pads and tampons at this point - heralding tampons as the superior products and condemning pads as these almost archaic torture devices. I’ve been told it was for humour purposes, but it just ended up feeling a bit judgey to me.
This was the first pick for my feminist book club: Tits, Dicks and Feminist Bits. I was grateful that the book prompted so many questions and sparked so many discussions, both about the book and periods generally.
I was so excited to learn there was a book being published about periods and even more excited that my (male) partner brought it to my attention. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the book.
I did enjoy this book. It was well researched, covering a wide range of topics related to periods and menstruation. It didn’t entirely focus on white feminism, although most of the book did, and I was glad to see it. That said, there were parts of white feminism that I was shocked by - we’re so “used to” imagining period poverty in the third world that we don’t realise it’s happening here too. I did wish we had gotten more non-white feminism though.
I liked a lot of the anecdotes the book offered. Although much of it is personal, the author has clearly spoken to other people to see where their expectations, experiences and opinions differ from hers. A lot of them were included to demonstrate a point and some were for humour purposes - which was amazing. Periods, for all the pain and upset they cause, can be funny! It makes the book and topic relatable, so hopefully more people could find it accessible.
Unfortunately, I was surprised to find I already knew a lot of the stuff that was covered in the book. That, of course, is no fault of the author, but maybe a reflection on the fact I’ve already tried to educate myself? Well, maybe it was just I knew the general information but not the specifics. I was also surprised by how some stuff had stayed the same since this was written and some had changed; for example, tampon tax: soon to be abolished on all non-reusable period products - but stigma involving period products (particularly reusable ones)? I still haven’t seen them on the tv.
Again, no fault of the author, but I wish she’d covered more of the alternative period products. I want to say it’s because sustainable periods weren’t a “thing” when she was writing it, but it’s definitely not true. She talks about Thinx and WUKA, albeit briefly, focusing for a paragraph or two on Thinx’s period sex blanket. Now, I knew sustainable periods were a thing by this point, and I wasn’t writing a book about periods, because I’d been using Thinx for months when the blanket came out. Plus, I don’t even remember the author mentioning menstrual cups once? This might not have been a problem had I not already been frustrated by her relationship towards pads and tampons at this point - heralding tampons as the superior products and condemning pads as these almost archaic torture devices. I’ve been told it was for humour purposes, but it just ended up feeling a bit judgey to me.
This was the first pick for my feminist book club: Tits, Dicks and Feminist Bits. I was grateful that the book prompted so many questions and sparked so many discussions, both about the book and periods generally.
July 9, 2020
This book is informative and clearly well-researched. I learned a lot and was guided to see aspects of having a period in ways I had never before considered. The chapter on period poverty is a good example of that. I particularly liked the last couple of chapters, about trans experiences, people who wanted periods but couldn’t have them and vice versa, and the menopause.
However, I hated the writing style. The endless quipping and jokey asides wore thin very quickly and left me at times positively reluctant to absorb the education I was receiving. The big magazine-style ‘subtitles’ or accents, for want of a better word, did nothing to abate my surliness. In fact, one wonders whether, in another era, perhaps, this book would have been better presented as a serialised column, or even make for a good documentary script. I could see a Carrie Bradshaw style spin-off, even. But to my view, the tone did not make for an enjoyable book. A large part of me suspects it simply wasn’t the ideal format.
My one other major gripe is the author’s few major swipes at religion. Given how the book seems to be founded on empathy, I find it quite amazing that Barnett apparently has none for any women who genuinely believe the tenets that she herself finds so laughable and offensive. Her glib entreaties to ‘shake off this nonsense’, her anecdote about leaving the synagogue after a surprising coaching session, and her indictment of the Hindu women protesting menstruating women from entering their sacred temple - not once did she consider how it must have been for women to get to that place, to have internalised the shame she seems to so easily spurn. I gently submit that if Barnett really does want to lift up the sisterhood and save us all from centuries-old traditions that she finds stifling, a good start would be to consider WHY women may uphold them, which factors may have been in play; whether through pressure from family, internalised misogyny, or - shock horror! - genuine, devoted belief. At points, the book felt like it was written as some kind of secret atheist manifesto, or worse, a rally cry only aimed at the liberal, solid-thinking elite who’ve realised all religions are a load of poppycock. Emma Barnett is totally entitled to this belief. But others are equally entitled to theirs, and if she aims to write an informative, empathetic work of non-fiction, I posit she would do well to remember that.
I know this review may sound churlish, given that I did finish the book and learned a lot. Heck, I even cracked a smile once or twice. But ultimately, if you were to ask me, would I have liked to learn these same facts in another way, my answer has to be, ‘I bloody would.’
