A Woman Like Me Review by Tony Rodriguez
Reviewed By:
Tony Rodriguez
Review Rating:
5 Stars – A Hell of a Tale!
Reviewed by Tony Rodriguez for Amazon
“A Woman Like Me” takes the reader on a journey, a struggle, a discovery. It does this in much the same way as life does; gradually and almost inexorably. The reader is swept up in the protagonist’s events, struggles, victories, and developments. It’s only after a couple hundred pages, and in retrospect, that the reader appreciates just how much life our anti-heroine has lived.
The protagonist is a trans-gender woman, but this is neither a “trans” nor a “woman’s” tale. She is multi-racial, but the story is not about her being so. We are confronted with corruption at various levels, but do not expect a morality tale. The reader travels along with the heroine through numerous forms of exploitation and brutality, but the story does not focus on these. Rather, this is a personal story of one woman who just happens to be multi-racial and transgender, and is who making her way through a world where corruption, exploitation, evil and brutality confront her. Ms. Rodriguez draws the reader in naturally to empathize with the heroine, and thereby experience this world alongside her.
The reader’s journey spans decades and traverses continents. We travel through, and experience numerous rich, diverse cultures. More importantly, we follow the protagonist’s inner journey and growth. Ms. Rodriguez weaves a deep and richly textured tapestry of characters that our anti-heroine encounters. She weaves all the actors through the story so deftly that the reader never loses the forest for the trees.
This is a gritty, grimy and emotional warrior’s journey. One becomes emotionally invested in the heroine; not because she is wonderful or full of grace, but because she is a vulnerable human whose struggles, battles, suffering and hopes often resonate. We follow the protagonist and root for her because in her we see glimpses or different versions of ourselves.
This is a page-turner. Rodriguez guides the reader through an intricate, detailed and well fleshed-out journey without ever bogging down. As you follow this woman’s story you go beyond the role of a reader and become a passenger on her journey. As with her prior novel, “A Fortunate Accident,” you will be sated but hungry to continue the journey.