Book Review: Ode to Women by Silver Phoenix

Reviewed by Jadidsa Perez

A celebration of love, empathy, and the strength found within women

Have you come across a pink talking lemonade maker? Or fallen in love with someone on the Moon and gotten married on Venus? These imaginative, whimsical tales, along with many others, coexist in Ode to Women, a cozy, women-centric anthology of stories and poetry.

Most of the stories feature a female protagonist navigating eccentric and unique circumstances. The characters vary greatly in age, setting, and the challenges they face; the book begins with seven-year-old Woolah and nearly concludes with fifty-year-old Andrea.

While some of the women seek romantic love, it’s not the focal point of all of their stories. What takes center stage is the empathy and kindness that they exert toward friends, family, and even furry creatures. There’s magic, fantasy, and lovable, idiosyncratic characters that create the most comforting atmosphere. Turning the page feels like diving into a completely new adventure, with women taking the lead.

While Ode to Women features a variety of great stories, some are standouts due to their vulnerability and complexity. “Andrea’s Crush,” featuring the aforementioned Andrea, is one such story. Feeling disillusioned by her modest life compared to her more outgoing roommate, Audrey, Andrea sets out to track down her crush from her school years—her professor, Hubert Valance. On her journey to the school, she realizes how unwelcoming life is to an older woman. Most other stories are a parable or have a happier tone, but “Andrea’s Crush” is brutally reflective. This story provides a refreshing change of pace and offers a perspective that is typically disempowered.

Ode to Women also tells stories of specific, real-life women such as Olga Carmona and Sam Kerr. Sports fans might find those names familiar, as Olga and Sam played for Australia and Spain, respectively, in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The poems are simple but full of winsome, uplifting language. Including tributes to both fictional and real women creates a diverse mosaic of experiences for the reader to enjoy.

While most of the stories and poems fit together nicely, the “Healthy Lifestyle and Good Health” section feels a bit like an outlier, including two poems about how to tidy up a bedroom. While the writing is charming and the advice is helpful, the subject matter doesn’t seem to mesh naturally with the overarching theme of womanhood without a connective piece about women’s expectations to clean.

For women readers who love a warm, snug book to cozy up with, this is an easy choice. These stories and poems from multiple women emit an atmosphere that goes perfectly with a cup of tea.

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