She doesn’t necessarily understand what she is seeing, but she records faithfully and with absolute clarity the unfurling of her awkward youth, under even more awkward parenting. She, however, watches everyone and everything, and waits, growing up on the outskirts of an affluent but threadbare New England township, on the outer edge of popularity.

Very Cold People by Sarah Manguso ‘No-one is watching Ruth.

In trademark Beardian style, using examples ancient and modern, Beard argues, ‘it’s time for change – and now!” Laura loved this, and thinks it would make a great counterpoint to Hilary Mantel’s Eight Months on Ghazza Street. Beard explores the cultural underpinnings of misogyny, considering the public voice of women, our cultural assumptions about women’s relationship with power, and how powerful women resist being packaged into a male template. A year on since the advent of #metoo, Beard looks at how the discussions have moved on during this time, and how that intersects with issues of rape and consent, and the stories men tell themselves to support their actions. Her examples range from the classical world to the modern day, from Medusa and Athena to Theresa May and Hillary Clinton. With wry wit, she revisits the gender agenda and shows how history has treated powerful women. Women and Power by Mary Beard ‘Britain’s best-known classicist Mary Beard, is also a committed and vocal feminist. Listen via the media player above, or your favourite podcast app using this link. We also have a range of recommendations for follow-ons to try, or to read with your book club. The real question, it seems, when reading Hilary Mantel is ‘why would you ever read anyone else?’ Listen in to find out just what it was Laura’s group loved so much. Next we consider Eight Months on Ghazzah Street, a lesser-known work from Hilary Mantel. What’s all the fuss about? And did Laura’s book club agree it was worth the read? The first is My Phantoms, the most recent novel from critics favourite Gwendoline Riley.

Kate may have loved it, when she read it for our Booker Prize special episode, but what did the rest of her book club make of it?Īnd we catch up with two recent reads for Laura’s book group.

We catch up with 2022 Booker Prize winner The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka.

Review the seven moons of maali almeida