However, I hated the writing style. The endless quipping and jokey asides wore thin very quickly and left me at times positively reluctant to absorb the education I was receiving. The big magazine-style ‘subtitles’ or accents, for want of a better word, did nothing to abate my surliness. In fact, one wonders whether, in another era, perhaps, this book would have been better presented as a serialised column, or even make for a good documentary script. I could see a Carrie Bradshaw style spin-off, even. But to my view, the tone did not make for an enjoyable book. A large part of me suspects it simply wasn’t the ideal format.
My one other major gripe is the author’s few major swipes at religion. Given how the book seems to be founded on empathy, I find it quite amazing that Barnett apparently has none for any women who genuinely believe the tenets that she herself finds so laughable and offensive. Her glib entreaties to ‘shake off this nonsense’, her anecdote about leaving the synagogue after a surprising coaching session, and her indictment of the Hindu women protesting menstruating women from entering their sacred temple - not once did she consider how it must have been for women to get to that place, to have internalised the shame she seems to so easily spurn. I gently submit that if Barnett really does want to lift up the sisterhood and save us all from centuries-old traditions that she finds stifling, a good start would be to consider WHY women may uphold them, which factors may have been in play; whether through pressure from family, internalised misogyny, or - shock horror! - genuine, devoted belief. At points, the book felt like it was written as some kind of secret atheist manifesto, or worse, a rally cry only aimed at the liberal, solid-thinking elite who’ve realised all religions are a load of poppycock. Emma Barnett is totally entitled to this belief. But others are equally entitled to theirs, and if she aims to write an informative, empathetic work of non-fiction, I posit she would do well to remember that.
I know this review may sound churlish, given that I did finish the book and learned a lot. Heck, I even cracked a smile once or twice. But ultimately, if you were to ask me, would I have liked to learn these same facts in another way, my answer has to be, ‘I bloody would.’
October 6, 2019
I was looking forward t this book for so long and so happy when I was approved for an ARC, this book is everything I hoped it would be. Aiming to pull down the walls and break the taboo around periods, menstruation or whatever you want to call it we should be discussing this openly and without shame or fear. This is so interesting, educational, funny and should be mandatory reading in schools, available in libraries and I mean for all ages and genders. It’s about bloody time.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
June 16, 2019
A must read! Equally fascinating, amusing and horrifying at the same time!
May 27, 2020
Made me think about issues I’ve never considered like period poverty. Some thought provoking issues
May 19, 2025
full disclosure: i bought this book in a charity shop to get over a £5 minimum spend on their card machine. (the teapot i wanted was £4 - i should've asked them to just charge me an extra quid.)
i didn't make any kind of mental connection to the author's name, and hoped this book would be an examination of periods in society, perhaps with a data-based approach. it was not that (there isn't a single citation).
to start with, i just didn't love the writing. i found the constant quips unamusing and the dialogue repetitive*. i also found the analysis surface-level and i became bored with the volume of personal anecdotes. but what started to really grate on me was the tone of voice that clearly indicated the authors own privilege, and assumed the same privilege from the audience. one example, which i can't quite believe made it to print in 2019:
"That's right, period poverty is right here on your doorstep. Not just in India, or Africa, but here in Britain."
this sentence made me finally put the book down and think, who TF is this woman?! and take to google to find out more. well, here's the answer...
emma barnett is hardly a feminist. her parents trafficked women and forced them into prostitution. you may think well, that's hardly her fault - but not only was she fully aware of this (yes, including at the time of writing this book), she has refused to ever speak about it in any detail other than mentioning a "traumatic" and "long journey" to forgiveness... so she has forgiven them. the reason she can't really speak out, i suspect, is because she has no leg to stand on. the court documents make clear that she, as an adult, knew about where the money was coming from and made a choice to turn a blind eye to women's suffering in order to continue accepting profits that funded her family's lavish lifestyle. she brushes under the rug the severe exploitation of vulnerable women but wants to maintain her career as a "women's" journalist**.
after this revelation, and feeling like i wasn't learning much that i hadn't seen on instagram already, i did a rare thing and decided to DNF this book at 57%.
i wish i'd read the lower-star reviews, but i probably never would've believed i could be so disappointed by a book on such an important topic anyway.
*(i had various examples saved of this but cut them out to focus on the wider issues, and keep my review from turning into a rant. a couple of unedited paragraphs below give an example of the tone of voice for you to judge for yourself in case i am being too harsh.)
"We just normalise periods. And only we women can do it as men never will. And nor should they. All we ask is that they man up to our honesty rather than shying away from the bloody reality like sniggering schoolboys. We are in this thing called life together and period shame has been the norm for far too long."
