I am Subject Stories: Women Awakening

I am Subject Stories: Women Awakening – edited by Diane DeBella

 I’ll start with my usual preface that anthologies are somewhat tricky to review due to the variety of authors, topics, and writing styles. That being said, “I am Subject Stories: Women Awakening” is a very impressive anthology. Diane DeBella, author of the collective memoir “I am Subject,” compiles stories from women on the topic of finding or claiming agency in their own lives. DeBella organizes the pieces into four sections, adding flow throughout the book and cohesion within the sections. The individual pieces are astonishing, boldly offered stories of endurance, triumph, and making meaning in less than ideal circumstances. Some essays describe the joy and happiness found in the pursuit of previously suppressed passions or new perspectives on old relationships. Others share harrowing tragedies that irreversibly alter life trajectories or personal struggles against internally or externally imposed limits. No matter the details, all the stories convey unyielding fortitude and optimism, humbly offering inspiration along with fallibility, vulnerability, and hope.