The Majority

by Elizabeth L. Silver

Inspired by history, a riveting novel of love and friendship, motherhood and ambition, and one woman’s fight to be a Supreme Court justice.

Half of the United States is waiting for Justice Sylvia Olin Bernstein to die. The other half is praying for her to hold on. At 83, “the contemptuous S.O.B.” doesn’t have much time left. What she has is a story, one she has wrested from the grip of history to tell herself—of how she rose to her historic position on the Supreme Court, and the barriers she broke along the way.

Told over fifty years, from losing her mother at a young age, to falling in love, to navigating an unplanned pregnancy and motherhood, to learning how to spar with a sexist mentor, Sylvia’s personal story reveals the intimate truth about who she was as she ascended to her modern not just a brilliant mind, but a daughter, a best friend, a wife, mother, and advocate. While caught in a dramatic tug of war between career and family, truth and convenience, progress and patience, she will be given a chance to change the course of American history – and give voice, at last, to the majority.  

Set against the vibrant sweep of the 20th century, THE MAJORITY brings us into the sacrifices, heartaches, and complex emotional life of a powerful woman ahead of her time, whose life and work turn out to have supreme stakes.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Law, Audiobook, Politics, Book Club, Literary Fiction

384 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2023

About the author

Elizabeth L. Silver is the author of The Majority (Riverhead), The Tincture of Time (Penguin Press), The Execution of Noa P. Singleton (Crown), and more. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of East Anglia’s Creative Writing MA, and Temple University Beasley School of Law, Elizabeth has written for New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Ms. Magazine, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and McSweeney’s. She currently teaches creative writing with UCLA and is the founder and director of Onward Literary, a writing mentorship program. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Reviews

[Monte Price · Rating 2 out of 5]

More often than not random books I find on the new release shelf at the library work out, and sadly this just didn't. What truly worked against this book is the myriad of other pseudo-biographies that exist; whether they be fully fictional like in Dawnie Walton's The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, the works of Taylor Jenkins Reid over the past five years. Recently this sort of novel format has really had a moment, not just for the fake celebrity, but a couple of Sittenfeld's novels could probably fall into this category.

The narrative opens on the death of a Supreme Court Justice that is very clearly supposed to make the reader think of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In the desk of Justice Bernstein is a collection of papers that is her life in her own words seemingly for the first time, and it is this collection of papers that forms the narrative of the path that led the late Justice to the bench... And honestly, it's just not very good? It doesn't read like a pseudo-memoir, or even a novel really. It's separated into where Sylvia was living at various points in her life. Still, it truly reads like the SparkNotes version of a person's life, often with allusions to moments that are allegedly well documented by other sources that the reader has no knowledge of because this isn't a real person and so so much of the late Justice's life just feel like a mystery when the whole purpose of having written their own history is to shed light on their life? It just doesn't work. Not only because large chunks of her life just feel as though they're missing, but the connections between the characters feel very one-dimensional. Often we see characters engaging in fights about very nuanced topics that just feel completely out of their depth given what we know about their relationship with one another only for the fight to end and the resolution to feel like they arrive out of left field.

While I was excited by the premise the execution leaves a lot to be desired. I've read debuts that felt like they had more promise than this. If you told me I was reading the rough draft I would probably believe you. So while it sounds like a book that would be right up my alley having finished the book I can't think of a single person I would push to read this.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always excited to discover a new author, I gladly reached for this book by Elizabeth L. Silver. Exploring the story of a woman who rose to the US Supreme Court and the many tribulations that influenced her journey there, Silver delivers a well-paced story. The story kept me eager to see how things would progress and what obstacles she would tackle. Worth a look for those who want something with a touch of legal flavouring, but also heavy on social justice.

The wait is on. Many around the United States await news that Justice Sylvia Olin Bernstein, an influencial member of the US Supreme Court, has died. The story explores the long and arduous rise through the ranks of “S.O.B”’s life and the hurdles she has had to face along the way. While she may be 83, Justice Olin Bernstein has a great deal to tell in this piece and the story explores those events thoroughly.