"Perversely, despite making you feel like horseshit, your period could be the key to unlocking your success at work - as well as giving you the opportunity to freak out some male bosses too. Remember, a woman who is honest about her flow is not a woman to be messed with."
**she does choose to include her parents in this book BTW, including a story of how "sweetly" her father responded to news of her first period. and how she was lucky because of how "enlightened" the adults in her life were... to use one of her favourite phrases, "let that sink in".
i didn't make any kind of mental connection to the author's name, and hoped this book would be an examination of periods in society, perhaps with a data-based approach. it was not that (there isn't a single citation).
to start with, i just didn't love the writing. i found the constant quips unamusing and the dialogue repetitive*. i also found the analysis surface-level and i became bored with the volume of personal anecdotes. but what started to really grate on me was the tone of voice that clearly indicated the authors own privilege, and assumed the same privilege from the audience. one example, which i can't quite believe made it to print in 2019:
"That's right, period poverty is right here on your doorstep. Not just in India, or Africa, but here in Britain."
this sentence made me finally put the book down and think, who TF is this woman?! and take to google to find out more. well, here's the answer...
emma barnett is hardly a feminist. her parents trafficked women and forced them into prostitution. you may think well, that's hardly her fault - but not only was she fully aware of this (yes, including at the time of writing this book), she has refused to ever speak about it in any detail other than mentioning a "traumatic" and "long journey" to forgiveness... so she has forgiven them. the reason she can't really speak out, i suspect, is because she has no leg to stand on. the court documents make clear that she, as an adult, knew about where the money was coming from and made a choice to turn a blind eye to women's suffering in order to continue accepting profits that funded her family's lavish lifestyle. she brushes under the rug the severe exploitation of vulnerable women but wants to maintain her career as a "women's" journalist**.
after this revelation, and feeling like i wasn't learning much that i hadn't seen on instagram already, i did a rare thing and decided to DNF this book at 57%.
i wish i'd read the lower-star reviews, but i probably never would've believed i could be so disappointed by a book on such an important topic anyway.
*(i had various examples saved of this but cut them out to focus on the wider issues, and keep my review from turning into a rant. a couple of unedited paragraphs below give an example of the tone of voice for you to judge for yourself in case i am being too harsh.)
"We just normalise periods. And only we women can do it as men never will. And nor should they. All we ask is that they man up to our honesty rather than shying away from the bloody reality like sniggering schoolboys. We are in this thing called life together and period shame has been the norm for far too long."
"Perversely, despite making you feel like horseshit, your period could be the key to unlocking your success at work - as well as giving you the opportunity to freak out some male bosses too. Remember, a woman who is honest about her flow is not a woman to be messed with."
**she does choose to include her parents in this book BTW, including a story of how "sweetly" her father responded to news of her first period. and how she was lucky because of how "enlightened" the adults in her life were... to use one of her favourite phrases, "let that sink in".
September 11, 2019
I have been waiting for this book to come out since I heard the editor, Charlotte Mursell of HQ Stories, raving about it back in March. Once I finally got hold of my copy, I was eager to start, and I raced through it. Odd, you might think, to be so keen to read a book about periods but, as the tag line says, this is the book we have all been waiting for and it’s about bloody time it was written.
Those of a squeamish disposition may want to look away from this post, because it is going to be blunt and revealing.
No, actually don’t, because the whole premise behind this book is that periods are a natural bodily function and we should be talking about them, loudly and proudly, all genders, and that the stigma surrounding periods and the silence that shrouds the topic is inherently unhelpful to everyone, perpetuates a certain level of female oppression and needs to stop.
Sound a bit heavy? Well it isn’t, this book is brash, ballsy and downright hilarious, as well as dealing with the subject openly, honestly and head on and should be read by everyone. As a 47-year-old woman who has almost run the full gamut of the female reproductive cycle from starting through child-bearing to now being perimenopausal, I could relate to a lot of what was being said here, and found myself cheering along, whilst also being shocked by some of the information imparted, enraged by other parts, questioning why I had never thought of some of the issues, laughing out loud in horrified solidarity at people’s embarrassing experiences and finally asking myself if I really was as open about this subject as I always thought or complicit in the silence that surrounds this final taboo topic.
I always think of myself as being fairly honest, very opinionated and not at all squeamish. I am the eldest of four girls, have two daughters and three step-daughters, all either in or rapidly approaching their teens, so periods are something I have been surrounded by almost continuously my entire life and something I have to talk about regularly.
