It is amazing how many people we pass daily, on our way to classes or sports or clubs, and it is even more amazing to think of how everyone, from the girl sitting next to you in math class to the teacher who scanned you in before school meeting, has a lively, elaborate life story of their own. Cici Curran '20 reviews two novels with protagonists that have much more complicated stories than it may initially seem.
The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins
A change from the everyday mystery novel, The Girl on the Train recounts a refreshingly twisted tale that consistently challenges your moral compass. Though the use of three perspectives, Hawkins makes it confusing for you to determine who exactly is the “good guy," and who exactly can be trusted.
As its title implies, The Girl on the Train is centered around a middle-aged woman named Rachel Watson, who is a severe alcoholic, recently unemployed, and divorced. She is in a downwards spiral, seemingly harassing her ex-husband and his new family. Rachel also pretends she still has a job, continuing her daily routine of riding on the train to London, where she observes the seemingly perfect lives of her ex-husband, his new family, and their neighbors. Throughout the story, you are left constantly wondering if you can trust an alcoholic, a liar, or an obviously biased narrator.
Rachel’s husband, Tom, has moved on and now lives with his new wife, Anna, and their daughter, Evie. Anna is assisted in caring for Evie by Megan. Anna lives a seemingly perfect life with Tom, to the point in which she intentionally brags to Rachel that while her life has gotten better, Rachel’s has fallen apart. While Anna may have relished it in the moment, her actions spur Rachel to escalate her harassing, to the extent that Anna feels that she should begin reporting these incidents to the police.
In addition, Rachel's life intersects with Megan's. Megan also seems to lead a perfect life, but hides many secrets from her past and present. Once Rachel discovers Megan’s secrets, she sets off a cascade of events that eventually lands her into the middle of a serious investigation. Rachel begins to discover that no life is perfect and no person is without flaws.
Verdict: Pick this up if you want a fresh start on a murder mysteries. With twists and turns on every page, you absolutely won’t be able to put The Girl on the Train down.
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Based mainly around the lives of the 'human computers' of NACA (which later became NASA), Hidden Figures brings you into the lives of the women who broke color and sex barriers as they worked tirelessly to help the United States triumph in the Space Race. In a time when women were expected to stay in the domestic sphere and raise the children, and when African Americans couldn’t vote, Shetterly introduces us to some spectacular women.
First, you have Dorothy Vaughn, a genius who limited herself to the profession she thought was all she had, teaching. However, when she saw the opportunity to do something more with NACA, she went for it. Defying the odds, she started a new life, moving to a new place alone and leaving all her family and friends behind. She didn’t shy away from any task at NACA, even if that meant forcing her way into meetings she felt she belonged in. Vaughn quickly climbed the ranks.
Another example of a strong woman is Katherine Johnson (originally Goble). She attended West Virginia State college and later became one of the three African-American students, and the only African-American female, to desegregate the graduate school at West Virginia University. Like Vaughn, she climbed the ranks at NACA. Johnson also held together her household after her spouse's death, balancing both her work and home life.
These two women represent only a fraction of the women who worked day in and day out on getting the first man on the moon while managing their households. The stories of these many different women show how each and every one of them broke barriers in some way or another before most even realized the fact. Shetterly shows us how us how artificial many of limitations imposed based on race and gender were, proving that if you have the talent, you can do anything.
Verdict: If you can get past the dense reading and the many tangents and footnotes thrown at you, you’ll find yourself quickly entangled in the stories of these inspiring women. Pick this up to entertain yourself with the spectacular and intriguing lives of these 'hidden figures.'
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