Female Persuasion (Wolitzer) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Of Greer's interest in language, Wolitzer…writes, "All written words danced in a chain for her." And the same could be said of the author herself, who writes in warm, specific prose that neither calls attention to itself nor ignores the mandate of the best books: to tell us things we know in ways we never thought to know them.… [The Female Persuasion] is an ambitious 456 pages, tight but inclusive, and deserves to be placed on shelves alongside such ornate modern novels beginning in college as A Little Life, The Secret History and The Marriage Plot.… When all is said and done, Wolitzer is an infinitely capable creator of human identities that are as real as the type on this page, and her love of her characters shines more brightly than any agenda.
Lena Denham - New York Times Book Review


[Wolitzer is] old-fashioned in the best sense, a spiritual descendant of writers like Elizabeth Gaskell and Charlotte Brontë. Her novels blend philosophical matters with acute social commentary, grappling with ideas as robust as the characters she brings to life.
Wall Street Journal Magazine


Wolitzer understands—seemingly on a cellular level—the puzzled, needy heart that beats within any teenager.… [T]he book is full of Wolitzer’s trademark wit and insight.
Washington Post

A big, fat, delicious book about feminism and the power of female mentorship.
Los Angeles Times


Wolitzer is at her best when dropping wry but casual observations. The pages are peppered with little bonbons of accuracy.
Chicago Tribune


Wit and description are a few of Wolitzer's many strengths. … The work masterfully captures the highs, lows and unexpected twists of the idealistic life.
Minneapolis Star Tribune


Wolitzer’s social commentary can be as funny as it is queasily on target.
USA Today
 

Wolitzer's talent as a writer shines in lines that say more in a sentence than most writers do in paragraphs.… One can only hope that her readers—of the male and female persuasion—will keep the conversation going after the last page.
Associated Press


Wolitzer’s ultra-readable latest illuminates the oceanic complexity of growing up female and ambitious—and reveals the author’s substantial insight into the tangles of gender and power.
Vogue


It takes readers to that sweet spot where fiction mirrors reality.… Filled with lighthearted moments and romantic detours, it’s equal parts cotton candy and red meat, in the best way.
People
 

[Wolitzer is] a keen humanist with a singular gift for social observation.
Entertainment Weekly
 

Wolitzer’s engrossing new novel, The Female Persuasion, is something of a rebel yell, slapping gender right in the title and confronting the question, What does a feminist look like?…So when you’re done binge-reading your copy, hand it off to a fellow literature lover. He’ll thank you for it.
Elle


(Starred review) Wolitzer writes with an easy, engrossing style and… seamlessly connects all the dots in the… four major story lines. This insightful and resonant novel explores what it is to both embrace womanhood and suffer because of it.
Publishers Weekly


The three true-to-life protagonists face struggles that will interest young adult readers because of the book's weighty and relevant themes. Here, they will also find a powerful character-driven coming-of-age story told in a stark, wry voice. —Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA
School Library Journal


(Starred review) Sweeping yet intimate.… In a complex web of friends, lovers, mentors, and rivals, Wolitzer compassionately and artfully discerns the subtle strengths at the core of these essential connections.
Booklist


(Starred review) A decade in the life of a smart, earnest young woman trying to make her way in the world.…  This symphonic book feels both completely up-to-the-minute …with a can't-put-it-down plot that illuminates both its characters and larger social issues. The perfect feminist blockbuster for our times.
Kirkus Reviews