The Female Persuasion - Meg Wollitzer

It's fair to say that in 2019 I have read a lot of books that I've really loved (I've just hit 40 so far this year!). Since I left university, where I had to adhere to a reading list most of the time, I've really focused on not only expanding the types of books I read, but also trying to really choose books I know I will enjoy or benefit from. This novel is certainly one of them! Meg Wolitzer's 'The Female Persuasion' really stood out to me when I spotted it in the bookshop, and not only for the snazzy cover art - although it helped!

The novel was first published in 2018 and follows the protagonist Greer Kadetsky, a shy college freshman who feels out of place in a university she wasn't supposed to end up in - her parents had failed her by not sending in the form for financial support at the Ivy League university she got a place at. As her hometown boyfriend heads off to his dream university Greer must settle for her back-up plan, but at an impromptu event which her friend invites her to she meets the woman who will change her life. Faith Frank is a sixty-something feminist who comes to give a speech at the college and Greer finds herself completely awestruck and full of ambition for a life she never knew she wanted.

The novel jumps about to focus on each of the central characters in turn, including Greer, her boyfriend Cory, Faith, and Greer's best friend Zee who encouraged her to attend the event in the first place. Faith immediately takes a shine to Greer having heard about the widespread and normalised sexual harassment which is all too common on university campuses, and which Greer herself fell victim to on her first night. Following this, Greer begins working at a feminist nonprofit organisation which Faith heads up, but it is not long before she realises that the façade is not quite as idyllic as she had thought. The novel is written in the third-person and Wolitzer does a fantastic job of building character, without particularly even describing their appearance, yet illustrating their behaviours and quirks so well that you feel you know them almost instantly. The story is gripping with lots of twists and turns, yet remains realistic and relatable throughout. 

Something I particularly loved about the main character is that you feel a real attachment to her, as though she is an old friend. Even when she behaves in a way that you instinctively disapprove of, as she occasionally does in the novel, you feel almost protective of her whilst still knowing that some of her choices are bad ones. But it is the flawed nature of Greer's character which perhaps makes her so endearing and relatable. The novel explores female friendship, mentorship and the shattering of idealism, and really gives you a sense of purpose and meaning when reading. Such an enjoyable book which I would wholeheartedly recommend!