It’s a (Wo)Man’s World - Stella Beake - REVIEW

With inequality being one of the biggest issues to affect human society since its beginnings, it’s always refreshing to have some intelligent and thought-provoking commentary on the subject, particularly when the majority of political discussion on a chosen topic is riddled with bigotry, misinformation and excessive crassness. Stella Beake is one such writer who has navigated a universal category of inequality with passion and understanding and invites readers to join her for the journey in her novel, It’s a (Wo)Man’s World.

It’s a (Wo)Man’s World is a fictional narrative set in the later part of the 21st century where a gender role reversal has been taken to the extreme. Not only have women been implemented as the ruling class in society across the majority of planet Earth, but men’s rights and privileges have been castrated to an almost untenable level. Whilst law enforcement, the government, and the economy are populated and controlled by women on virtually every front, men are permitted to do very little without the authorisation of their female family members, landlords or superiors. This includes walking alone at night, handling money, pursuing an academic career, or performing any form of sexual act. Worse still, men caught breaking any of these strictures will be arrested and sent to the ‘Dude Cities’, perimeters of society notorious for the chilling anarchic chaos created by the men imprisoned inside of them.

When Marcus, a humble legalised brothel worker with a love of history, gets to know his landlady Emmy a little better, it appears that not all women are happy with this new supposed utopia, and so begins a journey of mystery and deceit where all is not what it seems, and the path to true equality in society is a great deal more complex than one may first imagine. Family loyalties, past regrets and a desire to appease the greater good are all brought to the table in a story containing its fair share of twists and turns.

The first striking element to this book, and one which readers are sure to pick up on fairly quickly is the amount of historical and political knowledge Stella Beake applies to her narrative. The real-time transition from a world ruled by patriarchy to that of the fictitious Cooperative Feminism World Order (CFWO) which governs humanity in an almost 1984-esque grip, is described to have occurred off the back of real-life events in the timeline we currently live in. These include the prevailing misogyny advocated in the form of world leaders such as Donald Trump, the ineffectiveness of male-led climate pledges, the numerous mistakes made during the 2020 Covid pandemic, and the abolition of girls’ education at the hands of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

All of these events as well as the rise of the suffragette movement in centuries past are covered in detail and used to weave a future society where the aforementioned problems are confronted with totalitarian resolve, making this a future where many changes for the better have been made, only to be replaced with a whole new breed of inequality and oppression. Because of this, the book poses many fascinating questions and does so by grounding itself in reality.

Much of the book's narrative comes from a very earnest and human place, where the characters occupying this story, both male and female, take centre stage and build the future world of the CFWO for readers from the ground up. Every character is refreshingly flawed, and their turbulent mindsets drive the unpredictable journey taken in this story. For every informative retrospect Stella Beake provides on women’s roles in society past and present, there is an equal amount of drama and storytelling. This even combination is what gives this book its wings. As the hidden motivations and resolve of the cast slowly reveal themselves, the complicated nature of living in an imperfect society grows ever more profound, giving audiences a lot to think about, as well as highlighting the unparalleled truth that no person is perfect no matter the reasoning behind their actions.

When discussing how women are viewed and treated in society over the ages, it’s important to cover the topic with maturity, and this book is a notable example of how that can be achieved within a fictional setting. It does so in a thoughtful progressive manner which seeks to belittle neither men nor women but instead accurately displays the truth of a real world in which men have been propagated as the superior gender throughout history. In doing so Stella Beake is able to discuss the topic in all the nuance and complexity it warrants.

It’s a (Wo)Man’s World is a refreshing and engaging novel which manages to strike the perfect balance between presenting an engaging story, and giving its readers something to think about. In an age where division and sexism remain a prevailing issue throughout our society, level-headed conversation is a vital tool, and this is what Stella Beake provides with expert flow. Her work is stylish, exciting, and the ideal way for audiences to reacquaint themselves with one of the most pressing issues of the modern world. To say any more would be to spoil the surprises, suffice it to say that this novel is highly recommended.

You can order your own copy of It’s a (Wo)Man’s World from Amazon.