Furia

At the beginning of 2020, before we knew how to quarantine (side note: do we know how to quarantine now?), I posted about reading more books written by women. My confession - I chose to join a celebrity book club. Sorry, I'm not sorry. My brain has been changed by reading the voices of women this year. While the books might not all be "literature", they are honest and true and written by women so I don't care if they are or are not literature. 

Recently, Reese added a monthly young adult book to her lists. Furia was September's book and although it took me awhile to get it from the library, I devoured it.

Furia is written by Yamile Saied Méndez, an Argentinian woman living in the United States. It tells the story of Camila, a young woman with a desire to play fútbol, soccer, in a time when women, and especially in Camila's family, are discouraged from playing. Camila hides her talent and the fact that she is the star of the team from her entire family. However, her skills are starting to earn her a reputation and nickname, Furia, that might make her secret known.

This paragraph (end of the first picture, top of this picture)
"All the unnamed women in my family tree, even the ones 
forced into it against their will, those who didn't ask to be my ancestors."
This sentence stopped me in my tracks.

Some important background information you learn through this story is about the Ni Una Menos (Not one more) movement. This movement was started to protect women from violence. The real life movement plays an important role in Camila's life. Girls in Camila's neighborhood disappear, only to be found murdered. What does it mean to be a woman, dreaming of possibilities, in a world that actively works against you? These are the questions Camila asks and, whew, I was there with her. 

My own heart was lit aflame and I felt more passionate than ever about fighting for women's rights. Given the political turmoil in our own country, especially in regards to the rights of women, this was a timely read. When Camila says, "All the unnamed women in my family tree, even the ones forced into it against their will, those who didn't ask to be my ancestors," I had to stop to take a deep breath. I had to stop and think about how proud my family has been of our lineage, of our family tree. So many families feel this same sense of pride. And yet, for sure there were women who did not ask or want to be a part of that family tree. Never once had I thought of that before this book. 

This book isn't just for your teenage, young adult children. YOU should read it too!