The Women Could Fly, Megan Giddings
The Women Could Fly, Megan Giddings
List: $28.99 | Sale: $20.29
Club: $14.49

The Women Could Fly
A Novel

Author: Megan Giddings

Narrator: Angel Pean

Unabridged: 9 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Amistad

Published: 08/09/2022


Synopsis

Reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood, Shirley Jackson, and Octavia Butler, a biting social commentary from the acclaimed author of Lakewood that speaks to our times—a piercing dystopian novel about the unbreakable bond between a young woman and her mysterious mother, set in a world in which witches are real and single women are closely monitored.Josephine Thomas has heard every conceivable theory about her mother's disappearance. That she was kidnapped. Murdered. That she took on a new identity to start a new family. That she was a witch. This is the most worrying charge because in a world where witches are real, peculiar behavior raises suspicions and a woman—especially a Black woman—can find herself on trial for witchcraft.  But fourteen years have passed since her mother’s disappearance, and now Jo is finally ready to let go of the past. Yet her future is in doubt. The State mandates that all women marry by the age of 30—or enroll in a registry that allows them to be monitored, effectively forfeiting their autonomy. At 28, Jo is ambivalent about marriage. With her ability to control her life on the line, she feels as if she has her never understood her mother more. When she’s offered the opportunity to honor one last request from her mother's will, Jo leaves her regular life to feel connected to her one last time.In this powerful and timely novel, Megan Giddings explores the limits women face—and the powers they have to transgress and transcend them. 

About Megan Giddings

Megan Giddings is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. Her novel, Lakewood, was one of New York’s 10 best books of 2020, one of NPR’s best books of 2020, a Michigan Notable book for 2021, a nominee for two NAACP Image Awards, and a finalist for a 2020 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in The Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction category. Her second novel, The Women Could Fly, was named one of The Washington Post’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy novels of 2022, one of Vulture’s Best Fantasy books of 2022, and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Her work has received support from the Barbara Deming Foundation and Hedgebrook. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lee (Books With Lee) on August 07, 2022

4.5 stars I want to start by saying that this is not a book for everyone. The Woman Could Fly, similar to the authors debut novel, appears to be written for a niche audience and I am one of those people. The Woman Could Fly is a social commentary dystopian novel that follows Josephine “Jo” in a worl......more

Goodreads review by Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) on October 03, 2022

After loving what Giddings did with Lakewood I had very high hopes for this. But while The Women Could Fly has moments of depth and ambitious scope, it is bogged down by excessive exposition and a setup that does little to differentiate itself from the recent flood of feminist dystopian novels. Don'......more

Goodreads review by Thomas on October 07, 2023

I liked the message about how women face so much pressure to get married and live a heteronormative, amatonormative life by their late 20’s. Other than that, though, this book confused me – I found the pacing off and the fantasy elements difficult to buy into. Appreciate the naming of racism and sex......more

Goodreads review by Krystal on October 07, 2022

Ah, my friends! This book is so good for the soul! Such a moving, thought-provoking novel that drew me into a unique, fascinating world. The story introduces us to 28-year-old Jo, whose mother disappeared fourteen years ago. Unfortunately, this combined with her black skin makes her a prime suspect fo......more

Goodreads review by Jane on May 24, 2022

I really wanted to love this story but I’m afraid overall it was a bit ‘marmite’ for me. I enjoyed the opening of the novel and it’s world setting. I must admit I got a little lost during the middle section but I’m sure there are readers much wiser than me who would understand the imagery much bette......more