Loved the history aspect of this book, but it was hard to follow and the three stories didn't seamlessly come together. It felt like three different novels in one.

I have read other reviews that give high praises to this novel. I, however, have not been able to get past the first few chapters. I can't tell you exactly what it is, but it fails to hold my attention.

The Book of V. was a slow read for me and although it came together at the end, it was still somewhat lackluster in its conclusion. I did not have previous knowledge of Esther's story and I struggled with the magical realism aspect of her storyline. Without that, I think I would have enjoyed her portion more. Overall, I enjoyed the writing and the concept but it just wasn't for me. I do appreciate seeing the progress made in the examination of women's roles and do think many readers would be drawn to this.

This was a super interesting concept and I loved hearing these three women's stories side by side and seeing the ways they interconnected, even though they all lived at such different times!

For the first few chapters, I REALLY liked The Book of V. It had me super engaged and I was already thinking that it was going to be a 5 star book. However, somewhere about 20% of the way through, it just started getting kind of weird and confusing, began dragging, and just felt like more of a chore to read. I was so disappointed by that.

It could be because I'm not familiar with the Bible's story of Queen Esther, the story that this book is based on. In addition to a re-telling of Queen Esther's story, The Book of V also shares the story of Lily, a modern-day mother who lives in Brooklyn and Vivian, a senator’s wife in 1970s Washington, D.C. I'm sure I missed a lot of important ties and meanings seeing as I don't know the Bible story and I felt seriously confused by Vivian's story and why her husband would be asking her to undress at a party. While I hoped to gain more understanding through the part's of the story that featured Queen Esther, I was only left more confused by the introduction of magical realism.

As a woman, it is difficult not to get at least something from this book. It's a wonderful study of women's desires and needs and the expectations placed on them and how those have changed/haven't changed at all over history. I do think if I went back and studied the Bible and had a greater understanding of the story and its history, I could re-read The Book of V and understand and appreciate it much more. But I'd prefer to not spend any more time on it for now.

A touching, heartrending saga. Well written and you'll be thinking about it long after you finish reading. WIll purchase and recommend.

I tried to get into this book several times but found myself unable to connect with the characters. Unfortunately I found I couldn’t read it and finally put it down much to my dismay.

In a reimagining of the biblical story of Esther, The Book of V. intertwines the lives of three female characters across centuries and shines a light on how societal roles and expectations for women have changed as well as stayed the same. Overall, The Book of V. is an intriguing and challenging novel that uses a reimagining of Esther's story as a framework for the stories of modern women and their struggles to define their roles and purposes in life. With its themes of feminism and self-discovery, Solomon's book will appeal to women of all ages and anyone who likes a lot of girl power in their fiction.

A very interesting read! The format was different than I am used to but it was a great interweaving of history and contemporary times.

With great imagination and solid writing, Solomon brings from the Biblical Esther to life. the two characters in the story who follow her years later are equally complex. I enjoyed the way Solomon was able to bring what appeared to be three different stories together at the conclusion.

The Book of V. follows the stories of three women. Lily is a second wife and mother in Brooklyn, Vivian is a politician’s wife in DC in the 70’s, and Esther is a Persian Queen from ancient times trying to save her people.

At first I was worried I wasn’t going to like the writing style of this book after it starts suddenly with a bedtime story and I admittedly had no idea what was going on. But I went back to read the description and once I had read a little from each of the three women I was able to get back on track and really fell into the stories.

They really are so captivating and so different. The story of Esther and Vashti is so interesting to read about and is so contrasting from the stories of the other two women by having a magical and mythical quality. Yet, it is clear that this book is meant to portray how much has not changed for women of today. In fact, the stories start to align almost too perfectly. I understand this goal but I felt that the reader could have been given a little more credit to make the connections without such obvious similarities. Sometimes it felt like I was reading the exact same line or being told something that didn’t need to be explicitly told.

