Review of Against the Glass
Posted: 19 Oct 2023, 07:00
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Against the Glass" by Linda M. Habib.]
Against the Glass by Linda M. Habib is the story of a woman pursuing her dreams and achieving them despite the odds against her. The story is also a historical fiction work set in Manhattan, New York, and a bit in Paris, France, between 1960 and 1980. Though the book is about Candy, the main character, the overarching theme is that of women and the challenges they faced while living in different eras in time. The author explored several issues affecting women, specifically the choices they made for themselves, those imposed on them by society, and their consequences.
Candace (Candy) is a 19-year-old woman, fresh out of high school and considering a career in entomology. Candy's mother, who was married at 18, is disappointed with her choice of putting off marriage and starting a family in favor of going to college. The mother believes that Candy is getting old and that she should stop focusing on entomology and start her family. The family has a long-held tradition of having a January baby girl, and Candy is the last link in this thousand-year-old tradition.
Candy has no desire to break the tradition but envisions a different path. She could pursue a career in entomology, marry later, and fulfill her duty to uphold the family's tradition by passing on the family heirloom, a two-thousand-year-old Janus coin chain, to her January baby. Candy aptly informs her mother while holding the Janus coin chain that while she looks back at the traditions of their past, she still looks to the future. Will Candy fulfill her obligations and still pursue her career in entomology?
Two things stood out for me while reading this book. These were how the author expounded on the issues women faced in the earlier centuries and her pick of a central character, Candy, to portray the challenges women, specifically in America, dealt with in the 1960s through to the 1980s. Women in the past dealt with challenges like losing respect due to pregnancies outside of marriage, feeling ashamed about their bodies and choices that went against societal norms, and facing ongoing difficulties in male-dominated workplaces.
Candy represented the struggles and fetes women have experienced over the centuries, such as achievements depicted in monuments erected in honor of great women of past centuries and the struggles women still face in holding to traditions while striving to keep up with the current times. Also, the author developed the main character as you would expect of any young woman, starting as naïve and innocent, then through struggles, humiliation, and self-inflicted pain, becoming a strong, empathetic, and passionate woman.
I did not find anything to dislike about this book. Therefore, I rate it four out of five stars because the author included a balanced view of issues women struggled with in the past. While she expounded on how societal expectations hurt women in the past, she also included cases where women could have been prudent with their decisions. She also included the lack of clear guidance to help women along their paths, as was the case when Candy turned to magazines for guidance when her boyfriend was being aloof with her.
I appreciate that the author dedicated the book to all women, which, I think, fits well with the plot. However, the book contains some adult content that may not be suitable for younger readers. I recommend this book to readers at least 18 years and older, women working in the medical field, and both men and women passionate about issues confronting women in the current century.
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Against the Glass
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Against the Glass by Linda M. Habib is the story of a woman pursuing her dreams and achieving them despite the odds against her. The story is also a historical fiction work set in Manhattan, New York, and a bit in Paris, France, between 1960 and 1980. Though the book is about Candy, the main character, the overarching theme is that of women and the challenges they faced while living in different eras in time. The author explored several issues affecting women, specifically the choices they made for themselves, those imposed on them by society, and their consequences.
Candace (Candy) is a 19-year-old woman, fresh out of high school and considering a career in entomology. Candy's mother, who was married at 18, is disappointed with her choice of putting off marriage and starting a family in favor of going to college. The mother believes that Candy is getting old and that she should stop focusing on entomology and start her family. The family has a long-held tradition of having a January baby girl, and Candy is the last link in this thousand-year-old tradition.
Candy has no desire to break the tradition but envisions a different path. She could pursue a career in entomology, marry later, and fulfill her duty to uphold the family's tradition by passing on the family heirloom, a two-thousand-year-old Janus coin chain, to her January baby. Candy aptly informs her mother while holding the Janus coin chain that while she looks back at the traditions of their past, she still looks to the future. Will Candy fulfill her obligations and still pursue her career in entomology?
Two things stood out for me while reading this book. These were how the author expounded on the issues women faced in the earlier centuries and her pick of a central character, Candy, to portray the challenges women, specifically in America, dealt with in the 1960s through to the 1980s. Women in the past dealt with challenges like losing respect due to pregnancies outside of marriage, feeling ashamed about their bodies and choices that went against societal norms, and facing ongoing difficulties in male-dominated workplaces.
Candy represented the struggles and fetes women have experienced over the centuries, such as achievements depicted in monuments erected in honor of great women of past centuries and the struggles women still face in holding to traditions while striving to keep up with the current times. Also, the author developed the main character as you would expect of any young woman, starting as naïve and innocent, then through struggles, humiliation, and self-inflicted pain, becoming a strong, empathetic, and passionate woman.
I did not find anything to dislike about this book. Therefore, I rate it four out of five stars because the author included a balanced view of issues women struggled with in the past. While she expounded on how societal expectations hurt women in the past, she also included cases where women could have been prudent with their decisions. She also included the lack of clear guidance to help women along their paths, as was the case when Candy turned to magazines for guidance when her boyfriend was being aloof with her.
I appreciate that the author dedicated the book to all women, which, I think, fits well with the plot. However, the book contains some adult content that may not be suitable for younger readers. I recommend this book to readers at least 18 years and older, women working in the medical field, and both men and women passionate about issues confronting women in the current century.
******
Against the Glass
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon