Pantsuit Nation by Libby Chamberlain

I requested a copy of Pantsuit Nation from one of the publisher reps who visit the bookstore that I work at. Often times, if a book is not released as an ARC, or Advanced Reader Copy, it is unlikely for a publisher to just send a free copy of a finished book… but this time, I got lucky and the finished copy of Pantsuit Nation was happily awaiting me in my cubby one morning at work!

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Synopsis

Pantsuit Nation celebrates the power of collective storytelling. We amplify the voices of those who have been historically underrepresented, excluded, and marginalized. We listen. We are strong in our diversity. We invite conversation – true conversation – about the issues that are most fundamental to us and to our identities.

We believe that feminism is intersectional. We believe the “women’s rights are human rights.” WE believe that progress around racial justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, rights for people with disabilities, religious freedom, and the first to combat hatred and bigotry in all forms is most effective when emboldened and humanized through first-person narrative. We believe that politics is personal, and that progressive movement happens when the empathetic potential of a story is unleashed.

Stories spark change. Taken individually, a story can create a tiny opening in a once-closed space. It is a glimmer. As Pantsuit Nation, millions of glimmers combine to create the kind of bright light that can’t be ignored or overshadowed.

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Review

Shortly before the election last November, my mother, who is far more present on Facebook than her two twenty-something daughters, shared with us that she had recently joined a Facebook group called Pantsuit Nation. Needless to say, Laura and I were most intrigued – we had all become a bit “news obsessed,” watching the media circus known as Decision 2016 and knew of both our mom’s, and Hillary Clinton’s, obsession with pantsuits.

My mother has worn her power suit for pretty much my entire life as she worked in just about every facet of public education, first for the state of Pennsylvania, and now on a national level. The idea of standing with Hillary in a pantsuit, appealed greatly to our mother’s sensibilities, it was a natural thing for her to do anyway, but for Laura and me, we didn’t usually dress in the power suit vein. But Mom invited Laura and me to the private Facebook group anyway, knowing there was little chance we’d don the garb, but we would enjoy the stories.

And the stories, oh the stories shared in that Facebook group that are now published in print in Pantsuit Nation. They made us smile, they made us cry, they made us angry, and they made us realize that we are not alone. And most importantly, the stories, coming from people off absolutely all walks of life, made us realize that voting for Hillary went so much deeper than wanting a woman in office. Voting for Hillary meant exercising our human right to vote, our human right to stand up to oppression, and our human right to be heard together as one voice, regardless of race, religion, gender identity, etc.

So, should you pick up a copy of Pantsuit Nation? Well, let’s see: Do you feel lost and hopeless in America’s current political climate? Do you need some inspiration and hope? Do you appreciate the power of collective story telling? Is your heart open to change and being inspired by the unexpected? Then yes. Yes, you should.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

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