The Book of V. (ARC Review)

Perfect for fans of The Red Tent, The Book of V explores womanhood, wife-hood, and Jewish identity through the perspectives of Esther, biblical wife of Ahasuerus; Vivian Barr, a senator’s wife in the ’70s on the cusp of the Equal Rights act; and Lily, a modern-day mother doing her best in a time when people still believed Hillary might be president. The Book of V will have readers congratulating the strides towards freedom that women have made so far while also realizing how history tends to repeat itself in (often) unfortunate ways.

The ways in which these stories intertwine is engaging and unexpected, though clearly well-calculated. And despite the difficult nature of many of the discussed topics, this book is a quick read thanks to tension-filled chapters fueled by cliff-hanger endings and well-timed switches in perspectives. It helps that each narrative is as interesting as the next, even though the characters often seem as unlikeable as they are relatable and realistic.  

The writing somehow accents each of these women and their eras extremely well, although, at times, the story can get somewhat carried away with inner monologues and overly detailed descriptions, which may confuse readers and distract from the setting and actions taking place. There were other moments, however, where the narration had its own interesting bite of darkly sarcastic commentary, which was as enjoyable as it was impactful, and (thankfully) not overdone.

I rated The Book of V 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!