Clare O'Dea

February 1959. Switzerland has decided on a referendum to give women the right to vote and today is voting day. Once more, the women of the country have to depend on men to choose ‘’what is right and proper’’ for them…

This novella is a quiet chronicle of how four women from different social backgrounds experience not only the day of the referendum but the circumstances that have defined their lives. A mother travels to Bern to meet her daughter who has found herself threatened by a despicable man, a young woman tries to find the means to provide for her son aided by a hospital administrator who is a fervent supporter of the campaign. In the faces and stories of Beatrice, Margrit, Vreni and Esther, an eternity of injustice, neglect, oppression, abuse and sheer tyranny is depicted. Motherhood and womanhood. Lack of opportunities and impossible choices. Life on the periphery of society because that is what the other half of the population has dictated.

Speaking in strictly literary terms, I was not impressed. The writing is simple, a bit dry at times, the dialogue ‘’sounds’’ jarring and the characters are nothing we haven’t seen before. But sometimes even books that can be called ‘’average’’ must be deemed necessary reads.

Why? Because Switzerland decided to grant the vote to the women of the country in 1971 (which is unthinkable…) Because we do not have the luxury to take anything for granted anymore.

Many thanks to Fairlight Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.… (altro)

On Feb 1, 1959, the men of Switzerland voted whether women should be given the right to vote. They voted no, 2/3-1/3.

In this slim novel, O'Dea imagines 4 different women, all linked, and looks at what they were doing on that day, and why. Each us on a different path in life, but we see how their lives are controlled by men, and what they have to give up to be in control of their own lives. Thoughtful and interesting, as these men see nothing wrong with their behavior. Some are cruel, some clueless, but all have expectations of the women around them--and expect those expectations to be met.

Vreni, a middle-aged farmer's wife, mother of at least 4 and foster parent of 1. She cooks, cleans, serves. She would say she is happy, but she is also tired, ignored, and disrespected.
Margrit, Vreni's adult daughter, who does not want her mother's life and lives in the city. She has been assaulted by her boss and her boyfriend has left her for a woman back home. She feels trapped and lost, and could go home and be married in an instant--but does not want to cook, clean, and serve.
Esther, abandoned wife, cleaner, mother of one who is fighting to her son back from care. With limited education and skills, she cannot support them both alone.
Beatrice, a 61-year-old hospital administrator who never married and has a great job, and fought hard for the vote. She has few regrets, but they are there. Like Margrit, she did not want her mother's life.… (altro)

Voting Day by Clare O'Dea is a short but powerful book that juxtaposes what women do (in Switzerland in 1959) with what rights they have (and don't have). While specific to a place and time, it is also universal in the bigger statements it makes.

A day in the lives of four women and the ways they intersect. In the course of the day we see how essential each is in the lives of those around them, how they are relied upon for both physical and emotional support, yet also denied the right to have a say in how they are governed and how they can exercise the rights they have and those they should have.

Yet even with the political and social justice issues in the background, it is still a story about four people trying to make the best of the lives they have. While some expect, apparently, fancy language from the mouths of regular characters, the writing is actually part of what makes the story work. Simple, straightforward, and relatively naive at times it reflects the characters quite well. As for sounding like the time period (since it is an historical novel) I had no problem with it. The earliest conversations I recall in my life are from probably 1960 or so and this sounds similar. We didn't talk all that different back then, with the exception of slang. This isn't so long ago that the language should sound all that distinct, but some like to complain. Oh well, so be it. But it sounds like early 60s language to me and that is close enough to 1959 (I was alive in 1959 but don't have much in the way of memories from that year).

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (altro)

My 2nd edition of The Naked Swiss had a bonus 11th myth. Here's the list:

1. The Swiss Are Swiss
2. The Swiss Are Rich
3. The Swiss Are Xenophobic
4. The Swiss Are Brilliant
5. The Swiss Are Sexist
6. The Swiss Are Neutral
7. The Swiss Helped the Nazis
8. The Swiss Are Boring
9. The Swiss Are Crooked Bankers
10. The Swiss Have the World's Best Democracy
11. The Swiss Are European

Clare O'Dea is an Irish woman who has lived in Switzerland for over a decade, and has a Swiss husband and Irish-Swiss kids. She was a journalist for swissinfo.ch, the international service of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. With each of the points she explores, there is the truth behind the myth, and also examples of the exact opposite of what the myth purports.

When I was young and learning about the countries of the world in children's books, Switzerland was one of famous countries of Europe, symbolized by its snow-capped mountains. It belonged to that select club with France and the Eiffel Tower, Holland (not the Netherlands) with wooden shoes and windmills, England with Big Ben and a red double-decker bus, and if the book was exotic, Italy with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. That was all of Europe. But as I got older, Switzerland faded into the background of my mind, in part because it had a reputation for being an expensive place to visit (true). But now that my daughter is living and working there, and I'm getting ready for my 2nd trip in 16 months, it's back to top of mind. And, as The Naked Swiss shows, Switzerland is unlike any other country in the world. Not only is it unique, the things that make it unique are very interesting and cool. And really, all countries could improve by taking some lessons from the Swiss.

Recommended for: Anyone who has a interest in Switzerland beyond what a tourist needs to know for a week in the Alps.… (altro)