Cathy’s Corner is back for the new year!
I love when my friend, Cathy, reaches out to me with a new review without my prompting. That’s how I know that she has a really good book to share with you all! Whisper Network is definitely on my TBR now thanks to her.
Let’s begin the review!
Cathy’s Rating of Whisper Network
Cathy’s Review
A Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection…
Whisper Network by Chandler Baker is a riveting, fast-paced novel about a toxic work environment and the women who speak up about it. Ardie, Grace, and Sloane alternate perspectives while in between the chapters are interviews with various characters alluding to the story’s horrific climax. At the beginning of the traditional chapters is the perspective of the “whisper network”, a collective of working women. Similar to A Good Neighborhood and The Mothers, this additional outlook gives extra meaning to the book’s plot points confirming that these women are not alone. When a new lawyer named Katherine joins the firm the three women work at, she begins to experience harassment from a high-ranking man in line to become the next CEO. This causes Sloane to add Katherine’s offender to a circulating spreadsheet called The BAD Men, an anonymous list that details the wrongdoings of men around Dallas. Each woman is already juggling the stress of being a working mother, will workplace dynamics send them over the edge?
I thought this story was a mostly realistic look into sexism in the workplace, making it a timely and familiar story. I was especially moved by the author’s personal note at the end where she wrote about the women who helped her navigate a male-dominated law office. The addition of the “whisper network” illustrates how this is a universal issue, not just in the law world. While the three women are the main characters and perspectives, another perspective (Rosalita, one of the cleaning professionals at the office) has a compelling story and leaves readers with a resonant quote: “When another woman offers to help you, you take it.” I highly recommend reading the Whisper Network, which just goes to show you that when Reese Witherspoon recommends a book, you listen.
Meet the Guest Blogger – Cathy Wolters
Cathy Wolters is a lover of all things books! She works in an elementary school’s library and is going to school for a Masters of Library Science. She loves to read contemporary fiction, memoirs, young adult fiction, and any picture book she can get her hands on. When Cathy isn’t reading, she enjoys going on walks with friends, going to concerts, cuddling with her cat (Newton), and adventuring with her lovely husband (Caleb).
Whisper Network Book Information
- Published: 2019
- Publisher: Flatiron Books
- ISBN: 9781250319470
- Format: Hardback (purchased through Book of the Month)
- Length: 352 pages
Archetypes & Anecdotes 
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