Sylvia was convinced at an early age that justice is not to be taken for granted. One of her aunts pushes her in the direction of attending law school to both educate herself and ensure the horrors of the world around her never take place in America. As Sylvia comes of age in a post-WWII era, she faces the struggles of defining herself as Jewish and losing her mother, before trying to push through the academic barriers placed before her in the 1950s. Sylvia refuses to stand down and enriches herself with knowledge and an ever-changing America that seeks to push the boundaries of what is expected.

Passionate about all things related to the law, Sylvia faces hurdles as a law student and lawyer, as well as a young woman at a time when everything is changing. She is forced to choose between a career and motherhood, as well as how to gently steer the country towards progress in her various legal cases. Throughout all her struggles, Sylvia is given a chance to make a great difference, not only for herself, but those who have not yet had an effective voice. As the story reaches its climax, Sylvia Olin Bernstein is ready to make a difference for the majority in ways that could only have been dreams in years past. Elizabeth L. Silver delivers a poignant story that keeps the drama in high gear throughout.

While I love a good legal thriller, the backstories about the law is also something of great interest to me. Elizabeth L. Silver presents a more dramatic piece of fiction that shapes things effectively with themes of importance. The narrative creates a strong foundation and builds from there, keeping the reader in the centre of all the action. There is a great pace that quickens as the story progresses. Characters play a key role in explaining all there is going on and flavouring the story in ways Silver needs to make her point. Plot points emerge, mixing history and general events to shape a great story that keeps the reader engaged until all is revealed. Elizabeth L. Silver offers up a great story that is sure to linger.

Kudos, Madam Silver, for a strong piece of writing.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So something amazing happened to me a couple weeks ago.
I was actually asked by a publisher if I wanted to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🤯
Of course I said yes and the @riverheadbooks team very kindly sent me an ARC of The Majority by Elizabeth L. Silver

This is a kinda historical fiction about the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

Her name is Sylvia Olin Bernstein and she is going to write her own story instead of some man who might try to embellish the wrong things or take too many liberties with her story.
She is a Jewish women and was one of the first 9 women who ever got into Harvard law, all while learning how to be a wife and eventually a mother.

I was nervous going into this cuz I thought i might not be able follow along if there was too much legal jargon but because I watched a lot of the Depp/Heard case I followed along just fine😅

This book was so good!
There are some very important conversations about women's rights sexism in politics, and how just because you have a baby does not mean you are less of a person.

There are also conversations of healing after the events of WW2 especially in the Jewish community and pointing out sexism in religiouns.

Solid 4/5⭐

My only complaint is I wanted to hear a couple of the legal arguments that Syliva would build.
I think I know why the author didn't show us cuz it would probably make the book an extra 50 pages but still 😅

The Majority will be available July 11th and I highly suggest checking it out!
Would make a fantastic book club pick if your looking for something to spark some great conversations.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Sylvia Olin Bernstein ascended to the prestigious position of Supreme Court Justice. Her journey to become the first woman to sit on the court was not an easy one, having to overcome multiple obstacles along the way. Her inspiration began at a young age, and with the encouragement of her cousin, she became one of the few women to attend Harvard Law School. But balancing ambition, marriage, motherhood, and doing her best to change the laws to better uplift and support women was difficult and challenging.
Told over the course of fifty years, a fabulous examination of an iconic time in our history.
4.5 stars.

