Women Talking

From 2005 to 2009, more than 130 women and children in a Mennonite colony in Bolivia were anaesthetised with a cattle sedative and raped by 8 members of their own community. In Women Talking Miriam Toews imagines the reaction of the women to these very real and horrific events. While the men have gone to town to raise bail for the accused rapists eight women secretly gather in a hayloft  to discuss their options. They ask August, a man who was raised outside the community but has recently returned, to record their conversation. These women have been isolated from the real world, they have never left the colony, cannot read or write and speak a language that no one outside the colony can understand. They decide they have three choices: do nothing, stay and fight the patriarchy or leave. It's a short book and I was about halfway through it before I felt engaged by the story and sorted out who the characters actually were. I stuck with it and I'm glad I did but I admit that I  skimmed over whole sections that struck me as overly philosophical. I wanted the women to make their decision, pack up and leave before the men returned. I found the style off-putting but liked the questions that were raised about patriarchy and religion.