Scan barcode
A review by beautifullybookishbethany
The Radical Element: 12 Stories of Daredevils, Debutants, and Other Dauntless Girls by Jessica Spotswood
4.0
The Radical Element is an inspiring collection of short stories about girls throughout American history who are radical in their own ways. Spanning the early 1800's through the 1980's, these are tales of impressive young women believing in themselves and coming to terms with the often unpleasant realities of their day. They are of diverse religious backgrounds, races, ethnicities, sexualities, and experiences. One story even features a bright, passionate aspiring lawyer who is autistic. While I didn't love every story, many of them were amazing and I loved the breadth of representation.
The stories are arranged in chronological order, which created a narrative flow that I really enjoyed. Two of my favorite stories (by Anna-Marie McLemore and Dhonielle Clayton) use magical realism to deal with the ugliness of racism. In every story, we get a moment with brave heroines, and a window into pieces of history that are rarely found in textbooks. A Jewish community in 1830's Georgia, female spies during the Civil War, Cuban immigrants in 1970's New York, and more. The Radical Element is interesting, thought-provoking, inspiring, and often beautiful. As in any anthology, some stories packed less of a punch, but overall it was very well curated and definitely worth reading. I received an early copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The stories are arranged in chronological order, which created a narrative flow that I really enjoyed. Two of my favorite stories (by Anna-Marie McLemore and Dhonielle Clayton) use magical realism to deal with the ugliness of racism. In every story, we get a moment with brave heroines, and a window into pieces of history that are rarely found in textbooks. A Jewish community in 1830's Georgia, female spies during the Civil War, Cuban immigrants in 1970's New York, and more. The Radical Element is interesting, thought-provoking, inspiring, and often beautiful. As in any anthology, some stories packed less of a punch, but overall it was very well curated and definitely worth reading. I received an early copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.