Tell Me of Brave Women (Book) Review
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“She’d join other voices in a tempest screaming and demanding justice for women until their enemies were scattered to the four corners of the earth.” Tell Me of Brave Women is the story of three very different women. They live in different countries, and have never even met each other, and yet their struggle is […]
“She’d join other voices in a tempest screaming and demanding justice for women until their enemies were scattered to the four corners of the earth.”
Tell Me of Brave Women is the story of three very different women. They live in different countries, and have never even met each other, and yet their struggle is the same – though they go about it very different ways. Tell Me of Brave Women is just what it says it is – a story of brave women, using their personal strengths in any way they can to make things just a little brighter for all women.
Evangelina is a young Catholic woman in Latin America who has left home to start her adult life. Unfortunately, the streets are not always safe, and she soon finds herself the unwilling concubine of a very powerful drug lord. What she does with her situation and the choices she makes may well change many lives, but the guilt she feels over her “sins” may hold her back from becoming the confident woman she wants to be.
Thelma is a firecracker. A middle aged woman working a bar and grill in rural America, Thelma doesn’t take any crap from anybody. She’s confident in herself and her abilities, and is well aware of her ability to take care of herself – no man needed. As such, Thelma doesn’t have much in the way of sympathy for “weak women” who would allow themselves to be beaten and used. But when Thelma comes face to face with one such woman and her abuser, it sets off a chain of events that will change many lives – her own included.
Samara is a consummate storyteller. In fact, she makes her living as a storyteller, using her gift for total recall to entertain audiences around the world. There was a time, though, when the idea of her being a confident working woman would have been simply impossible. Growing up in the Middle East, Samara wasn’t offered much in the way of choices or education. But with the help of a few strong men, she was able to escape the male dominated world that sought to marry her off to a man not of her choosing and make a happy life for herself, despite seemingly endless tragedies.
Samara, along with a wealthy friend, is a founder of Secret Sisters, a society that works around the world to help women escape from abusive situations – even in countries where doing so is a crime. Though the women in the story seem unconnected at first, it soon becomes evident how they will intertwine. The single male voice in the narrative – that of Hassad, a chief inspector tasked with shutting down the shelters and returning the women and children to their abusive husbands – offers a nice contrast to their stories, giving a different viewpoint but also showing that even the most hardened opinions can be capable of change, given a chance.
Tell Me of Brave Women is a sweeping tale of love, loss, and strength, and it draws you in almost from the first page. Each of these characters is, on their own, a fascinating tale of tragedy and triumph. Together, they weave a tale of oppression and power, as well as strength and tenacity, and it is truly a great read.