This all hit a bit too close for me and probably why I struggled to get through it. Some of my own medical concerns were unheard and left to suffer until they needed to be faced. I appreciate the way Deborah tried to make this light and add in humor sometimes but it was hard.

I typically do not like to rate or give feedback on memoirs. In all honesty, I think this book was too long and a little too “rambly” when it came to name-dropping or trying to reclaim credit for things Copaken should have been given more credit for (e.g. Emily in Paris). I have not encountered Copaken’s writing prior to this book but this memoir shows that she’s been through hell and back. Major props to Copaken’s perseverance and resilience!

Thanks NetGalley and PRH for an egalley.

Ladyparts by Deborah Copaken is a memoir that brings you into parts of her life in a way that makes you feel like you’re reading some of her photographs (actual or as you’d imagine she’d take them). Reading this memoir allows you an overview of part of author Deborah Copaken’s life and is like listening to snippets of a friend’s conversation over the years. Framed by what happened to various parts of her body via medical situations or life, the memoir also includes side trips into how her experience is reflected in that of others (be it based on wages, how expensive health insurance is, the cost of living, etc…). A woman of many talents, Copaken known for her work as a photographer, journalist, novelist, and tv writer. I’m glad that I read her book and I appreciate the generous and thoughtful way she shared parts of her life with the reader. Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Truth that reads like fiction, suspenseful and intimate. Honest and unapologetic, but a little fragmented (perhaps intentionally).

Lady parts is about Deborah Copaken' s health struggles on a writer's salary and expensive COBRA rates while she mostle unwillingly leaves job after job in the hopes of finding a steady gig. She has some familiar writing credits and is very forthcoming. A soon to be divorced mom of two at college and one smaller son at home, she navigates dating, ageing, sexism and poor health. She analyzes choices she's made and sometimes you may not like her but there is an admiration for her ability to take a seemingly honest look at herself. She has been through a lot and her experiences are relevant.

Copy provided by the publisher and Net Galley

Fantastic, raw, and brave Deborah uses her own body and medical history as a metaphor for how women are treated today. This is heavy stuff for the uninitiated but definitely not a surprise to all of womankind. Sexual harassment, rape, slut-shaming, healthcare designed for men only, childcare, the wage gap, the job opportunity differences, treatment in the workplace, divorce, dating, and the organs that terrorize our bodies are all put on display. Every human needs to read this book.

Such a great park, an unflinching look at the female body and its treatment in our society and in the medical world. Would be great for a gender studies class or a narrative medicine course in college.

Ladyparts by Deborah Copaken is a hilarious, heart-wrenching, and insightful memoir about middle age. Copaken is a writer, known for both her books and sharp, acerbic opinion pieces in magazines like The Atlantic. This memoir touches on her 40s and early 50s, where her life felt like a rollercoaster, going through a divorce, single-parenthood, multiple major health events, and catastrophic job and insurance losses. Copaken writes in a punchy and captivating way that really entrances the reader, while being vulnerable and opening our eyes to many issues.

At times, when Copaken went through financial and health struggles, it was especially enraging when she ticked down sometimes horrifying facts of sexism and the casual cruelty of the US and company policies or the lack thereof. She highlighted the near impossibility of pursuing a career in media/arts, particularly in a high cost of living area. Though she is a Harvard-educated published author with multiple books and a wide array of viral articles, she could barely make ends meet for multiple years well into her career. Despite the life-endangering health issues she faces, she persists and you root for her to find stability and be able to pursue the career she has tenaciously worked for. I listened to the audiobook, which was fabulously narrated by the author. Copaken has a wonderful, energetic delivery that makes the book very conversational. I loved this beautifully feminist memoir.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

This book was really A LOT. Everyone has their own story and memoirs can be tricky to review but man, maybe whittle down some of a drama. It almost became unreal all the things she said happened and happened to her. Is she the drama? Maybe not but at a certain point I started to wonder if things happened the way she said. I'm assuming they did but did she embellish? She made a lot of bad choices and I don't want to victim blame but so much happened and her highs were so high and her lows so low. EEK.

This book was gripping. I was sucked in and could not put it down! The concept was so unique, I loved this book.

What a rollercoaster! If you are a woman you are likely to find yourself nodding along as you read about the trials and tribulations that Copaken details in Ladyparts. From divorce to childcare woes and sexual harassment, she runs the gamut of the female experience that will have you horrified one minute and laughing the next. If you are a man, check out this book and maybe you can get a glimpse into what life is like when you are the "fairer sex".

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very surprising. Copaken details her entry into single motherhood and the battles she (and her body) have waged. She takes on subjects like the healthcare system and availability of daycare.
Her writing is quick, with just the right amount of detail. The book is also a little exhausting, just do to the fact that she seems to have a high level of drama in her life.

discussed on Episode 136 of the Book Cougars podcast.
https://www.bookcougars.com

Be warned: Along with all the ladyparts described in this book, you need a very strong stomach to get through it. Gallons of blood both monthly and in one frightening night are described in the first few pages. This is in the service of the author’s point that women are ill-served by the medical community and society in general and are expected to bear pain and tragedy far greater than what men are allotted. Five years ago her statistics might have shocked and surprised her readers, but today, not so much. I am left with the feeling she had to up the grossness factor to keep her audience engaged.
Perhaps I didn’t give her a fair chance, but frankly anyone who tells her doctor for 16 years that her menstrual symptoms are nothing she can’t handle, while she is gushing blood 15 days out of every month, bears some of the blame for the situation she finds herself in. I don’t know if she has a chapter on her posterior, but I stopped reading when the primary emotion II found myself with was giving her a swift kick in hers.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Deborah Copaken’s memoir, Ladyparts, in exchange for an honest review.

