The Red Word
The Red Word by Sarah Henstra, published by Black Cat in 2018, is a thought-provoking exploration of campus life and the complexities of feminist activism. This edition spans 336 pages and is presented in English. The narrative follows Karen as she navigates her sophomore year, becoming embroiled in the contrasting worlds of a notorious fraternity and a radical feminist house, Raghurst. Through her experiences, the novel delves into themes of ideology, identity, and the impact of rape culture on college campuses.
Readers will find a sharp examination of the tensions between different feminist perspectives, as Karen is drawn into the intellectual fervor of Raghurst while still participating in the social scene at GBC. The story captures the intense dynamics of youth and the polarized nature of campus politics, highlighting the challenges and consequences of activism. With its focus on coming-of-age experiences and the struggles faced by women, The Red Word presents a nuanced look at the intersections of friendship, ideology, and personal growth.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Sarah Henstra’s The Red Word will get you fuming, laughing, cheering, and most of all, thinking.”–Cosmopolitan
A smart, dark, and take-no-prisoners look at rape culture and the extremes to which ideology can go, The Red Word is a campus novel like no other. As her sophomore year begins, Karen enters into the back-to-school revelry–particularly at a fraternity called GBC. When she wakes up one morning on the lawn of Raghurst, a house of radical feminists, she gets a crash course in the state of feminist activism on campus. GBC is notorious, she learns, nicknamed “Gang Bang Central” and a prominent contributor to a list of date rapists compiled by female students. Despite continuing to party there and dating one of the brothers, Karen is equally seduced by the intellectual stimulation and indomitable spirit of the Raghurst women, who surprise her by wanting her as a housemate and recruiting her into the upper-level class of a charismatic feminist mythology scholar they all adore. As Karen finds herself caught between two increasingly polarized camps, ringleader housemate Dyann believes she has hit on the perfect way to expose and bring down the fraternity as a symbol of rape culture–but the war between the houses will exact a terrible price.
The Red Word captures beautifully the feverish binarism of campus politics and the headlong rush of youth toward new friends, lovers, and life-altering ideas. With strains of Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Marriage Plot, Alison Lurie’s Truth and Consequences, and Tom Wolfe’s I Am Charlotte Simmons, Sarah Henstra’s debut adult novel arrives on the wings of furies.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “The Red Word” about?
Who is the author of “The Red Word”?
When was “The Red Word” published?
What is the ISBN for “The Red Word”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