[NAT · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the cover art, read the synopsis, and was like, "Yep, gotta read this one." RBG's story and legacy has always appealed to me, and I'll read anything about the Notorious tougher-than-nails Brooklyn Justice. That being said, this is not an RBG book. There are definite parallels between RBG and SOB, but the story of Justice Sylvia Olin Bernstein is entirely her own, and that isn't a bad thing at all. Strong women mark these pages, and we see how the attitudes, culture, and societal norms of the 60s and 70s shape these fierce women and set them on their individual career trajectories, and how that in turn, shapes the leaders and FIRSTS they become. And while there is a lot of focus on firsts for women in this book, that is not at the heart of it, not really. Finishing this one, I got the impression that the heart of this book was more the mother-daughter bond (in all its various forms within these pages), and how mothers, in their own ways, strive to make the lives of their daughters better than their own.

Overall, a wonderful (and relatively quick) read. Many thanks to Penguin Random House for the free ARC.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was right on the border of deep and meaningful and light and fluffy. To go one way or the other would have made it less but this book tiptoes down the line. I enjoyed it. Really hovered on the questions it raised.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the vein of a fictionalized retelling/reimagination of a famous life like Curtis Sittenfeld's work (American Wife, Rodham), this book is a fictional memoir of the first female justice on the Supreme Court, Sylvia Olin Berenstein, as she recounts 50 years of her life and what formed her/brought her to this position. Though it's not a Ruth Bader Ginsberg book, there are definitely a lot of parallels to her life, marriage, heritage, and work on behalf of women, progress, and equality. It's about the intersection of motherhood and ambition, and about breaking barriers while also working within the system to change it. I loved the behind-the-scenes of a career/education as a woman in the legal system, especially during the changing times of women's movement and Civil Rights. Infuriating at times to read about the sexism and bigotry of her era and in her personal life as one of the first women at Harvard Law school and how big of a deal it was for her to even be allowed to come back to class after having a baby, which becomes a major legal issue she works on, and infuriating to think about how much of this still exists (especially reflecting on going backwards on Roe v. Wade, and how much racism/anti-Semitism is still present) - but also a bit of a balm to read about a smart and driven woman ahead of her time. Clearly it was emotionally complex and so challenging to achieve all of that and break all of those barriers, all while trying to be a wife and mother when actual laws, in addition to societal opinions, were against her, but reading this book is a reminder to be seriously thankful that women like RBG and the fictional "SOB" of this book forged a path for women today. Just like with actual memoirs, I'm not always quite as interested in the early part - took a little bit for me to get into this one, particularly the character of Sylvia's cousin Mariana (who confounded me a bit throughout the whole story) - but later when we get into more of the behind-the-scenes of the career, from managing to graduate law school to working for the ACLU to working toward a Supreme Court nomination, I was hooked. It's pretty character-driven but compellingly so, as a look at one woman's career and family life/relationships, and I thought the theme of achieving representation for women, and figuring out how to work with the system we have in order to give a voice to the majority felt still very timely but also historically interesting.

[Emma Hatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I think it painted a view of the way women are stretched in so many directions in a way that men aren’t. To have a successful career, to be a wife, to be a mother, all with the added challenge of having to work so much harder than men for the same thing. It was interesting to see how life was somewhat different for women 50 or 60 years ago, but how it hasn’t changed all that much. However, while this might be a good feminist book for someone young or for a man, it does not say anything truly revolutionary or interesting. Women have it harder than men. Duh.

[Gary Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book suffers from trying to do so much that the character's development suffers. Subplots and characters seem tacked on just to add things. Also most chapters end in cliffhanger fashion which comes across as humorous rather than compelling. 2.8/5

[Hope · Rating 1 out of 5]

“But all of it was focused on the wrong narrative. The piece wasn't about my qualifications for the job, or the Seneca Falls Project, the ACLU, or my work in government at the solicitor general's office, or even how Fordham Law grew under my leadership. Rather, it was about my missteps and how they intersected with James Macklowe: my failed oral argument at the Supreme Court in 1975, the public defender's office, Amy McCartney, the Macklowe internship, and ultimately, the arrest.”

This complaint, made by the main character about a New York Times feature published during her SCOTUS confirmation process, sums up my complaint of the whole book.

