…at some point in a woman’s life, she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that, she is free to become whoever she truly is.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert
Up until this point, I had only read a couple of Gilbert’s books in the non-fiction genre, and No, I haven’t read Eat, Pray, Love. I know, I know, commence the throwing of rotten tomatoes. It has been on my list, but for some reason, it is one that keeps slipping through the cracks. There are so many books to be read! Anyway, my hold for City of Girls came in at the library, and because of the six-month wait to get it, I started reading right away. Then I didn’t stop. Going into the novel, I actually had little to no idea about what it was about. I know it was historical fiction, which I love, and I knew that I enjoyed Gilbert’s writing, and it had a pretty cover. Check, check. The book caught and help me within the first pages, written as a letter, to someone who’s identity will not be discovered until the closing chapters, Vivian’s story unwinds with a perfect pace, and the reader can only wonder what will happen next. This book has a lot of debaucheries, not explicit, but Vivian feels about sex as others may go about afternoon snacks, no qualms, and if that is something that you find bothersome, it could be a deal-breaker. I personally enjoyed the honesty of the character, she becomes herself and is completely alright with that. Her life is hers, and she will live it as she sees fit. It is sad at times, filled with joy at others, and a homage to women and their strength and their weaknesses. One big theme through the book was how a family can be, not always blood relations,
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