A review by sarah_grech
In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons from 29 Heroines Who Dared to Break the Rules, by Karen Karbo
2.0
I was personally not a huge fan of In Praise of Difficult Women. Many of the essays did not go above the surface level. They seemed to say things that I probably could have found on the women's Wikipedia pages. These essays in question seemed to only have base level information, not allowing me to truly understand the women Karbo is admiring. There were a few essays in this book that I thought did a better job and showcasing who the woman was, but the majority did not.
Additionally, Karbo often adds her own commentary to the essay, which I would normally welcome. However, her commentary feels out of place and often judgemental.
I have seen many people criticize her selection of women as well, as the great majority are white. I think Karbo could have easily used her platform to highlight many more women of colour instead of resorting to the obvious and already known white women.
Additionally, Karbo often adds her own commentary to the essay, which I would normally welcome. However, her commentary feels out of place and often judgemental.
I have seen many people criticize her selection of women as well, as the great majority are white. I think Karbo could have easily used her platform to highlight many more women of colour instead of resorting to the obvious and already known white women.