Cathi Hanauer
The Bitch in the House
Women today have more choices than at any time in history, yet many smart, ambitious contemporary women are finding themselves angry, dissatisfied, stressed out. Why are they dissatisfied? And what do they really want? How do they negotiate the immediate demands of their families with the exigencies of their careers? How do they satisfy themselves and the expectations of others? How do they forge lasting, meaningful relationships with others in the midst of fragmentary, hectic lives?
These questions and others form the premise of this passionate, provocative, funny, breathtakingly honest collection of original essays in which 26 women writers invite readers into their lives, minds, and bedrooms to talk about the choices they've made, what's working, and what's not.
With wit and humor, in prose as poetic and powerful as it is blunt and dead-on, these intriguing women -- ranging in age from 24 to 65, single and childless or married with children or four times divorced -- offer details of their lives that they've never publicly revealed. And in turning their magnifying glasses on their own lives, these writers expose many of the surprising realities of everyday life for women.
The result is an intimate sharing of experience that will move, amuse, and enlighten. This is the sound of the collective voice of successful women today, in all their anger, grace, and glory.
Questions for Discussion
Harper Collins Publishers have prepared a Reading Group Guide with questions for your Reading Group for The Bitch in the House.
Food Rec
To capture the feel of the book, we opted for the chocolate truffles. Women, wine, sharing, and chocolate. We can't think of anything better.