Hmmm... Well, my first thought after reading this book is that apparently feminists aren't supposed to be vegan or gluten free, and apparently baking really rich desserts is supposed to somehow make it better when awful things are happening to women.

I'm torn on this one. The recipes do sound tasty, though I can't bake the vast majority of them because they're mostly the standard white flour, butter, sugar kind of treats and I bake gluten-free. I don't know that I want to bake cookies and cakes shared by fellow feminists, even if they're quite good. I love to bake, and my 16 year old son loves to bake (and he's definitely a feminist). And I do appreciate the essays in this book by all kinds of women -- especially the one about how rage baking isn't probably going to help anything (kudos to the editor for putting that essay in there). There are some nice color photos of some of the recipes, and some cool black and white photos of women marching and protesting and basically being upset about things like the Kavanaugh hearings.

But... I also limit how much I bake stuff like this even when it is gluten free, because I'm kind of tired of the baking culture that celebrates recipes made only with loads of butter and refined flour that just make us sick and fat. It's one step up from the cliche of getting sad and eating a carton of ice cream. Can I get mad and make a rocking lacto-fermented sour kraut instead? Or some whole grain sourdough bread with wild yeast? How about some elderflower soda or coconut milk yogurt or acorn flour pancakes? Can I get mad and also stay healthy with tasty food that is also good for me?

Despite my crankiness, this is a cool book with a good premise. If it bands women together to talk about things like electing more women into office who stand up for women's issues, then that's a good thing. Some proceeds go towards EMILY's List, which is a good thing too. And there really do seem to be some delicious recipes in here.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

Five stars for everything about this book.

I saw this cover on NetGalley and immediately clicked "Request". What a cover! What a title! This book was speaking to my soul and I needed it.

And it was so much more than I hoped. It's more than a cookbook, and it is not filled with rage. It's filled with determination, and women, and color, and messiness, and getting things done. There are fantastic recipes for all sorts of baking, and in between are chapters of women, and their stories, and our history, and our fights, and even Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The recipes: VERY EASY. Okay, a couple are of the very easy variety, most are of medium/easy difficulty, but all are do-able. Any could be attempted by a beginner cook with success. All sound delicious, and I didn't see any ingredients more difficult to find than tahini or flax seed. The variety ranges from cupcakes to baklawa, from upsidedown cakes to focaccia. There are several cookie recipes (I can't wait to try the Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies!). Of course there's an Impeachment Cake. And something I plan to try soon, (Chorizo) Pigs in a Blanket, which are dedicated to "the Republican men of the Alabama State Senate [...] who voted to take away women's reproductive freedom."

The photos: Gorgeous and messy and real and featuring real baker hands of all colors and ages, not just creamy white hand models. And an added bonus of photos of so many real women who have fought and are fighting for our rights. Some I recognized, some I knew but couldn't name, but at the end of the book there is a section explaining who each of them are.

This is a legitimate cookbook, with some added history and education, and something every woman - no matter your politics or who you voted for - every woman should have this cookbook and learn to channel her rage into making things better for us all. There is such an outstanding variety of recipes, and nothing so fancy that you'd feel like it's only for a special occasion, that you'll be tempted to try every single recipe in the book. I know I will, I've already pre-ordered 2 copies, one for me, and one for my daughter.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and I honestly can't wait to start some rage baking.