Jeremy Gavron

I picked this book up at a book rescue not knowing much about it but it definitely drew me to it. The speed in which I read it says something. I did not want to put this book down. Hannah was such a strong woman and so ahead of her time. It made me think of being a woman before now. My grandmother was also ahead of her time. I often thought about my mother who was in the same age group as Hannah. Women were expected to be a certain way and women who chose not to had a difficult road. Unfortunately, Hannah ultimately couldn't handle it and took her life. She left two young boys and a family that never spoke of her again. This is written by the younger of the boys as he tries to understand his mother and her choice. This book also made me proud of my daughters who are in no hurry to marry and have babies. They are living their lives before they go down this path, if they choose that path I sure wish that I had done so. Hannah's thesis that was later published is The Captive Wife. I wonder how many of us feel the way this book implies. I think Ii will have to find it and read it. I know I can probably relate. I gave up my life for the "dream" and it was a mistake. Now I am alone, poor, and fifty, trying to figure out how to live my dreams. I will make it as I have made it this far. This book is worth the read. It is not anti-man. It is not anti-marriage. It is more about having the strength to follow your dreams. The women back then had so many more obstacles than we do now. It has improved but many are still there due to our gender. We need to continue to change things for our daughters and granddaughter.… (mere)

Why would a beautiful young woman, smart and accomplished, a born leader, mother of two boys, kill herself suddenly? Here, the youngest son, after years of not thinking about his mother, investigates. Of course he will never really know for sure, but he talks to her friends, former lovers, neighbors, anyone who had contact with Hannah. In the process, he investigates what it was like to be a young woman in the early sixties, juggling societal expectations to be a good wife and mother with the social movement to break out of that mold.

A beautifully-written exploration of a woman's life by the son who juggles anger and love as he tries to understand her.… (mere)