This book was everything I was hoping it would be. Although every piece of poetry didn't reach me all of the were eye opening and made me think.

Poetry anthologies are tricky to rate.
I really enjoyed a lot of these poems and authors, but as a few other reviewers have mentioned, I was left a bit confused by some poems. But that’s on me. I do recommend this book, I think everyone is bound to like something and if there’s one thing anthologies never fail at is helping people discover different voices.

Big shout out to NetGalley and OR Books for hooking me up with this AMAZING ARC!!!

---------------------WOW---------------------

"listen isn't always the same as shut up, remember the eye of the witness disarms the devil."

The intro starts off by describing the collection as "part love letter, part manifesto, part confession, part wish---and those are just the raw materials."
I would say this is highly accurate. This collection ripped my heart out, sewed it back in, boiled it in oil and healed it again.
It's ridiculous how 1 book can hold so many emotions.

"The thing about it is, once interior parts of us are brought outward, there is no way to put them back inside."

I felt so much while reading this: power, heart wrenching compassion, whimsy, anger, and an over all heavy yet comforting emotional drain (is that even a thing?).

"Today how I resent the way sadness and loss are souvenirs we're forced to carry with us."

This is definitely something I want EVERYONE to read!!!

"Don't begrudge me my sashay walk, it's all I got sometimes."

Love this timely tome. We need powerful words from many different voices now more than ever. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love how diverse the selection of women was, and I think this is an informative piece that all girls should read!

Amazing collection of poems that tries to empower women and that would be a great read for young girls who don't see enough representation in the media.

I am absolutely shocked at how strong and powerful this was to me. It was raw and unapologetic. We had so many different voices and opinions that came into play from all different walks of life. These poems touched on many issues including abusive men and women in the modern world today. There were times where I was actually giddy with joy and I can't tell you how many of these poems I highlighted or quoted. Such a beautiful peace for this day and age that everyone needs to read!

i heard a woman becomes herself the first
time she speaks
without permission
then, every word out of her mouth a riot

I read the first poem of this collection and I was in love because DAMN, what a strong beginning is that?

I think this is really an important collection and I’m glad it exists.

I don’t read that much poetry, but from time to time I discover an author or book that intrigues me and I get really into it. And a collection of works from so many different, inspiring people on such an important subject seemed right up my alley, right away.

Although I didn’t rate it higher in the end because at some point I had to admit to myself that I didn’t like (or understood) many of the poems as well as I wanted to. And that 200 pages of poetry is in fact a lot.
But I do think it would be nice to have collections like this one in your shelf to take out and indulge in from time to time, even if it’s in small doses.
And if I had that maybe I would take the time to look up and learn about every author in this book, because I bet reading their work with their stories in mind might be a whole different experience.

Another little snippet I want to mention, also from the very great beginning poems of the book:

All the women i know are perennials–
Marigolds, daffodils
Soft things that refuse to die

In my case, although the poems themselves weren’t bad—in fact, I’d say that a lot the poems I read were pretty good, there was just something that hindered me from wanting to continue reading. For a poetry anthology with a heavy emphasis on feminism, gender and sexuality, I just failed to feel engaged or even interested for that matter. I initially tried to power through in the hopes that my reading experience would eventually improve, but even after I reached the halfway mark, it still felt like there was a missing piece I couldn’t fully grasp. I even fell asleep at one point.

I have read nothing but positively glowing feedback about Women of Resistance, which makes it that much harder for me to come to terms with the present reality that this just is not my cup of tea for some unfathomable reason. In the end, I completely gave up on Women of Resistance once I read around 57% of the material. But that doesn’t mean I am actively discouraging anyone from picking this title up!

I always forget that I should not read poetry in the ebook format. The format of the poems is often wrong and in this case the title of the collection (which typically would be on the corners of the page) were intermixed on the page. Occasionally it was even within the poems themselves. As a result, it was hard to fully get immersed in the poems. However, the poems are raw, honest, and heartfelt. I also appreciated how diverse of a collection this is. If I read a print version of this I feel like I would have been able to rate this higher.

A book with a very powerful subject matter. Some of the poems were beautiful and heartbreakkngly thought-provoking. Lauren Clark was my favourite to read.
However the formatting was very distracting. Made it difficult to lose yourself in the rhythm and meaning of the words.

I LOVED this!
From the introduction I knew I would, I mean, it’s about strong women and feminism and resisting. Basically my bread and butter.
Anyway, I thought this was really thoughtfully put together and I loved how the introduction really emphasized that this was an experience, and could be taken in a lot of different ways. Every persons experience is different and the pieces of the anthology would affect them differently. I thought this was a deeply moving and encouraging piece and I really enjoyed it.

