A Magnificent Disturbance tells the story of a group of dedicated community members who fight tirelessly to set up and run a women’s health centre for their community. Beginning at the end of the 20th century, it’s an indepth look at the prejudices that were rife at the time, and a fitting historical account of their effect on the community.

There are many key characters that are pivotal to the story, however, Berry, the women’s centre creator, and her partner Jaudon, a local business owner, are the cornerstones that cement the support characters into a cohesive mixture of dedicated individuals, all of whom have the same purpose being the care and support of women in their area. In today’s day and age, it’s quite shocking to see what prejudices they were up against and it is a very good thing that we have stories like this to keep the memory alive through the generations.

The author’s use of vernacular did have me guessing at times. It does add depth and sincerity to the story and the readers understanding of the cultural influences, however, as a non-American, I did find it challenging. Additionally, the sheer number of characters created confusion initially and it wasn’t until I was around a third through the book that the intricacies of their relationship to the story started to set within my mind. For these reasons it is not a ‘light’ read. It is a book that you have to invest yourself in and if you do, you will be rewarded.

I’m giving 4 stars. The talent the author has is undisputed. How they managed to wrangle so many characters into a tightly woven and intricate story is commendable. And the story itself is one of those that we, as a community, should never forget.

In my opinion, it is important to read Rainbow Gap prior to reading, A magnificent disturbance. This gripping and poignant ode to chosen family, intergenerational friendship, and resolute persistence is an intriguing story of love/courage.

Day-to-day life can be simple yet complex. Enjoying an afternoon walk or a meal out with family/friends, simple. Weave in social issues along with personal and public opinions, challenges can quickly arise. This story focused on providing a health clinic for women. Simple. Of course women need health care. Complex. Funding and what is really going on behind those doors. I really appreciated the commitment and resiliency of Jaudon Vickers and Berry Garland. These characters demonstrated that you can be determined and true to self as well as be committed to a long term relationship. Jaudon and Berry understand that without someone to share life with, what does it matter if you accumulate a lot of stuff.

I so badly wanted to like this book because of how the Southern Gothic vibes intersect with queer feminist culture. However, I left feeling slightly disappointed and underwhelmed. There are simply so many storylines and characters in this book that it is a struggle to keep up with everyone. Also, I didn't super love the narration. In my opinion, a good novel knows how to show you aspects of the story rather than just telling you everything. Even in the first 10% of the book, I felt inundated with information, character introductions, and dialogue. I just can't stop wondering if the worldbuilding and overall reading experience would have been more enjoyable if some of these aspects were more subtle. Instead of stating "I opened this store with X, who is Y's nephew" (something that it felt like occurred every paragraph), let the reader make those connections on our own.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

as much as i tried to like this book i felt there were to many characters for me to get my head around... and so many issues this book covered that i kept losing who was who.... there seemed to be so many main characters and this book spanned over so many years

Not what I expected but n enjoyable read overall. I thought the author did a great job. I recommend

Thank you Bold Strokes Bokks and NetGalley.