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Jeyasivananth wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 09:31 The book is explicitly gynocentric celebrating the female bonds and women as a natural nurturer. The male characters are all relegated to the periphery merely functioning as appendages to the central characters. In fact, in a very subtle way the author champions gender fluidity in the characters of Thatcher who dons the role of a chef and a homemaker to a globetrotting entrepreneur spouse and Mike who is now forced to don the role of a single parent. This is a conscious reversal of the traditional male gender roles. The negation of gender stereotyping in reiterated in a casual conversation between the characters to remove the suffix man from the word ‘fisherman’ and thereby neutralize the gender associations. The reference to Dame Julianna Berners who wrote a book on fish flying in the 1400 in the mans world and claiming that women have better listening, patience and observation to fly fish better than men all seem to allude or call for a change in the world around us from being too androcentric.

Miriam Molina wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 13:02 Wonderful insights and observations, Jeyasivananth. The author should have chosen the Amazon River for emphasis, LOL!

Jeyasivananth wrote: ↑19 Feb 2018, 09:31 The book is explicitly gynocentric celebrating the female bonds and women as a natural nurturer. The male characters are all relegated to the periphery merely functioning as appendages to the central characters. In fact, in a very subtle way the author champions gender fluidity in the characters of Thatcher who dons the role of a chef and a homemaker to a globetrotting entrepreneur spouse and Mike who is now forced to don the role of a single parent. This is a conscious reversal of the traditional male gender roles. The negation of gender stereotyping in reiterated in a casual conversation between the characters to remove the suffix man from the word ‘fisherman’ and thereby neutralize the gender associations. The reference to Dame Julianna Berners who wrote a book on fish flying in the 1400 in the mans world and claiming that women have better listening, patience and observation to fly fish better than men all seem to allude or call for a change in the world around us from being too androcentric.

CatInTheHat wrote: ↑23 Feb 2018, 17:55 I feel like the men had a reason to be there, but if they were given greater roles in the story, it would have diminished the essence of the story, the women's friendships.

bookowlie wrote: ↑23 Feb 2018, 14:56 Jeyasivananth, you made some very good points! In this book, the men are basically in the background and aren't fleshed out too much. Thatcher is the always cheerful, always helpful husband, but we don't get to know him too well. He seemed like the gender flip of a helpful, supportive wife. In the latter sections of the story, Sophie's boyfriend isn't fleshed out well and just seemed to be a plot device for her to finally have a romantic partner. Amanda's husband's storyline is a little more detailed, but I felt the focus was still on her reactions to him being away and then having PTSD when he came home.