Writer and photojournalist Deborah Copaken’s Ladyparts, begins over a decade after her first memoir, Shutterbabe, which detailed her early career as a war photographer in Afghanistan. In Ladyparts, Copaken chronicles her separation from her husband, Paul Kogan, and the subsequent stress, health, and financial issues that followed.

I can’t remember the last time that I read a memoir that made me feel every single emotion. All of the feels. Mostly, I felt anxiety and rage towards Copaken’s struggles. To be clear, Copaken is not seeking pity, but Ladyparts serves to shed a light on the inequalities in our society, especially those that women face.

When she sought divorce from her husband, she was left with the bills and childcare, while he restarted his life in California. This situation, along with job loss and health problems, such as a cancer diagnosis, caused extreme instability in Copaken’s life. She saw her savings dwindle to the point where she had to put off having critical surgeries or even reconsider taking not just an ambulance, but a cab, to the hospital during a health emergency. Copaken offers many statistics that show not only a severely flawed US health system, but specifically where the health system fails women. It made my blood boil.

She gives startling examples of how women’s health is simply not given research funds, and how many gynecologist are not trained to help post menopausal women. It’s terrifying and makes me livid. I have a family history of gynecological cancers in my family, and now I am the same age as both my mom and aunt when they had endometrial cancer. I’m constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. I felt very triggered and anxious when reading these sections of Ladyparts, especially as I’ve also been in Copaken’s position of not having health insurance. It’s terrifying and I don’t take it for granted now that I have it.

Copaken is so brave and honest. She gives a raw account of her medical situation, including a very graphic retelling of massive blood clots that expelled from her body after a complication from surgery. A complication that she was never briefed could happen, therefore making it even more serious and scary. At one point, she is explaining this at a dinner party and a friend cautions her to keep the details private, as it is not proper. Copaken refuses to be silent or tone down her story. I want to commend and thank her for sharing the details. It is important for women to be heard, especially in situations like these, where her story could help save lives.

My anxiety peaked when Copaken detailed her various problems at different companies. It was a reminder that freelancing (which I’m currently doing) is uncertain, and that the changes in technology and work culture have devalued the contributions of writers. Also, the idea that being middle-aged can be viewed as a liability or another reason to be devalued, made me feel ill. I worked for the same company for nearly fifteen years and it took me a long time to realize that there is little loyalty and no such thing as job security. I was raised by a mom who essentially worked for the same company her entire career and preached the gospel of finding a place and staying loyal, but that is simply not the way the world works now and Copaken’s experiences highlight this new way of doing things.

The #Metoo movement looms large in the last chapters of Ladyparts, as Copaken’s private life goes viral when she outs Ken Kurson, a major editor and friend of Donald Trump, for harassment, stalking, and derailing her career. The details are shocking, but ultimately this story breaking is a huge win.

Speaking of wins, one of the most poignant and beautiful moments comes towards the end, when Copaken encourages her son to “break the rules” and join her on their apartment rooftop to view Fourth of July fireworks bursting over the New York skyline. It’s an intimate moment between a mother and her son. Copaken reflects on time and makes an affecting comment on how our bodies are borrowed, and how we don’t know how much time we have in them, so we should live to the fullest. This resonated with me.

Ladyparts might be one of the most important, perspective changing writing that I have ever encountered. It certainly wasn’t an easy read, as I had to brace myself for the emotions every time I picked it up, but I absolutely recommend it to everyone. Copaken writes without mercy and is a force. Also, Copaken’s friendship and advice from Nora Ephron is fantastic.

This memoir was hard to get through. The most shocking parts were the graphic pictures. Yikes! I wish I would've been warned a head of time. Otherwise, this was a good non-fiction read. The writing was decent, but sometimes it was all over the place. Deborah Copaken has been through hell and back when it comes to her health. She's a true champion and she's very brave to let the world know all her struggles/setbacks. Not for the faint of heart. This memoir might make you depressed and uncomfortable, but I think for some readers, this book might be a lifeline. The cover is GLORIOUS!

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.

How is too much information? Copaken walks that narrow line in this memoir pinned to her medical and emotional traumas. It's always hard to review memoirs because it feels as though you are judging an individual or that individual's life choices. This can be very emotional in parts and then detached others. Copaken has lived a big life and she's got a lot to say about a lot of issues, some of which will resonate. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

All. Of. This. Yes. A million times yes. I felt seen even though this took a third wave feminist stance that I normally don't adhere to. It was definitely a feel good read for those who have felt misunderstood.

As a sufferer of chronic pelvic pain, I was sucked right in from the title and the subject matter. I loved this autobiographical account of a woman as her body slowly falls apart. Thoroughly engaging take on her experience peppered with appalling facts of the lack of equity in health care. Loved it.

I am 100% in the minority here, but for some reason I just couldn't get into this one... I practically worship at the Altar of Nora Ephron, so this really surprised me. But for some reason I just felt like the pieces were disconnected and I was struggling to find the threads that tied them together. Perhaps that was my mistake - and they are connected in the sense that they are all one woman's experiences, rather than in some narrative format. In that case it is most likely my issue, not that of the book. Or perhaps it's because I don't have anything much in common with the parade of horribles that Copaken has undertaken throughout the course of her life... I felt a lot of sympathy for her, but I just didn't connect to the book on a visceral level like I was hoping - or expecting - to...

Read if you: Want an unforgettable, powerful, maddening, and brutally honest memoir about divorce, single parenting, and the inequality of healthcare and the workplace for women.

I read many memoirs. This is one of the best I've read in years. Be aware that Copaken gets quite graphic with her descriptions of her health issues (which is necessary; there are also photographs at times). It can be quite hard to read at times, but luckily, the ending is quite emotional and satisfying.

Librarians/booksellers: Your memoir fans won't be able to stop talking about this one. Don't miss it.

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.