Review: “Upright Women Wanted” by Sarah Gailey

Release Date: February 4, 2020
Publisher: Tor.com Publishing
Genre: Dystopian, Western

Description

“Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her–a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.

The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.”

My Thoughts

Sarah Gailey dedicated Upright Women Wanted “To everyone who thought they’d never live so long,” a note that perfectly encapsulates the emotional through line of the novella. This is a story about people carving out a life mostly outside a society that wants nothing more than to eradicate them. Rather than suffer under oppressive shame or surrender to the patriarchal whims of the men in power, they chose to forge their own path and make their own families. If you’ve never had someone tell you your identity is wrong or bad or sinful, if you’ve never experienced the crush of systemic oppression or the perpetual frustrations of microaggressions, then you might not recognize just how powerful, frightening, and awe-inspiring this act of defiance and self-preservation truly is…

To read the rest of my review, head over to Tor.com.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.