"My Life on the Road" - Gloria Steinem

Hello fellow bibliophiles! We're halfway through the Clean Slate Read-a-thon, I hope you're keeping up! Today's review marks the third I finished this week for the challenge. My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem was a last minute change-up on my reading plan for the week. I had planned to read an ARC I had from Netgalley but forgot to get it downloaded and unfortunately, it was archived. Whoops! Then I heard about Emma Watson (aka Hermoine Granger)'s new book club on Goodreads and had to join in on that! (Details at the bottom) It just so happened that the first book, My Life on the Road, was published last year so I threw it in the challenge in place of the other. Thanks Emma!

Gloria Steinem—writer, activist, organizer, and one of the most inspiring leaders in the world—now tells a story she has never told before, a candid account of how her early years led her to live an on-the-road kind of life, traveling, listening to people, learning, and creating change. She reveals the story of her own growth in tandem with the growth of an ongoing movement for equality. This is the story at the heart of My Life on the Road.

What I wouldn't get to spend a day listening to her tell stories. I was hooked from the prelude. I started suggesting the book to others before I was even finished with the prelude! Gloria Steinem, you're a true force to be reckoned with. You made my soul ache even more for a wanderlust lifestyle. I want to travel more and learn more and meet all the incredible people you talk about who are smarter than I can ever imagine being! The book is very candid and simplistic; sometimes I didn't think it was always laid out in the best format or timeline of events, but I still hung on to every word. There were two sections that I enjoyed the most. Steinem telling stories from talking with cab drivers across the country and her section on political campaigns. And hold onto your hats for the last chapter about her friend Wilma. Oh my, oh my. Wilma Mankiller, I wish I could have known you even if it was just to shake your hand and say hello. Your concepts and thoughts are something I cannot even describe. 

Go read this book. Don't walk to get it, run. It's something that will lead to new thoughts and ideas, changes in our world. Steinem has been making waves and taking steps for years and years towards change. It's time to make a jump.

As always, feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or suggestions! I'd love to hear what you thought of the book! If you would like to check out Emma Watson's book club through Goodreads, CLICK HERE! Below is her description for the book club, Our Shared Shelf:

"As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on. There is so much amazing stuff out there! Funny, inspiring, sad, thought-provoking, empowering! I’ve been discovering so much that, at times, I’ve felt like my head was about to explode… I decided to start a Feminist book club, as I want to share what I’m learning and hear your thoughts too." -Emma Watson-

Happy reading fools :)

"Coal River" - Ellen Marie Wiseman

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Today's review is the first book in conjunction with my "Clean Slate Read-a-thon." I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley so huge shout out to them! Thanks! Make sure to check out my progress for the read-a-thon on my progress post which can be found HERE. Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman was a great way to kick start the challenge. I picked this book up and did not put it down until I had finished it. So disappointed in myself for putting this book off!!

In this vibrant new historical novel, the acclaimed author of The Plum Tree and What She Left Behind explores one young woman's determination to put an end to child labor in a Pennsylvania mining town.

As a child, Emma Malloy left isolated Coal River, Pennsylvania, vowing never to return. Now, orphaned and penniless at nineteen, she accepts a train ticket from her aunt and uncle and travels back to the rough-hewn community. Treated like a servant by her relatives, Emma works for free in the company store. There, miners and their impoverished families must pay inflated prices for food, clothing, and tools, while those who owe money are turned away to starve. 

Most heartrending of all are the breaker boys Emma sees around the village--young children who toil all day sorting coal amid treacherous machinery. Their soot-stained faces remind Emma of the little brother she lost long ago, and she begins leaving stolen food on families' doorsteps, and marking the miners' bills as paid. 

Though Emma's actions draw ire from the mine owner and police captain, they lead to an alliance with a charismatic miner who offers to help her expose the truth. And as the lines blur between what is legal and what is just, Emma must risk everything to follow her conscience. 

An emotional, compelling novel that rings with authenticity--Coal River is a deft and honest portrait of resilience in the face of hardship, and of the simple acts of courage that can change everything.

This book was great. The writing was easy to follow, it had fantastic depictions of the scenes that were being described, and twists that I never saw coming! I really liked the historical aspect of the book. I  have not read other books about coal mining and did not know much about the effects it had on all aspects of the people and the towns the mills were in. Emma was a well-rounded character who had seen and suffered more than someone her age should have yet she had desire and hope, a longing for more that she never gave up on. I felt I was able to easily put myself into the scenes and see exactly what Wiseman was talking about. She had clear definitions for all the characters and their roles. I really liked the character, Clayton Nash. There could easily be a book on him alone. His dynamic with Emma seemed a little odd at times, but I liked how things came together in the end. What I liked best were the twist and turns. The book is suspenseful but not "sitting on the edge of your chair" suspenseful. It builds really well and then BAM! out of nowhere! If anything, read it just for that fact alone. Like I said, I did not put it down until I had finished. Great book! I'm kicking myself for putting off for so long. Once again, thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read it! As always, feel free to share any thoughts, comments, or recommendations!

Happy reading fools :)