Ice queen professor on campus (4.5 stars)
I didn't read the synopsis before reading the book (I rarely do) and I'd suggest that approach if you want to have more surprises in your reading.
Set in Northeastern USA during the late 1990's beginning with Ellen's iconic coming out scene on her eponymous TV sitcom and ending in the midst of the Bill Clinton era presidential election season, the book hits on many forms of discrimination prevalent at that time in history in addition to blatant sexism in the world of academia. The book is dedicated to those who came out in the 90's so readers who lived thru this time period will appreciate the details like floppy disks and computer files taking ages to copy, the absence of cell phones and other technological advances we take for granted now while younger readers will be given a window into the past and the cyclical nature of history.
This story delves further into academia, politics, political science and statistics than I expected it would - this is the first lesfic book I've read with references listed at the back of the book - however the jargon/terminology was not so much a barrier that I missed the gist of a scene between academics talking shop. I lost nothing in understanding the story arc and I suspect those familiar with the terminology may be treated to an added layer of reading pleasure that I missed. Those topics may seem like dry reading material and the discrimination sometimes discouraging to witness but main characters Carmen and Molly are such badass women (and Carmen an ice queen on top of that) who inhabit and battle those attitudes that it's fun to read them dismantling faulty and ignorant arguments whether they're by a professor in the classroom or colleague in a staff meeting.
I'm not a fan of the ice queen trope but here Carmen is given scenes where we can see her away from work where she shows other (warmer aspects) of her personality; I was quickly enamoured with her sharp wit, integrity and resilience as one of the few female professors in her department. Carmen is a savvy woman to be sure and feared on campus by nearly everyone but thankfully Molly sees beyond that work persona. I also appreciated the realistic depiction of graduate school and life after college for many who struggle to pay bills and question their career prospects/trajectory once they've successfully navigated and survived the politics and bureaucracy of higher education. The plot held enough surprises to keep me engaged especially when what I thought would happen didn't; going into the story blind might have been a factor.
I'd recommend this story to those who likes to read mean characters get their comeuppance in a satisfying way, are interested in the setting or time period where the story takes place, or are craving ice queen in their reading. If the subjects mentioned above that are touched on in the story to whatever degree give you pause then know that they're offset by some good humor, admirable female characters, adorable animals and a rapport between main characters that's inspiring in more than one way. I look forward to seeing what this author writes about next and will happily read it when it's available.
I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
(Reviewed July 1, 2020)