I appreciate a good novel based on a real person without co-opting the real person’s name, image, or likeness (Beatriz Williams did this exquisitely in Her Last Flight). I’m an attorney, so when I saw the author is too, I thought it might deliver an authoritatively told story. It did not.

I’m glad the author changed various things to distinguish her SOB from the real RBG. The problem is that the fictional main character throws references in to her career or her accomplishments like everyone knows them. It makes for a choppy writing style that tells instead of shows. Further complicating things, there’s very little actual lawyering mentioned in the book. One case is a fairly minor plot point, but the rest of her career is barely referenced. For instance:

“By the time I was appointed to become the dean of the Fordham University School of Law, [my daughter] was a junior in high school, and by the time she was in college, I had moved to DC to become the Solicitor General of the United States. But you know these details already. The external story—the facts, the books, the degrees, the speeches, the branches of the Seneca Falls Project that opened all over the country—that's all public record now, the official story that is told at schools and institutions and will be on repeat at my funeral one day.”

Because of this fast forwarding, when she’s nominated for SCOTUS, it feels abrupt and unearned—a token nomination because of her sex and because the Justice whom she replaced left a note saying he wanted a female to follow him. Very very little of the story is about her legal acumen and next to none of it illustrates the traits that make for a judicial temperament.

Instead, one of the main character’s first postpartum showers is described in great detail:

“I would shower to escape his voice, and when I did, the water stabbed me, little stalactites dropping all at once. A cave crumbling, leaving me inside. From beneath the water, I could hear Aviva start to cry again in her crib. I wouldn't move; instead I would allow the shards to prick my back, turning it into the night sky. Joe was with her. She was fine. The water eventually would turn warm and then hot and then warm again, hiding Aviva's wails in the next room. I would wash my hair, my fingers catching in the tangles, and then my face, which had sprung new pastures of acne. Unwanted adolescence reappeared everywhere: on my cheeks, my chest, my back. I would wash my body and my hands would shrivel in the heated moisture. When I looked closer at them minutes later, a towel running up and down my legs, I saw my fingers. The extra skin hanging on, the glove refusing to fit. We were the same, Aviva and I, our bodies reflections of each other. I left the shower, dried myself, and walked out to the bedroom, where Joe and Aviva were waiting. She was sucking on his forefinger, momentarily quiet.”

Sure, it’s reasonable to talk about the postpartum experience. But the narrative pacing, the amount of time and attention spent on various details of the main character’s life, is highly uneven. Another reviewer said he would have believed it if he was told he was reading a rough draft of the book. I agree.

If you want a women’s lit book on the internal struggles of ambition and relationships, it’s passable by some standards. But if you picked up this book thinking it would be grounded in the legal world, it does not deliver. Be prepared to read about bacne instead.

[Aadi Miglani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book via Adventures by the Book.

I wrote this review in collaboration with bookish event company Adventures By the Book based in Southern California, where I am interning. You can check out ABTB https://adventuresbythebook.com/

This author is a member of Novel Network where you can reach out to them for an appearance in your book club for free! Find more information about Novel Network at: https://novelnetwork.com/our-authors/

Upcoming events featuring this author: Fall into Reading PitchFest: a FREE “Choose Your Fall/Winter 2023 Reads” virtual Adventure with 15 fan-favorite authors (August 24)

Link to event details: https://adventuresbythebook.com/event...
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This novel should be a required read in K-12 education in America. Silver beautifully utilizes Sylvia Olin Bernstein’s name to pay homage to the late Justice Ginsberg in a heartbreaking tear-jerking narrative taking us through Sylvia’s life and her journey through politics and motherhood. Justice Ginsberg is looking down upon this novel smiling, with a twinkle in her eye. This novel pays homage to feminism, power, resilience, progress, and prowess, and will not fail to inspire you long after you’ve set it down.

[Alex Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But this would be providing some protection, Sylvia. And right now, there is none. I get what you're saying, but this is about the law, not policy. You can't create a new category of laws through a single case. That's not our job that's not the Supreme Court's job either, and they'll be the first to tell you that in public and on the record. Go run for office if you want to focus on policy."

