These Women
Ivy Pochoda, 2020
HarperCollins
352 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062656384
Summary
From the award-winning author of Wonder Valley and Visitation Street comes a serial killer story like you’ve never seen before—a literary thriller of female empowerment and social change.
In West Adams, a rapidly changing part of South Los Angeles, they’re referred to as “these women.”
These women on the corner … These women in the club … These women who won’t stop asking questions … These women who got what they deserved …
In her masterful new novel, Ivy Pochoda creates a kaleidoscope of loss, power, and hope featuring five very different women whose lives are steeped in danger and anguish. They’re connected by one man and his deadly obsession, though not all of them know that yet. There is…
- Dorian, still adrift after her daughter’s murder remains unsolved;
- Julianna, a young dancer nicknamed Jujubee, who lives hard and fast, resisting anyone trying to slow her down;
- Essie, a brilliant vice cop who sees a crime pattern emerging where no one else does;
- Marella, a daring performance artist whose work has long pushed boundaries but now puts her in peril;
- Anneke, a quiet woman who has turned a willfully blind eye to those around her for far too long.
The careful existence they have built for themselves starts to crumble when two murders rock their neighborhood.
Written with beauty and grit, tension and grace, These Women is a glorious display of storytelling, a once-in-a-generation novel. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—January 22, 1977
• Where—Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
• Education—B.A., Harvard College; M.F.A. Bennington College
• Currently—lives in Los Angeles, California
Ivy Pochoda is the American author of four novels: These Women (2020) Wonder Valley (2017), The Visitation (2013) and The Art of Disappearing (2009)
Pochoda grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in a house filled with books. She has a BA from Harvard College in English and Classical Greek with a focus on dramatic literature, and an MFA from Bennington College in fiction.
During her college years at Harvard, Pochoda played squash, leading the school to national championships in all four of her years on the team. She was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year, and was a four-time All-American and First Team all-Ivy. In May 2013, she was inducted into the Harvard Hall of Fame.
After graduation in 1998, Pochoda played squash professionally, joining The Women's International Squash Players Association full-time. She reached a career-high world ranking of 38th in March 1999 and continued playing professionally until 2007.
In 2009, she published her first novel (The Art of Disappearing) and become the James Merrill House writer-in-residence at Bennington College, where she also obtained her Masters in 2011.
Ivy currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Justin Nowell. (From the publisher and Wikipedia. Retrieved 5/27/2020.)
Book Reviews
Flawless…. Razor-sharp…. These Women is at first glance a conventional murder mystery constructed on that sturdy old tripod of serial killer, murdered women and dogged female detective. But each of those elements is freshly minted here thanks to the psychological depth granted each character and the graceful twists of Ms. Pochoda’s cunning yet unfussy plot….
Wall Street Journal
These Women is a gritty murder mystery with a feminist twist. Ivy Pochoda’s LA-set noir is the perfect summer read.
Oprah Magazine
Pochoda turns grief, suffering and loss into art, crafting a literary thriller that is no less compelling for its deep emotional resonance.
Vogue
Puts a feminist spin on the serial killer story, giving voice to five very different women living on the dangerous fringes of Los Angeles, and gradually threading their connection to a man with a deadly obsession.
Entertainment Weekly
(Starred review) Without sacrificing narrative drive, Pochoda lets her story unfold organically and impressionistically, through the eyes of her distinctive female characters…. This deep dive into the lives of women… makes them vividly unforgettable.
Publishers Weekly
Laced with grief and rage, racism and sexism, this edgy urban drama centers upon a serial killer's obsession that targets women of color living a lifestyle that garners little sympathy. Pochoda stuns with this disquieting literary thriller… complex, intense, and enthralling. —Gloria Drake, Oswego P.L. Dist., IL
Library Journal
With raw, visceral prose, Pochoda vividly evokes L.A.'s distinctive cityscape and the burdens and threats women face there.
Booklist
This seamy thriller is loaded with feminist intentions…, a quick dip into women’s boxing, and more. Unsurprisingly for Pochoda, the strongest character is the LA neighborhood itself. Gritty, sometimes cheesy, very on-the-nose with its message—but satisfying as a murder mystery.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to start a discussion for THESE WOMEN … then take off on your own:
1. Ivy Pochoda tells her story through a series on interlocking novellas. Why might she have chosen such a structure? What was your experience reading These Women? Would you have preferred to have a straight forward, or single, point of view?
2. Take time to describe each of the women, and talk about their strengths, flaws, and how all of them are connected.
3. (Follow-up to Question 2) Of the five women--Dorian, Julianna, Essie, Marella, and Anneke—is there one who generates more sympathy than others?
4. Anneke insists on the maintenance order: "Preserve order and order will be reflected in you." How does Anneke follow that motto in her life. First of all, what does she mean? Do you agree with her? What about the other women? And you: how do you see the need for order in your life?
5. Underlying the narrative is a cultural sense that the women deserve what they get—their deaths are "irrelevant." Essie's precinct even goes so far as to suggest that the killer is a "dissatisfied" customer. How do you answer the insidious belief that their way of life makes them less worthy.
6. Were you surprised at the identity of the killer?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)