One of the common themes Solomon weaves throughout all the stories is the powerlessness women have had in their marriages and ultimately their lives. Here is a line I really liked regarding this:

“Why is she still surprised by the power she lost when she went from being a night-station girl to being queen?”

This is echoed by the other women throughout the book as they lose battles against their husbands or make sacrifices for them. It seems like the same old story I keep reading about; a woman struggles to feel fulfilled and resents her husband after becoming a stay at home mom. I know there is a reason this story keeps reappearing in things I read and I do think this book tried to offer ways to overcome that. There was so much that made me relate to my own life and wonder about my own choices. This book will definitely stick with me for a while.

I really enjoyed reading this book and loved all three perspectives. I was always excited to return to each individual story. I enjoyed reading about stories from other cultures and comparing women of today with the women of times long ago. The writing flowed very easily once you got going and made it so easy to finish in just a few days!

Very interesting read. I couldn't put it down. Three women in three very different times. Very interesting intertwining of characters. This is my 1st read of Anna Solomon's, I am excited to read her other novels

“A Good Morning America Book Club Pick”
Sex, power, and desire.Author # Anna Solomon has book just published that spans three centuries.
It has three women that will cross and finally converge into present day. You might want to buy this
one in paperback or hardback.
Thank you,
#Netgalley,#Anna Solomon and #Henery Holt And Co.

Really struggled to complete this book. The concept and the weaving of the lives of three women from biblical to modern times is reminiscent of the Hours but the execution is excruciatingly slow. Pacing is major issue and the stories often feel disjointed. I couldn't ever quite sink my teeth into this. Book of V was simply a miss for me.

Weaving together stories of women biblical, powerful and plain, Anna Solomon’s THE BOOK OF V. is a kaleidoscopic portrayal of the dichotomies of womanhood --- and the courage it takes to be a woman in any time, social class or relationship.

At the heart of the novel is the story of Esther, the biblical Jewish queen of Persia. Orphaned at a young age, Esther lives with her aunt and uncle, along with their children. But when she starts to blossom as a woman, her uncle, troubled by his attraction to her, seeks to get rid of her. When the King of Persia casts off his wife --- for refusing to walk naked in front of his men --- he invites his citizens to offer up their most beautiful, talented and seductive girls and women, from whom he will choose his new queen. Esther’s uncle finally sees his chance and submits her to the harem of women both vying for and desperate to avoid the King’s attention. Against all odds, it is plain, Jewish Esther who “wins” the King’s proposal and becomes the new queen.

Combining elements of consent, female empowerment, rage and even lust, the tale of Esther serves as the backbone of THE BOOK OF V., as readers watch similar stories of competition, sex and power play out in Washington, D.C. and Brooklyn, New York.

Living in Watergate-era Washington, D.C., Vivian Barr is the picture-perfect political wife. Her husband is Senator Alexander Kent of Rhode Island, and though he has remained popular throughout his term, he was appointed only because his predecessor died, and now he has to win his title fair and square. There is just one problem: Alex’s official platform hinges on his support of the Equal Rights Act, but he has not always acted like a gentleman with the women in his life, most notably the current wife of one of Rhode Island’s most important and wealthy political donors. With the future of his campaign resting on one blowout party, Vivian --- Vee --- finds herself wondering just what it means to be a good wife.

Meanwhile, in 2016 Brooklyn, Lily is struggling with...everything, from her role as her husband’s second wife, to her decision to choose motherhood over her career, and even her ability to fit in with the other wives and mothers in her community --- all while Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency looms over her thoughts. Lily’s daughters are putting on a play about Esther, and the constant rereadings of their dumbed-down, undersexualized children’s book about the queen are prompting Lily to question everything she thinks about desire, empowerment and lust. Although she was happy at one point to choose becoming a wife and mother over everything else, her radical feminist mother, Ruth, nitpicks her every move, begging her to realize her full potential as a career woman and reverse her decision to be “nothing but a mother.” Soon Lily starts to wonder just where her husband --- and his wishes --- ends and she begins.

