In the age of rising feminism, there are misconceptions about what it means for a woman to be a feminist. These misconceptions dial back down to the entirety of the woman and who she is as a person in society. The sad thing about the misinterpretation of womanhood is that it not only comes from men but that some women also have it twisted.
Joan Thatiah is an author and a journalist. She debunks myths and beliefs that have been picked up in the journey of female empowerment. In her book, “I am too pretty to be broke and other lies you have been telling yourself”, she discusses womanhood from her personal point of view.
The book is divided into different chapters each of which focuses on a particular part of the life of a woman. In each chapter, she evaluates common beliefs about the topic under discussion giving counter-arguments based on personal experiences, hers or those she picks from her friends’ lives. The most intriguing part of the different stories she tells is that they are relatable to anyone.
Joan giving lessons to peers in a concerned yet mature way. Critically looking at possibilities of discrepancies in our line of thought yet offering choices on whether to take her opinion to heart or not to, you can hear Joan’s motherly voice in every word she writes.
One of the chapters is about finances and women. Every chapter contains several lies that women tell themselves. One of the things under money is the issue of how women wait to be married to do certain things, negating the importance of the period of singlehood. There is fear to do too much or achieve too much while they are single because most are of the impression that their success will not look good when they are ready to get married.
When it comes to relationships with men, Joan talks about women’s misconceptions about what marriage is all about, how to get there and how to maintain married status. There is a common concept of how marriage is equal to happiness, and she gives real-life accounts negating this concept. Joan gives truths about the true nature of happiness and how it is achieved. She states that “From what I have seen around me, I know marriage comes with a truckload of happy experiences….but I also know that marriage will not change my outlook towards life. If I am not happy now, then I do not expect that I will find it in marriage.”
Interesting enough, she gives a concluding statement that argues against her beginning statement.
The book is easy to peruse through and you can plan out your reading schedule according to the intriguing nature of a topic. At the very end of the book, she has placed nuggets, summarizing what she had talked about in the whole book.
The book discusses in a different way the concept of womanhood and motherhood, separating the two parts of a woman. It comprehensively discusses relationships and the contributions both positive and negative that women make when it comes to relationships they are in and want to keep.
You can get the book at bookstores or buy it online from The Magunga Store.
Check out her other book as well – Book Review: Things I Will Tell My Daughter By Joan Thatiah
