Her Side of the Story

My first impression of this novel was how different in style it seemed to [b:Forbidden Notebook 61026364 Forbidden Notebook Alba de Céspedes https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1673717495l/61026364.SY75.jpg 1599775], which felt meticulously plotted, sparse and pulled along by narrative, while this one was more stream of consciousness of an anxious mind. And yet the topic of both is similar: womanhood, family, love and the expectations placed on Italian women mid last century. I enjoyed the range of female portraits the first half of the book provided: as we follow Alessandra's upbringing and then her stay in the countryside. The writing was immersive, you felt the allure and languor of the moments that girls and women spent dreaming, waiting, obsessing, wanting to create their own narratives. In a world that's very much controlled by a patriarchal society. But then the second half slows into meandering and repetition, with Alessandra stuck in a marriage and us stuck with her in her illusions. And as I hadn't apparently properly read the book's synopsis beforehand, I wasn't even sure that it would go anywhere. More stars if it hadn't been for the second half.