"Policy is an extension of the law. Policy is represented by the law."
—
This was a good book! Kinda wish it focused more on Joe Bernstein because I didn’t really feel connected to him as a character, but I still fell in love with him because he’s an average white man. Mariana and Aviva were so beautifully crafted and to me represented two different generations, Mariana, representing the old, and Aviva, representing the new, with Sylvia struggling to balance and mediate between the two.

[Vanessa Funk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful tribute to women like RBG who have paved the way for the next generation. Sylvia is not RBG but there were similarities to their paths. I love a kick ass woman book so I did really enjoy this but the fake memoir telling of it sometimes felt a little weird and stilted.

[Dorothy Claussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reminder for us, women, how it used to be. Many opportunities to ponder where you stand on women’s rights.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for so many reasons the synopsis doesn't list. The women in Sylvie's life really shaped who she became and her side characters were some of my favorite. Her dad's cousin Marianne comes to live with them after surviving Auschwitz and really opened teenage Sylvie's life. This book focused mainly on Sylvie, a woman who really shouldn't have been a mother but tried to pretend to like it anyways because of society. In the end she says she definitely wanted to have her daughter but the rest of the book tells a different story so... side eye. Her husband loved to talk about having another baby because he wasn't the one that had to sacrifice time off his career to do so. He even brought it up the same day she got a letter saying her case was going before the supreme court like dude read the room?! She's working.

Sylvie literally had to re-do the entire second year of law school because she gave birth. I was enraged reading this book, definitely the intent of the author. But I know that the sexism and racism showed in this book is very accurate for all characters involved. Overall, this was a fast-paced character driven novel about one woman's fight to the Supreme Court but mostly was how a realistic woman becomes the one to break all the barriers in her way (warning, she is not
~likeable~). If you're an RBG fan then you'll enjoy this take on a story similar to hers.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Made me think about so many issues. Liked getting to know Sylvia and seeing where life took her.

[Kendra Mantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style of this novel is a fictional documentary. Meant to read like a real documentary or memoir, but a totally fictional story. I’ve read some great books in this category - Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones come to mind. However, I think The Majority fell short.

For one, we are waaaay too close to the source material here. Clearly a knockoff of RGB, this book kept some details and changed others in a way that felt almost mocking, like RGB’s own story isn’t good enough, so here’s a different first woman Supreme Court justice instead.

The book opens up with a blurb about how this manuscript was found in the desk of the late S.O.B., the first woman on the Supreme Court. In the “letter” left behind, Sylvia mentions how half of the world is waiting for her to die, and half is begging her to hold on. That intrigued me, as I always wondered how RGB herself dealt with that pressure. Yet the book doesn’t talk about that AT ALL, about the power and stress of carrying the fate of the country on your shoulders like that. I was disappointed we never got that.

Then, after this “letter” left behind, we go into a first-person narrative that completely forgets the documentary style. It was not until LITERALLY over 50% of the way through that it comes up again - in a very sudden and jolting passage along the lines of, “well, I suppose you already know that, if you’re reading this.” Actually bestie I didn’t, because I COMPLETELY forgot this was a fake memoir about a fake real person.
The random pop-ups of the documentary styling like that were, to me, jarring and not well done. I honestly would have liked it more if it were just a first-person narrative novel.

FINALLY, the takeaway of this novel about the super-empowering badass first female Supreme Court justice is that…Actually, women can’t have it all! You DO have to sacrifice family and relationships in order to pursue a career! I hated this. I hated that Sylvia was bad for having a kid, and bad for having an abortion. Bad for pursuing her career, and bad for trying to connect with her daughter. I hated that her daughter Aviva hated Sylvia for not being present, but Aviva worshipped her father for sacrificing a few minutes in his busy day to spend time with her. Such insane double standards.
And listen, I know that was probably the point - to show how hard it was for women and what double standards are out there. But this is fiction!! And it’s advertising itself as empowering!! Yet it’s clearly illustrating that women can have a career or a family that loves them but definitely not both.

