Book review | Farewell to South Shore
By Charlene Wexler | Published by Speaking Volumes
'Are women better off today than they were 50 years ago?'
It's the question lying behind Charlene Wexler's novel Farewell to South Shore and one which I thought I knew the answer to when I was eighteen but which I now think is more nuanced.
So I was eager to see if I could reach any conclusions through the eyes and experiences of the novel's protagonist, Sherrie Paul, a woman maturing through mid-20th century America to the Millennium.
Sherrie's personal circumstances as part of large, close-knit Jewish family in Chicago are specific, but her experiences have a wide resonance for contemporary women. She is both traditional and progressive: she is the first member of her family to attend University and at the same time wants committed love and marriage and wants to remain virginal until then.
(Does she change her mind when she meets the man of her dreams? No spoilers.)
Sherrie loves home and nurtures family conventions while developing an open, thoughtful attitude to new situations including homosexuality, unplanned pregnancy and abortion, family secrets, domestic abuse, divorce, single motherhood, women’s reproductive rights and midlife romance.
To women of my generation it's fascinating to read an eye-witness view of the times of Roe v. Wade and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, learning how we got to where we are now. I found myself warming to Sherrie with her mixture of tradition and willingness to work towards a fairer society, and the book left me feeling positive and energised.
As for the 'Are women better off today?' dilemma?
Read Farewell to South Shore, compare Sherrie's experiences with your own, and reach your own conclusion.
Link to paperback and ebook ⬇️
Author: Charlene Wexler
Imprint: Speaking Volumes
eISBN: 9798890220714
Publication date: 22 January 2024