Alternating between the awakenings of each woman, Solomon explores the dual standards to which women are held --- virgin or whore, mother or career woman, wife or partner --- and unpacks some heavy and deep-seated beliefs about womanhood, feminism and power. Each of these characters is held back by the leading man in her life, and each, though held under the rule of the patriarchy, holds a secret power, a way to say “no.” But THE BOOK OF V. is not just about women’s roles as they pertain to men; it is also about the ways that women compare themselves to, put down and champion other women. Alone in a room without men, the women here become tigresses: “They don’t protect each other’s feelings or pretend they don’t love their power, their direct means of manipulating the leaders of the free world.”

And yet, when the men enter their sphere, they are forced to become mindreaders, manipulators, seductresses or whatever identity they must assume to continue to move freely through the world without evoking the wrath of men. As Solomon astutely and brilliantly explains, “This is what men hate about women...that we are actors, that between our urges and our actions there are these layers, this angling and scrim. Yet aren’t they, almost always, the beneficiaries?” Simultaneously unpacking the inherent power of women and highlighting the ways that society has bound them, Solomon embarks on a bold and unflinching exploration into the roles of women --- and how little they have changed since the time of the Bible.

THE BOOK OF V. is a disturbing and harrowing look at womanhood, yet somehow it is hopeful. Solomon is searing in her descriptions of brutality and abuse, but her women are so expertly rendered, so fraught with tension and complexity, that readers are still able to find the ribbon of humanity amid the world’s most monstrous acts. Beautifully written, smartly constructed and, above all, endlessly introspective, this book will stay with readers long after they have finished it.

I loved reading the parts about Esther. As someone who was raised in the church I've always known the basic story of Esther but I never really gave her too much thought as a person and I loved that this book did, the descriptions of her tribes life and her uncle's conflicted thoughts and her fears and rebellion and everything just made her story feel so vivid and alive. Unfortunately in comparison to the richness of Esther's story I found Vee and Lily more flat. I didn't really care about them as much and I just wanted to get back to Esther's parts. If this had been a book just about Esther it would have been 5 stars.

The Book of V by Anna Solomon
Henry Holt Publishing (May 2020)
4.5 Stars

I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did. The mixed reviews had me nervous so I tried to dive into this one with an open mind. Anna Soloman beautifully intertwines the stories of 3 seemingly different women across 3 different time spans. While most books written in this style tend to feel choppy, this one exceeded my expectations. All three women are strong, determined and unashamedly flawed in their own ways. Throughout the book it is revealed that they have more in common than one would assume and show how little things have changed over time concerning how women are viewed in terms of familial roles and sexuality. I absolutely loved the feminist, modern twist of the biblical story of Esther and enjoyed reading her parts of the story the most. Don’t skip this one if you’re looking for a girl-power, take on the world book that will leave you with that ever-so-satisfying book hangover.

Thank you @Netgalley and @HenryHoltBooks for the gifted copy of this book!


***Instagram Review will be posted on Sunday, May 31st, 2020

The depth and complexity of this compelling story kept turning the pages. I loved every page of this beautiful book. It is captivating in a way other books are not. It tells the story of power and desire so fluidly I was memorized.. I truly enjoyed this story and will be recommending it for days to come. Thank you to Henry Holt and Netgalley for my advanced copy. I will be recommending my book club read it! All opinions are my own.

While the exploration of womanhood and its changes, and similarities, throughout times were interesting to read about, I struggled especially with Esther's narrative and the biblical elements. The pacing of the novel is at times excruciatingly slow and after finally finishing with it I did not quite know what to feel. While the voices of the three women are distinctive enough, there was just this general feeling that something was missing in my mind as I kept thinking about this book.

Looking through other reviews it seems that many have shared this feeling of not quite being able to work why the book did not work for them. I am definitely within that same crowd.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for my complimentary eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book was ok I guess it's just not my style of book I usually read but if you like the genre I think you will enjoy this read.