The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood

The Natural Way of Things

Charlotte Wood

Disturbing and extraordinary, this story provokes more questions than it answers. Dealing with misogyny, sex scandals and punishment, nobody is particularly likeable and yet the book is incredibly readable. The writing is poetic, even in the most unsettling situations, & it makes you think about feminism and the position of women in society. The lack of a satisfying resolution left me angry, which I felt was exactly the author’s intention.

Extract
Her pale bald head gleamed in the gloom. Now and then she used the dunny paper to blot at the liquid seeping from her wound. She’d been crying all day, by the look of her, and now sat motionless, head turtle-low on her neck, barely moving as they all clomped in. Shit scared she was, right down deep inside, more scared than all the rest of them now.
Parallels
  • The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding