This was a thoroughly interesting read. it was the perfect mixture of both informational and memoir. I learned so much from reading this and will return to it many times in the future.

An attempt to redefine how we think about this important, and often neglected, part of the female anatomy. An essential read.

Lynn is hilarious, brilliant, and sometimes cuttingly insightful. I really enjoyed this - so witty and delightful. And what a great cover!

Vagina by Lynn Enright is a myth busting educational book about an often misunderstood part of human anatomy.

This book is easy to read, the author is considerate to her audience and is straight to the point with no waffle.
She discusses her own personal feelings and experiences, some which are comical, others sadly aren't.

A good book that was well worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lynn Enright and Atlantic Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

You think you know about your own body and its functions, then a book comes along about a particular body part and you realise you had no idea at all! A book I wish had been around in my younger days, a fascinating and clever book which educates but doesn't talk down to an audience. I may order a physical copy to read on public transport to watch people's reactions!

I would urge everyone to read Lynn Enright's “Vagina” - not just women. I found the author's observations and thoughts around trans inclusion and feminism interesting (and sensible) at a time when there is a great deal of sensitivity around potential female erasure. Enright has clearly undertaken a staggering amount of research for this book and there are some fabulous references and recommendations for further investigation at the end. “Vagina” is well-written, in plain language, making it a highly informative, accessible and empowering read.

Enright's book on the vagina (and the vulva, as they are not one and the same despite most people using the term vagina for the whole area) looks at why it is that so many people don't know anatomical detail or what a healthy and normal vulva looks like, and why women's health and sexual satisfaction seem to be afterthoughts. From the coy naming of the parts through the hiding or downplaying of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, this book spells it all out, but Enright also reiterates that we are more than our reproductive organs.

It will annoy you that girls are made to feel they need plastic surgery on their genitals to look "normal", that it takes years of pain to get a diagnosis of endometriosis, and that fertility issues are automatically assumed to be on the woman's part even though it's not always the case. This is an inclusive no-nonsense guide for anyone with a vulva and vagina who wants to know more. I really wish this book had been around when I was in my early teens.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Atlantic Books / Allen & Unwin, for the opportunity to review an ARC. .

An absolutely must-read for anyone who has a vagina, and I would go as far as recommending it to anyone who is open-minded and in a close intimate relationship with someone who has a vagina. I learnt so much, it is outrageous thinking that I have lived 23 years of my life not knowing the basics of what having a vagina implies. It is tremendously enriching, surprising and empowering.

The only problem I found in the book is that in some sections the balance between historical facts, scientific and biological facts, feminist theory/claims and the author's experiences is lost. At some points it felt like the author hadn't found enough feminist critics talking about certain topics, and specially around the 20% of the book I felt more feminist responses were needed. Nevertheless, in the rest of the book the balance is adjusted according to the needs of each chapter and topic.

However, the book does an amazing job at putting out there a lot of information that usually is not within reach. I - a 23 year old woman that is not planning to have children any time soon and has her period regularly - still enjoyed reading the "pregnancy" and "menopause" parts. They were extremely enlightening and made me reconsider many things about the effects and consequences of having a vagina and its implications.

All in all, please, read it - specially if you have a vagina.

If you ever needed a guidebook to the modern-day vagina, this is the one that should be pressed into your hands. Perhaps this book should be made required reading in schools that get squeamish about teaching proper sex education to girls and young women. All across the world, even in the most economically prosperous societies, people with vaginas are not being taught about them. Sex education, when it exists, is often awful. For me and my Catholic school education, where the only unplanned pregnancy they accepted was the one that happened to a 14 year old Virgin Mary, this book was completely eye-opening.

Enright is always on the mark, exploring sex education, the anatomy of the vagina- both internal and external- menstruation, menopause, sex education for LGBTQIA+ people, trans and intersex opinions on vaginas, pregnancy, abortion and everything else that we as women and non-binary pals should already know. It's a testament to how shitty sex-ed is in the UK that I found myself learning a new thing on every other page. She writes with transparency and simplified explorations of the female anatomy so anyone can understand what's going on.

This is an excellent look at how we as women- regardless of whether we have vaginas or not- need to get educated and truly understand what goes on in our bodies. Enright consistently notes how society is often against the flourishing and outspokenness of female sexuality, and she argues that we should own our individuality and make educate ourselves further. Clearly, sex-ed isn't going to teach us. A seminal book that deserves praise and attention from every facet of our society.

I loved every page of the book. I think there are so many information out there about our own body what a woman need to know. This book is amazing and reasuring women about think positively about their body.

I love how this book give empowerment to woman to talk about their body and do not feel ashame to call it on name, check and talk about their vulva, vagina or any other part.

In this book Lynn Enright explores the marginalisation and misunderstandings around the vagina and vulva in common knowledge, science, and medicine. Enright investigates the biology of the vulva and deconstructs binary concepts of sex, gender, and genitalia, presenting thorough and well-researched information through a combination of statistical analysis and personal testimonies. Enright approaches feminist concepts with a clear voice and argues that an intersectional understanding of feminism and an emphasis on education around the vulva and vagina in feminist politics are not opposing ideas.

'There is sometimes a sense that to be a feminist who cares about vaginas is to be a person who does not care about trans rights. I reject this notion completely. To put it plainly, I think the suggestion that a woman can’t care about vaginas and trans rights is deeply misogynistic.
[...]
I do not believe that there has to be a battle between those who care about vaginas and those who care about trans rights. I think it is possible to care about both.'

I personally found much of the information on the menopause fascinating, as there is little general information about it and many women are reticent to share their experiences. The statistics about the representation of middle-aged men and women in film and television was shocking, and shows how the stories and knowledge of older women are silenced and censored through popular culture.

'Aged 42– 65, men had 55 million words: this was when they were most powerful, when they delivered impassioned monologues or portrayed sparring lawyers or wooed much younger women with long-winded jokes. Aged 42– 65, women had 11 million words. They were being disappeared.'

One thing I found disappointing was the lack of information about Lichen Sclerosus. Enright described a multitude of medical conditions and symptoms, particularly those that affect perimenopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women, and yet didnt make a single mention of Lichen Sclerosus at all. Some conditions she mentions: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM), cystitis, UTIs, vulvodynia, vaginal dryness, etc. She also goes into detail about hormone changes during the menopausal stages. LS is a serious and incurable condition found in all ages, but according to current statistics mostly in post-menopausal women (although in my opinion that's a result of lack of awareness and data). It causes scarring, atrophy, difficulty with sex, itching, and increased risk of cancer. Perhaps Enright didn't include LS because of the historic lack of scientific research and persistent misdiagnoses and lack of knowledge of the condition amongst doctors, but that ignorance is exactly the problem that this book is trying to interrogate.

Ultimately I enjoyed Enright's authenticity and straightforward voice, and would absolutely recommend this book to anyone with a vulva. This book is focussed specifically on the vagina and vulva and menopause and representation, although with thorough awareness of the complexities of gender and sex in the conversations, and while for the majority of the text she uses cisnormative language, this awareness that binary language and thinking is outdated, is sorely lacking in most texts on this subject.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review.