I was really curious to read this poem anthology, but I have to admit that it fell a bit flat for me. Yes, there were some contributions that I really understood and enjoyed, but overall, I found myself pretty confused. Poetry is difficult sometimes; there will always be people who are a bit better at grasping the various meanings. I do love poetry, but unfortunately, I didn’t love most of what was included in this Women of Resistance. I appreciated that the contributors had different styles and focused on different aspects of feminism, but all in all, this wasn’t really for me.

The word resistance lets us know that these will not be passive voices content with the status quo. The poets included in this collection are angry about the way women are treated not just because of our gender, but, for some of us, also because of our race or sexual orientation. Read this collection to have some idea about what we talk when we talk about intersectionality.

Thank you to Danielle Barnhart, Iris Mahan, OR Books, and NetGalley for the advanced reviewer copy of “Women of Resistance: Poems for a New Feminism” in return for an honest review.

I do not even know where to start with my love for this book. All of the poets that you love, that you wait for each new sheaf of poems from, is here in this tome, giving light and fire and every emotion, every type of story, of every woman, every life, that you could dream to want and find to be educated about that you don’t know yet.

Get this book. Get several copies of it. Give it to the women in your lives. Girl friends, and coworkers, and young girls questioning their world. This volume is empowering, freeing, and much needed in these troubling times.

I will be buying several copies of this book this year, to be given as Birthday Gifts and Christmas/Yule presents, and even just ‘You Are An Amazing Woman Never Forget Never Let Anyone Tell You Anything Less’ gifts.

Proud poetry, written from a heartfelt place. Difficult to read at times, but will leave you with a better view of a diversity of experiences and the struggle still faced. Resounding honesty from a wide range of voices. This book is filled with a wide range of important messages--both timely and well worth the time to read. And then read again.

Thank you to Danielle Barnhart and Iris Mahan and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Women of Resistance. What a poignant book for 2018! Awesome! I'll be sending the title along to my friends and followers.

There are some really amazing messages in this that I think should seriously be shouted from the rooftops for all, men and women alike, to hear.

These are the messages that are important. There are no lack of voices here; the pages are filled with poetry and prose from women of different race, sexual orientation, backgrounds, and stories. The mix of those who wrote for this collection was a breath of fresh air.

While the feminism movement continues, more and more collections like these surface, and I always find that even though I may not be completely captured by it, the messages coming from these women speaking out from destruction and oppression always make it worth picking up and checking out.

There have been so many books on feminism this year, presumably to highlight that 2018 marks 100 years since some women in the UK won the vote. While celebrating the suffragette and the success of the suffrage movement founded in 1903 and led by Emmeline Pankhurst, "Women of Resistance" paints a picture of the issues that capture the hearts of women today. Danielle Barnhart and Iris Mahan explore these themes in this wonderfully uplifting book of poetry.

The book comprises the thoughts of 41 contemporary poets and although the influences of each one are different, such as race, gender equality and sexuality, they do overlap to some extent. I only started reading poetry in the past few years and thought I would appreciate "Women of Resistance" as I have loved other feminist poets, such as Rupi Kaur. Representing the complexity and diversity of contemporary womanhood and bolstering the fight to refute and resist racism, sexism, and violence, this collection unites powerful new writers, performers, and activists with established poets.

I found the words extremely powerful and emotionally resonant. A truly beautiful book in which the photographs are an integral part. It is crucial that we continue the amazing work carried out by the suffrage movement and strive for gender equality. There's no doubt we still have a long way to go in this fight!

Just as I was about to stop writing there was some related "news". Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp wants photographers to stop taking revealing pictures of females on the red carpet. I agree that the paparazzi should not be doing this, but isn't it the choice of the women as to what attire they wear. Knowing what photographers are like, if they didn't want revealing pictures either don't go on the red carpet (you know you're going to get your photo taken!) or wear clothing that covers you up. She makes it sound as though the paparazzi are responsible for those women wearing tacky clothing, which they are not. Definitely a case of both sides being in the wrong! I don't really understand the craving to dress yourself in revealing clothing, it is possible to cover up and be attractive, something I don't think a lot of women understand. There's no doubt in my mind that these type of debates will roll on and on.

Many thanks to OR Books for an ARC, I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Women of Resistance is such an empowering, inspiring, and necessary collection of poetry and prose. Through these words I've been liberated, enraged, saddened, and enlightened, feeling so many emotions at the turn of a few pages. I experienced such a strong emotional connection to so many of the writings, all from such a diverse group of women. At times reading was intense, however, I am glad to have read Women of Resistance. Some writings left impressions on me that will last for some time. Others made me consider my own experiences and how they've impacted the decisions I make.

I am recommending this book to other women who I know will appreciate these powerful words. Diverse representation is so necessary and I thank OR Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title.