[Lauren Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted this book by Riverbead books in exchange for an honest review!

First of all, I throughly enjoyed this book. I loved how poignant and honest about life it was. The story is told as if you are reading Sylvia’s diary and it’s refreshing how fast paced this novel was. When I heard that this was a story about the life of a Supreme Court justice, I judged a book by its synopsis and thought it would be a slower read. It felt like an abridged version that told us just enough. I am happy to report this wasn’t at all. I loved how each chapter ends with a statement or question that alludes to something that will happen to shape Sylvia’s career.

The only reason I didn’t give it four stars is because there were some plot points that weren’t followed through on. Maybe just one that I can remember. I also would’ve liked to have followed the other characters more, especially Linda. I do understand though that this book was about Sylvia and her life. I would just love one about Linda and Marianne. Marianne seemed very distant for me but at the same time too big of a part to truly not know her enough.

All in all a great read that I can foresee being on the summer reading list for colleges and maybe even high school seniors!

[Andrea Proser · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it all. I didn’t hate it. And the Auschwitz-surviving cousin was a fascinating addition. But I was disappointed.

Such a rich premise but it’s not quite there yet. Should have read RBG bio instead.

The pacing is off. Long, pensive passages about random outfits and scenes, but then just jauntily skips right through her grinding years - which kind of undermines the thematic focus of the book.

I guess the conceit is sort of a first-person narrative tell-all (the choice of style and format is kind of unclear and incompatible), but every time something interesting happens, the book shies away and doesn’t explain how we got there or what happened next! And that’s the main problem, I think. Not much is actually shown...it’s all “tell.” Huge developments are throwaway lines, and then we get another chapter trying to convince us that her boring husband is not so boring.

I wanted to understand more about the “how” and then the “what happened” on so many parts: the 1973 female rabbis and minyans, her dad, the racism experienced by Linda or even the racism the MC observed when she was around Linda, the antisemitism, and so on.

P.S. Enough with the itchy eyes! There are other ways to convey anxiety. SO MANY OTHER WAYS. But not here.

——
"I think you may want to calm down, Olin."
"My voice hasn't raised a decibel since I entered this office," I said. "We both know that."

“How many years does it take to erase the former generation, diluting it until the memory of the first is wholly lost?”

[Shana]

I don't remember how this came to be on my hold list, but I always loved the notorious RBG, or well started paying attention to her really because my mom gave me the book and the shirt notorious RBG when it came out. I guess she was really the fan. Although we all came to love her steadfastness her methodic of chipping away and of course her being a badass weightlifter outside of the judiciary. That was heard about her beloved Marty and a relationship with her husband and her children when I was part of a narrative. I don't know anything about why this author chose to write a story about rbg with common themes but different. I liked it, there is an ait of detachment and coolness between the main character and everyone in her life except Mariana that doesn't ring true about rng who had dear close friends. Nut I liked thr interpretation of Marty and some. Of the explanations of legal reasoning. It was a pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning, but there wasn't a lot of drama here and I'm not sure I learned anything. So I don't really have a specific complaint but I'm not sure I would recommend this either unless somebody was just looking for a nice read with some vaguely feminist historical themes again as always stymied on how to rate something that's super well written but maybe not so impactful

[Thea Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially did not think I would like the book, too much politicking in law school and beyond, but story had so many human elements.

Sylvia was a trailblazer, being Jewish/female, a mentor to all females that we deserve equality, level playing field, family, career. Although she struggled balancing school and motherhood. She was career minded, not nurturing. Her relationship with daughter Aviva was always strained. Sad comment “the wrong parent died.”

