I really struggled with this book. I have read Ms Chiaverini's book "Resistance Women", also a fictionalized version of real people and events, and absolutely loved it, so I was expecting much of the same with this. However, "The Women's March" was mostly a narrative of facts and events, with very small bits of dialogue scattered in, making it read more like a nonfiction history book or a biography of the 3 women featured. It didn't feel at all like a fiction book. I'm not really sure what was fictionalized but it seemed to be trying to have a foot in both worlds instead of doing either really well.

Fiction is supposed to allow you to step into the characters' worlds, while being laced with emotion and dialogue, feeling what they are feeling while walking with them in their story. This, however, had very little emotion, and felt like you were outside looking in, watching events as they happened instead of being invited into them. This was almost a DNF for me, except that I know very little about women's suffrage and felt it was an important story to hear nonetheless, although I probably skimmed most of the second half just trying to get thru it. Bottom line, the content was important and good but if this was supposed to be a novel of fiction, it fell very flat for me and I was really disappointed with it.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

the Women's March by Jennifer Chiaverini is centered around three woman and the lead up to the Women's March in Washington D.C. in March, 1913. The beginning of the book gives the reader some background on the real-life women; Ida B. Wells, Alice Paul, and Maud Malone. They are three amazing women and their stories are well told. Chiaverini puts a lot of work into her research of historical events and this is certainly true of The Women's March.

I found the beginning with their individual stories captivating and the end with the march itself very satisfying. Unfortunately, I thought there were parts in the middle that read like a text book instead of a novel. When Chiaverini put us in the head of Ida Wells, a Black woman, and what is was like to sit on a train not knowing if someone would come and kick her to the back, it was powerful, much more so than when she lectured about race relations in early 20th century.

I think it is very important to understand what women went through over a hundred years ago to get women the right to vote. It is a great subject and overall a good book I just would have liked to be in their heads more.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy for this review.

Dnf
I really expected more from this book. It was very dry and hard to read. I am sure it will appeal to some readers.

This was my first read by Jennifer Chiaverini, and I learned a lot! This booms focuses on an extremely important part of history that unfortunately I feel is often overlooked. You can tell the author researched this topic thoroughly. I enjoyed learning about the women featured in this book because they were not mentioned in my high school history classes! I would definitely purchase this book for a friend.

I enjoyed this book, and appreciated learning about the suffragists from this period, and the amazing amount of work they put into gaining the vote, over so many years of struggle. I especially enjoyed learning more about Ida B Wells, and a Black woman's particular struggle within the suffragist movement, which was mainly headed by white upper class women. This is not an easy read, as there are a lot of names and events to keep track of, but I think it is an important book, and would be a great book for book clubs to read and discuss.

Jennifer never disappoints the reader! Details and so much history of a few women wanting the ability of all women to vote. What they went through, weather and negative words. It should be a must read for all college students. Bravo!

A must read! Such a wise choice to focus mostly on The Women’s March with important investigations into the point of view of Black Women, Western Women Voters, Southern Women, and a look at events in England. A watershed time in US History and the focus on the events leading up to and after The Women’s March kept the focus tight. The research is excellent. The intro lays the ground work and moves at a slower pace. You will finish the book with a great appreciation for the historical achievements of these pioneering women. Excellent! I read an advance readers’ copy from NetGalley.

A well-researched, fictionalized history of Women's suffrage through three key players: Alice Paul, Ida B Wells-Barnett, and Maud Malone. Ranging from the hunger strikes, imprisonment, and mistreatment in England through the Women's March of 1913 which is credited with a huge role in getting women's suffrage passed in the U.S., this book includes all of the frustrating and detailed steps that it took to get there. I admire Chiaverini's focus on facts rather than drama -- if I have any complaint it is that this almost makes the book a little too dry with the recitation of meetings and organizations. On the other hand, it's a realistic portrayal of how big change is actually made (kind of the sausage factories).

I chose to read this book during the historical week when a woman of color was sworn in as the first female Vice President of the United States. It made me wonder what the three main characters of "The Women's March" would have thought of the historical event and the political and racial tensions preceding it.

Jennifer Chiaverini weaves the stories of three separate suffragettes who are fighting for the right to vote for women. Alice Paul returns home from England where she has worked with militant suffragettes. There she experiences serving time in prison, hunger strikes and being force fed. She decides to stage the largest gathering of suffragettes in a parade in Washington DC on the day before the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson.

Maude Malone is a NYC librarian (yay!). She is famous for asking (heckling) politicians their stance on Women and the right to vote. She is dragged away and tried for speaking up during a rally for Wilson as he campaigns.

Ida B. Wells is a black journalist. She writes about lynchings in the south and sets up organizations to help the colored in Chicago.

This isn't the easiest book to read. There are a lot of names and some of the descriptions aren't pleasant. But it is an important book. I was surprised at how ignorant I was of these women and the contributions they made to the women's movement. My 20-something daughter took and TA'd women's study classes in college and knew far more than me about the time period and events. The story covers 1910 until March 3, 1913 when the March of Women was held.

I learned there were groups with different ideas on how to get women's rights. Some wanted to focus state by state. Others wanted a national amendment. And Ida wanted minorities and especially blacks to not be forgotten. Sadly I realized as I finished reading that the goals of these women are still trying to be achieved. Be sure and read the ending notes from the author. I was happy to learn that Ida B. Wells earned a posthumous Pulitzer Prize only last year in 2020 for investigative jounalism.

This book would be great for book clubs and those interest in women's rights. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was received as an ARC from William Morrow and Custom House in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jennifer Chiaverini does it again transporting us back into history and this time it's all about the Women's Movement and fighting for a voice. All of the women mentioned in this story were activists and had very influential jobs including news reporters and librarians but with that came with a criminal record for speaking out against the law. All inspired to organize a walk down Pennsylvania Ave all to have their voices be heard. This book is so motivating and an exciting walk through history all making it worth while to exercise my right to vote.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.