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Reviewed by Jennie More for Readers' Favorite
Gender by Anne Harding Woodworth is two short novellas in rhyme and free verse form questioning the meaning of gender. The first story is about a young woman Martina who wants to join her father when he joins the monastery, and because she has no apparent female features, it is easy for her to pretend to be male. When one of the visitors to the Inn sleeps with the owner's 14-year-old daughter, Bronwyn, her mother drops the baby off at the monastery and accuses Brother Martin of impregnating her daughter. Father Ralph banishes Martin/Martina from the monastery, and she is happy to raise the baby as her son, known to her son as his father. The second story is about an end-of-the-world story with only a few survivors, the Builders who never mate, the Weavers, and the Fennel Men all living separate lives with different trades. Upon the attempted killing of one of their own, distrust develops between the groups, and it's up to the future generations to mend the rift.
Gender by Anne Harding Woodworth includes two unusual stories about gender, which arouse interest and profound questions regarding the definition of gender--male versus female, mother versus father--especially in the first story about Martin/Martina, who was a father to Dino. Yet when Dino learns the truth and asks Bronwyn about his birth father, Bronwyn gives a beautiful description of what a father is – someone who is present, who cares for you and loves you, not someone who only shares your blood. During this dialogue, the story's meaning became evident, unraveling my definition and even stereotypes of gender. Gender by Anne Harding Woodworth is phenomenal – compelling, fascinating, complex, and meaningful, leaving you deeply introspective as you contemplate the story's deeper meaning. I think all good books should leave you questioning your sense of reality and Gender certainly achieves that.
