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Frankly Feminist

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Member Reviews

"Frankly Feminist" is an exceptional short story collection that boldly carves its place in the literary landscape. With a focus on Jewish feminist voices, this anthology defies the traditional narrative and offers an array of thought-provoking stories that showcase the diverse experiences and perspectives of women. It is a testament to the power of intersectionality, highlighting the richness of Jewish culture while exploring the complexities of gender and identity.

One of the standout features of this collection is its commitment to inclusivity and representation. By bringing together the best Jewish feminist fiction published in Lilith magazine, the editors have ensured a wide-ranging geographic scope and a diverse cast of characters. From Persian Jews to Biblical matriarchs, from suburban American teens to Eastern European academics, each story encapsulates a unique cultural context, allowing readers to explore the multifaceted nature of Jewish identity through a feminist lens.

The organization of the stories by theme adds a cohesive structure to the collection, enhancing the overall reading experience. Readers have the flexibility to jump between stories, discovering new authors or revisiting familiar ones. Whether it's the evocative title or the captivating opening line, each story entices the reader into a world brimming with self-awareness, humor, and moments of genuine connection.

The anthology succeeds in striking a delicate balance between pleasure and enlightenment. While some stories engage readers through their relatability, others challenge societal norms and provide profound moments of revelation. This diverse range of storytelling styles and narrative approaches ensures that "Frankly Feminist" offers something for every reader, leaving an indelible impact long after the book is closed.

The voices within these pages are authentic, unapologetic, and resonant. The stories tackle a wide range of themes, such as cultural heritage, immigration, motherhood, sexuality, and social justice, all through the lens of feminism. By exploring these topics with nuance and sensitivity, the authors provoke introspection, encouraging readers to reflect on their own experiences and perspectives.

Though the collection successfully brings attention to Jewish feminist voices, some readers may yearn for a more extensive exploration of certain narratives or a deeper dive into specific cultural contexts. Additionally, while the stories are organized thematically, some readers might have preferred a chronological or geographical arrangement to enhance the appreciation of historical and cultural contexts.

"Frankly Feminist" is an important and compelling anthology that fills a notable gap in the literary landscape. It celebrates the power of storytelling and showcases the richness of Jewish feminist fiction. Through these thought-provoking tales, readers will undoubtedly find both pleasure and enlightenment, and may even experience moments of personal revelation. This collection is an invitation to embrace the diverse tapestry of Jewish feminist experiences and to embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment

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An amazing short story collection !
Refreshing, with it's various point of views !
The combination of judaism and feminism in a twenty-first century perspective makes this book an absolute must-read !

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A fascinating collection of Jewish feminist authors.So many diverse essays a rich collection,I have discovered many essayists I will be looking for more of their writing.#Netgalley #franklyfeminist.

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YES! YES!! YES!!! This is incredible. I genuinely don't know what else to say other than I loved it so very much. Every story was perfect. I can't wait to read this again, next time with a physical copy, and annotate it!

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I read this through NetGalley. It’s not my usual type of book, I mostly read it to try and diversify what I read, both in terms of world view and taking a step away from my usual romance and fantasy books. I found a lot of the story’s really funny and interesting, and they are all varied in the style of writing. I don’t share many of the experience that are written about, growing up atheist and in a different country from my family, I loved reading about all of the stories from a very different perspective than mine.

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Frankly Feminist is a wonderful assembly of perspective, with exploration and world views from a variety of voices. Well worth reading and sharing. Thought provoking.

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It’s no secret that I adore a short story collection, so I snapped this one up when I saw the description. The themes of each story shone through so vividly, and in my opinion, the following topics really stood out:
The old vs the new, tradition vs change, family roots and justice.

It’s such an important collection and reading those stories really enlightened me on a multitude of topics!

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This book was a very enticing read! I personally enjoy reading books about minorities’ experiences and I think this did a lovely job executing the tribulations Jewish women go through! I fully recommend it to others and it was an especially nice read for a collection of short stories

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Towards the beginning of this collection, it struck me that I had never read a story with a neutral portrayal of an abortion before, where an abortion was just something that happens sometimes, as in this collection. That alone made me glad I had read this, but learning that Isaac Bashevis Singer had not one, but two siblings, and that his sister's work had been destroyed because of her own mother's misogyny, reinforced this for me. Throughout reading the collection, I laughed, cried, and remembered how much I love Jewish women. I typically prefer to read books in one sitting, but it took me five separate reading sessions throughout two days to read this book because some of the text is quite dense, and some of the topics are quite heavy. Each story was thoughtful and thought-provoking.

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Frankly Feminist explores Jewish feminism through publications in Lilith Magazine. I think this book does an amazing job of showing the rich diversity within Judaism. It destroys the misconception that it’s a monolith. There’s diversity pouring through this book. A refreshing, delightful read.

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I love the diversity, each author had her own way of telling a story and it was interesting, I appreciated the variety !

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This anthology introduced me to a variety of feminist Jewish writers who I had never been exposed to before. I am excited to dig deeper and discover more of their work. Thanks for letting me check it out!

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