Her cousin Mariana, a holocaust survivor at eighteen was a mother figure to twelve year old Sylvia when her mother died of cancer.
Their bond as well as her law school friend Linda was Sylvia’s inspiration to succeed in a man’s world at the time.

I liked her teenage comment to the rabbi, “exemption is also exclusion,” regarding obligation for men to pray and women to produce children.

Liked the Supreme Court outside entrance turtle statues analogy by architect “Justice is slow and deliberate.”

Felt like I was reading Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s story. There was many similarities between book and Ruth. Her mother died of cancer and she lost her husband and sister as well. She lost a job/demoted due to pregnancy. She started a family while in law school. Married an attorney as well.

Interesting that author was a practicing attorney!

[cazzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how this book portrayed different approaches to pursuing justice and progress. The main character, Sylvia, starts out meek, but is influenced by the different forces in her life: Mariana, a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, who wants legal protection to assure the Third Reich will never happen again; Sylvia's mother, who believes you should play by the rules to ease into the system before you can gently enact change; Linda, a Black woman, who is unable to fit into the system so is forced to enact change from the outside in. In the end, Sylvia uses a combination of all of these perspectives as she secures legal protection for pregnant women.

I liked the first half of this book a lot better than the second. I received this book for free and read it to attend a lecture, so I usually wouldn't pick up a book about motherhood. I absolutely abhored the husband, who the book seemed to revere despite the fact that he seemed to constantly disregard Sylvia's goals in favor of chaining her to a crib. Their child, Aviva, was somehow worse than the husband. She was such a bitch the entire book. 3 stars for being great birth control.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually rated this book three and a half stars, but as you know, it isn’t possible to actually enter that on this site. Sylvia Olin is the beloved child of a devoted Jewish father and a mother who converted to Judaism. The Olins live above the family deli in Brooklyn, a comfortable happy life until a cousin is brought to the home as a refugee from Nazi Germany. Soon after Mariana arrives, Sylvia’s mother is stricken with cancer and dies. Mariana and Sylvia have a difficult relationship, and after college Sylvia is thrilled to be accepted to Harvard Law School and moves to Cambridge, one of only nine women in the class. She soon falls in love with teaching assistant, Joe Bernstein, and before she finishes her first year of law school, becomes pregnant and misses her final exams. The story follows Sylvia’s life as she becomes a lawyer, a mother, a wife—dealing with the many issues that working women dealt with in the seventies. Although the novel is well-written, I couldn’t actually identify with Sylvia in spite of the fact that as a professional woman in the seventies (and later) myself, I expected to feel more compassion and understanding for her plight.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Majority was a powerful story of feminism that I absolutely devoured in one sitting! I literally could not stop reading this! So, thanks to the author for a courtesy copy of this great story!

I didn’t realize that the entire story would be focused on Sylvia’s life prior to becoming a Supreme Court Justice, but her life up to that point was so compelling. What caught me from the first page was the strong writing that passionately revealed the experiences that shaped Sylvia’s life. This dealt with so many themes of feminism, which of course, I loved!

What really struck me was how authentic this story felt. The characters talked and acted in such realistic ways. I wholly believed the story and was lost in the devotion of the characters. This really tackled some heavy topics that were, at times, hard to read. All of the adversity she faced resulted in the strong lawyer she became who fought for women’s rights. I thought there were enough references to actual cases to give this a flavor of what law school was actually like. This was so surprisingly honest and beautiful. Loved this!

[Jessica Jernigan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books that makes me want to know more about the secondary characters than the protagonist. I feel like I’m supposed to be interested in Sylvia Olin Bernstein because she’s RBG (added pathos), but I would love to know more about her cousin/foster mother Mariana and best friend (if that’s what we can call it) Linda. Obviously, Silver was free to write the story she wanted to write, but she and I were invested in different parts of the story. I kept feeling like the real Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the only reason Silver thought Sylvia’s life was worth telling, but also Silver skimmed over huge portions of RBG’s life.

