SHARP The Women Who Made an Art of Having an Opinion

The 10 women writers Bernadette Dunne brings to life in this provocative audiobook share a quality women are thought to dislike: All of them relished expressing strong opinions in print, regardless of whether they would hurt feelings or invite retaliation. A sisterhood this is not; none of these women thought of herself as a feminist. Confrontation is a fascinating subject for women, and Dean is a skilled biographer and incisive critic. Even listeners who are familiar with her subjects, who include Dorothy Parker, Mary McCarthy, Hannah Arendt, and Nora Ephron, will learn much here. Dunne's elegant performance adds great value to the insightful text. Her voice is lovely, and she has prepared impeccably, never missing the music in complex sentences and acing the trickiest pronunciations. B.G. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2018]