In Praise of Difficult Women by Karen Karbo

I have just reluctantly finished this wonderful book.  There were just so many wonderful lines on almost each and every page that I just wanted it to go on for ever.

In Praise of Difficult Women is a book about 29 women.   Each has her own short chapter.  But this is not biography as we know it.  Each chapter looks at the person through the very special lens of the author.  She is insouciant, sly, extremely funny and non-judgmental.

The chapters are in general short.  I knew of almost all the women but a handful were new to me.  Each woman went about her life in ways that many would judge unwise or odd.  And this is what makes the book so memorable.

I have posted about another Karbo work – How Georgia Became O'Keefe  - but in comparison to this book that was a mere shadow.  This one is a tour de force.

You won't regret reading this one.  You won't like every woman but nor does the author.  But you will enjoy each and every one.  I checked out the reviews on Goodreads – and they are mixed – it seems people get annoyed when people they don't like are reviewed.  But the fact that some people are deeply unlikeable and difficult doesn't make them uninteresting.

Going to my Top 20 list (see top tab)… but which one to remove?