I also have some stylistic quibbles, because why not. Here’s the big one: Because of the chaotic way in which Silver moves back and forth in time, it felt like Sylvia's daughter Aviva was 12 and about to turn 13 for approximately 100 years.

Finally, the Notorious RBG is an affectionate nickname with roots, obviously, in hip hop. Silver saddling her protagonist with the sobriquet “Contemptuous SOB” is, as the kids say, cringe.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictionalized account of RBG's life. I really enjoyed the characters and watching as Sylvia Olin Bernstein (SOB) tried to balance being a wife, mother, daughter, law student, and eventually a jurist. This book was simultaneously too much and not enough - there was the complicated relationship with Mariana who was a sort of surrogate mother who escaped a concentration camp, Aviva her daughter who was always closer to her father, Macklowe the Harvard professor, Linda the college friend - there was a lot going on.

At the same time, some things were pretty glossed over - how Sylvia and her husband decided to just have one child. Those conversations only came out between Sylvia and Aviva. Their relationship later in life also felt very rushed and her affirmation about having an abortion that was taken at face value at her confirmation hearing without turning into a whole media thing felt very unrealistic.

It was a quick read that jumped across time. Overall, 3 stars.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was saving this book for a special time because my daughter gave it to me. That special time during the last hurricane in Houston, Tx, 2 weeks ago. I lost power (electricity) and ran out of charges on my various devices, no longer able to listen to books, which is how I typically read.
I loved this book and the reminders it gave me of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and of my youth, listening to my aunties talk about "women's lib."

This book is about power, familial and governmental. This book is about overheard conversations by little girls. This book is about ability and disability.

It's been a long journey from burning bras to Roe v Wade to the where we are now 2024, with me listening to patients discuss wanting babies, infertility, and not wanting babies; to increased death rate of babies in Texas due to the increase of births with babies who can't take a breath and their moms who were forced to carry and bear witness.

This book is entertaining and more importantly, necessary.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were a fan of RBG, you'll love this book!
Sylvia Olin Bernstein is Jewish lawyer who dedicates her life to making progress in increasing protections and rights for women.
The book takes us from Sylvia's life as a girl in New York through her college years, law school, family life and later career. It isn't easy for Sylvia to accomplish her dreams, and the sacrifices are heartbreaking and immense, but you will root for her all the way.
Favorite elements:
* the events are realistic and believable, familiar to women everywhere
* while Sylvia is a strong and at times fearless woman, she has a heartbreaking vulnerability to her
* Sylvia's best friend, a former roommate from law school who is now a reporter, she offers a different perspective
Not as enjoyable:
Nothing! Although now I would love to know how Sylvia's life departs from RBG's life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Goodreads Giveaway program and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Annie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The storytelling, even with large time jumps, was engaging and visual. Sylvia’s character was well rounded and not wholly likable, which I think is a realistic and refreshing portrayal of a woman who broke very real barriers.

The one part that really took me out of the story was when Sylvia recounts her appointment to the Supreme Court. She says that she admitted she had received an abortion. But, then the next page is her swearing in. This felt like a fantastical approach to that subject being shared in a congressional hearing. I couldn’t reconcile the reality of the vitriol we see hurled at women for even defending other women receiving abortions. Let alone when they admit they have received one themselves.

The fact that there was no backlash to Sylvia admitting this was hard to look past and took me out of the story completely.

[Samantha Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - First, the writing in this is very engaging. Almost no complaints other than a little bit too much repetition about regrets, and I actually thought some parts were glossed over too quickly. However, the main character is deeply unlikeable (actually, I hate her so much that perhaps I should give more stars for the author being able to craft a character that I can feel this much emotion toward). I wish there was a more clear split from trying to make this an RBG story, as they call her “Contemptuous SOB” but then deviate from her real story to the point that it’s offensive to have made the parallel. I think I would have rated it higher if it has been just a fiction without implying any inspiration from RBG. It kept me reading, and some of the points were important, but it was also very frustrating to me.