This book was described at Falling Down for the #MeToo generation. I think that’s a great description.
Em is having a terrible day. She’s been fired, let down, generally used and ignored and… she needs to get the airport for her sister’s wedding. It’s a boiling hot day in London and there’s a transport strike on. The only way she can get to the airport is if she walks.
Everything that happens to Em is relatable – they are all things that happen to women on a daily basis. She’s ostracised in her workplace because she was the victim of sexual harrasment from her boss. She’s wearing uncomfortable shoes that aren’t suited for walking six miles whilst dragging a case behind her. Her family have expectations of her. Random met catcall her. Her period starts. It’s just one thing after another.
This book is an accumulation of just some of things that women have to deal with every day. Each individual things sounds trivial. ‘Some guy groped you? Not a big deal, it was only a small thing etc…’ and ‘Don’t make a fuss, you don’t want to be THAT girl’ or worse ‘don’t make a fuss, it’ll only make it worse’ (and the depressing thing is that it so often DOES make it worse). The trade off between safety and dignity is something women deal with every day.
Eventually, it all becomes too much and Em snaps. The consequences are devastating.
This is a great book. Angry, yes, but also riveting. It helps that I read it during an oppressive heat way. I could feel the soupy air of over-hot London as I read it. The story is tense.
I really liked how you could trace the journey across London in your mind as she went.
An excellent read.
I received a review copy through Netgalley (Thank you!).
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Jeevani Charika and Rhoda Baxter 