Roles Reversed – "The Power"

The Power by Naomi Alderman (2017) – It’s called “The Day of the Girl”.  On that day fifteen-year-old girls around the world discover that chemical released by accident after World War II has been making changes in their bodies.  Now they have the ability to release electrical power from their bodies.  A tiny tickle or death.  When it becomes clear that all women can have this power but men can’t the world changes.  Dramatically, violently and, in some ways, not at all.

Some critics are calling this novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” for this age.  Given that Margaret Atwood, the author of that novel, is Naomi Alderman’s writing mentor, that may be unsurprising.  On the other hand, that may be an apt comparison no matter who worked with Alderman.  “The Power” is that brilliant.

It’s been a while since a book put me back on my heels the way this one did.  I would read a chapter or two, then have to step away from the book to absorb and consider what had just happened.  The fundamental power shift that comes with this power is inevitable and the outcomes are logical.  Through it, all the author maintains the highest quality storytelling.  Her characters are crisp and compelling.  The depth of the dystopian nature of the book kind of snuck up on me.  Like the characters in the story, the reader is swept along without any way slow the rush to an inevitable calamity.

As with any dystopian novel not all parts of this story are light and cheerful.  But there was never a moment when it felt like Alderman had forced a story point to keep with the theme.  What happens MUST happen.  It’s obvious that there is no alternative.  I’m trying to find a metaphor for the power of this story to carry you along.  It’s a riptide.  It’s also the most amazing story I have read in a very long time.

As I began to read the ending of the book, I feared there was a let down coming.  It seemed unnecessary and tacked on at first.  But as I continued to read, I realized it was the perfect coda to what I had just read.  A musical coda may be distinct from the main body but closes the piece.  That is exactly what happens here.  When I closed the book, I was completely satisfied.

With the power relationship between men and women in the headlines today, this book’s timing is perfect.  It is the book for the moment.

“The Power” won its author the 2017 Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction in England and many numerous “Best of 2017” lists.

Why You Will Like It: Brilliant storytelling and outstanding characters tell a story that is not only compelling but profoundly thought-provoking.

Rating – ***** Highest Recommendation