I have tried to be much more open with my own daughters than my mother was with me, talking to them well in advance about what to expect, reacting calmly when my eldest started her periods and encouraging her to talk to me and ask any questions she has about anything to do with her body. I must have done reasonably okay, as she does talk to me, as do my step-daughters, although she does sometimes complain that I am a bit too open about bodily functions. She will probably be horrified by this post if she reads it. Parents are SO embarrassing, aren’t they?
I must admit I have to a degree been guilty of perpetuating the idea that periods are something to be ashamed of by giving her the requisite discreet pouch of sanitary products to take to school. Maybe I should be advising her to walk proudly through the corridors clutching them openly. However, I am not sure at 14 and quite shy, that she is ready to be such a period pioneer and I would not force her to face up to ridicule. We obviously still have a way to go before this topic is one that people of all ages can be open about, and I think the older generation will have to lead the way. This book is definitely a step in the right direction.
You may be thinking, this is all very well and interesting, but is talking about these things quite so bluntly really necessary? Why should I read this book? The answer is absolutely yes. Emma gives many reasons why we need to be more open throughout the book, but one issue really stood out to me as an important reason why we should do away with the shame surrounding periods and anything to do with the female reproductive system, and it is to enable women to speak openly with doctors when they feel something is wrong and to be listened to and taken seriously.
So, next time I am at the doctors filling my pill prescription, I will be asking why it is necessary for me to bleed once a month (hint, it’s not for my benefit), making sure I think about donating sanitary products when giving to food banks and considering the different circumstances women may be in and how they might feel about their periods when I’m talking about them. This book is eye-opening and thought-provoking and should be read by everyone. I will certainly be passing it around amongst my acquaintances. Baby steps in the right direction.
Those of a squeamish disposition may want to look away from this post, because it is going to be blunt and revealing.
No, actually don’t, because the whole premise behind this book is that periods are a natural bodily function and we should be talking about them, loudly and proudly, all genders, and that the stigma surrounding periods and the silence that shrouds the topic is inherently unhelpful to everyone, perpetuates a certain level of female oppression and needs to stop.
Sound a bit heavy? Well it isn’t, this book is brash, ballsy and downright hilarious, as well as dealing with the subject openly, honestly and head on and should be read by everyone. As a 47-year-old woman who has almost run the full gamut of the female reproductive cycle from starting through child-bearing to now being perimenopausal, I could relate to a lot of what was being said here, and found myself cheering along, whilst also being shocked by some of the information imparted, enraged by other parts, questioning why I had never thought of some of the issues, laughing out loud in horrified solidarity at people’s embarrassing experiences and finally asking myself if I really was as open about this subject as I always thought or complicit in the silence that surrounds this final taboo topic.
I always think of myself as being fairly honest, very opinionated and not at all squeamish. I am the eldest of four girls, have two daughters and three step-daughters, all either in or rapidly approaching their teens, so periods are something I have been surrounded by almost continuously my entire life and something I have to talk about regularly.
I have tried to be much more open with my own daughters than my mother was with me, talking to them well in advance about what to expect, reacting calmly when my eldest started her periods and encouraging her to talk to me and ask any questions she has about anything to do with her body. I must have done reasonably okay, as she does talk to me, as do my step-daughters, although she does sometimes complain that I am a bit too open about bodily functions. She will probably be horrified by this post if she reads it. Parents are SO embarrassing, aren’t they?
I must admit I have to a degree been guilty of perpetuating the idea that periods are something to be ashamed of by giving her the requisite discreet pouch of sanitary products to take to school. Maybe I should be advising her to walk proudly through the corridors clutching them openly. However, I am not sure at 14 and quite shy, that she is ready to be such a period pioneer and I would not force her to face up to ridicule. We obviously still have a way to go before this topic is one that people of all ages can be open about, and I think the older generation will have to lead the way. This book is definitely a step in the right direction.
You may be thinking, this is all very well and interesting, but is talking about these things quite so bluntly really necessary? Why should I read this book? The answer is absolutely yes. Emma gives many reasons why we need to be more open throughout the book, but one issue really stood out to me as an important reason why we should do away with the shame surrounding periods and anything to do with the female reproductive system, and it is to enable women to speak openly with doctors when they feel something is wrong and to be listened to and taken seriously.
So, next time I am at the doctors filling my pill prescription, I will be asking why it is necessary for me to bleed once a month (hint, it’s not for my benefit), making sure I think about donating sanitary products when giving to food banks and considering the different circumstances women may be in and how they might feel about their periods when I’m talking about them. This book is eye-opening and thought-provoking and should be read by everyone. I will certainly be passing it around amongst my acquaintances. Baby steps in the right direction.
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