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We Know How It Ends

The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo | Hachette Book Group

 "Experience the epic life story of Anita Garibaldi, a courageous, headstrong revolutionary who fought for freedom and self-determination in nineteenth-century Brazil, Uruguay and Italy."

I love historical fiction, when it is done well. I won't waste my time or yours by making you read a whole post to discover that I did not like The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo. It was a 1/5 star read for me, and I struggled to get into it. I will go as in depth an explanation as I can without spoiling the novel, because I would never say "do not read this book," but if you want to know why, please read on (there are no spoilers).

The Why

Everything about the story was set to please; a strong female historical figure, fighting for her own freedom as well as standing by her husband's side during many revolutions, but the execution was disappointing. The narrative wasn't as strong as I had hoped. While Anita was clearly a strong-willed person from her early childhood, I felt that Giovinazzo was somehow disconnected from the narrative despite the fact that the story is written in first person. To write historical fiction (or any story for that matter), you need to connect to your characters so that the plot flows nicely and so your readers can connect to the characters and the time. This novel felt mechanical, and it was hard to connect with Anita because of it.

The Danger of Stereotypes

Stories set in North and South America cannot escape their colonial history, and with a story like Anita's, you would expect that at one time or another, she met or saw someone who was indigenous to Brazil. However, to write in an indigenous character "just because" and to revert to dangerous stereotypes can be a form of erasure. This was another aspect of this novel that completely turned me off. Yes, the story was set in the 1840's, so I understand that for the sake of accuracy, Anita would refer to indigenous Brazilians as "Indians," but the backstory to the character Ruthie was dangerously stereotypical and glazed over the violent history the indigenous peoples of that area would have encountered during Portuguese colonization.

Anita Garibaldi seems like an amazing historical figure, and I would like to learn more about her, but I think this novel could have been better. The trouble with most historical fiction is that people will know how the stories end (if they are acquainted with the history). If the story feels disjointed and stereotypical, many people who are drawn to this kind of story will likely not want to turn the page. 

I am grateful to Read Forever Pub and Grand Central Publishing for sending me this novel, but it just didn't sit right with me. On to the next adventure! If you would like to request a review, or have a recommendation for me, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

Comments

  1. PhoebeAugust 25, 2020 at 6:24 AM

    That colonial history part just seems tone deaf to me. Honestly I wouldn't mind a little anachronism in historical fiction when it recreates some modern sensibilities that we find so integral to being human just for the sake of connecting with the character and the story.

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