Book Review- Commencement

"Take Mary McCarthy's The Group, add a new feminist generation striving to understand everything from themselves and their mothers to the notion of masculinity that fuels sex trafficking, and you get this generous-hearted, brave first novel. Commencement makes clear that the feminist revolution is just beginning."

-Gloria Steinem 

What's a blog without a good ol' book review every now and then? Now that the semester is over, it's summer, and I've had a little bit more free-time on my hands, I've finally gotten around to finishing J. Courtney Sullivan's debut novel, Commencement. I really enjoyed this book, it's a great and easy summer read that also manages to have a moving storyline and important message. It has a very different feel to it from the typical "chick lit" (a term that I despise, might I add) that most of us are used to. This is not another romance novel focused solely on attractive men and the women who are desperate to find them and get married, not at all, this novel thankfully goes a lot deeper then that. This is a novel about young feminists, everlasting sisterhood, and the choices and challenges that face women today; from the small stuff like whether or not to change your last name when getting married, to the much bigger problems like rape and sex trafficking, this novel seems to cover it all.

The novel follows Celia, Bree, Sally, and April, classmates their first year at Smith College who couldn't be more different. Alone and together, they soon learn that Smith is a hothouse: of sexual discovery, political activism, female bonding, and carbohydrates eaten with abandon. And although several years after graduation they live far apart, their Smith years have left them fiercely devoted to one another. Schooled in the ideals of feminism, they must decide how it all applies to their real lives in matters of love, work, family, and sex.

The deep sense of sisterhood in this book had to be my favorite part about it. Reading this novel makes you truly appreciate your female best friends, or if you don't have any, long for girls you can care for that much and be that close to. J. Courtney Sullivan does such a great job of describing the girls, that throughout reading the novel you really feel as if you are friends with them! I found myself worrying about them when things went wrong, and then happy for them when it all went right again. Finishing the novel is somewhat bittersweet, because the ending leaves you hanging a bit, and you miss hearing about what's going on in each of the girls lives. 

I definitely recommend this novel to all who enjoy books about feminism and sisterhood, but also just to anyone looking for a good, moving, summer read. The novel starts out a little slow, but then there is a big twist halfway through that will keep you interested and have you staying up late just to get to the next page. I plan on reading more books by J. Courtney Sullivan in the near future, I really enjoy her writing now. 

You can find out where to buy the book, as well as more on J. Courtney Sullivan and Commencement here.

"I'm not a feminist but..."

"I'm not a feminist but.." I can't count the number of times I have heard this phrase. I often find that pro-feminist ideals usually follow. I’m not a feminist but I care about women's rights, equal rights, equal pay in the work force, and a women's right to choose. Some time ago, I was one of these people. I was skeptical about committing to the cause. Sure, I agreed with all of these things but did that really make me a feminist? I remember when my first women’s studies professor brought up this topic for conversation. Did we identify ourselves as feminists? Did we agree with the ideology behind it? I found myself asking, if I agree with one, why not the other? If we as a generation of women and men agree with so many of the feminists ideals why are we so afraid to commit to this identity?

I didn’t really understand why I was so reluctant to commit to a movement whose ideals I obviously believed in and supported. But we all know the stereotype associated with feminists. We’re all a bunch of butchy man hating dykes. We don’t shave our arm pits. We don’t wear high heels and we definitely do not wear make up. No wonder why women are so afraid to commit to the cause. Especially in a day and age when girls are already dealing with so many image issues, why would they be interested in adding one more?

I don’t know how this off the wall stereotype started, but its negative connotation has followed the word feminism since the movement began. The creation of this stereotype has pushed away so many women that agree with feminist ideals but refuse to identify with them. The most important thing I learned in that women’s study class was that my reluctance to associate myself with the word “feminism” was solely based on a lack of education and understanding of the topic. It is so important to look past these negative connotations and stereotypes. Because if you find yourself agreeing that women should have the right to vote, that women should be able to be a house wife or a politician or both, that women should have control over their own bodies.. then maybe, just maybe, you are a feminist, too.

Now don’t go running in the other direction. I promise you, feminism is not a scary or intimidating thing. It’s empowering, enlightening, and still so needed in the society we live in today. I know not everyone has access to women studies classes or even people who know much about feminism but there are great resources to shed some light. If you’re interested in feminism (or are just looking for a good read) here are some fantastic books that cover an array of topics to open the doors and get you started.

(Just click the image to learn a little more about each book!)