SHRILL Notes from a Loud Woman

The 34-year-old author is known for writing about feminism, fat-shaming, and social justice for magazines and her blog. Here she offers a series of autobiographical essays about her transformation into a self-affirming, outspoken social critic. Her writing is stream-of-consciousness style, and her performance spontaneous, but she never sounds unhinged. The undercurrent of moral confidence and personal pride in her voice blends her opinions and vignettes into a coherent message. And though her language is blunt, she sounds authentic--like there's a real person behind these observations and opinions. Her stories of growing up in a world in which large and outspoken women are shamed will be welcome by all women who feel reluctant to be who they are in a culture that too often is cruel and disapproving. T.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2016]