Three women connected by violence

The Eye of the Beholder by Margie Orford is an unsettling book. It’s a story about how male violence affects women, their relationships and how they see the world. It’s also a book about vengeance.

 Cora flees a man through the Canadian wilderness. She’s met Yves through her work as an artist but now she needs to escape him. She grew up in South Africa and her experiences as a child form the subject matter for a recent exhibition of miniatures which has shocked the art world. Angel works in a wolf sanctuary in Canada and becomes involved in the search for Yves when he disappears. She has had an abused childhood and has taken revenge on her stepfather and is now on probation. Freya is Cora’s daughter and her life has become the focus of attention because of her mother’s work and the assumptions which others are making from it. The lives of all three women will become involved with each other.

The author knows that not all men are abusers, and this book doesn’t suggest that, but where she portrays male violence to women she has no pity for the men and she portrays clearly the way that lives are broken and destroyed by these acts. All three of these women have been severely affected by male violence but they are also strong women who take their lives into their own hands to overcome what has happened. The book doesn’t dwell on the actual acts of violence and hints at much of it but concentrates on the lives of the women.

I am not a supporter of retaliation or revenge and thus I find it difficult to sympathise with what Angel and Cora do, although I totally understand that they have few other options. I can see that the author thinks that their actions strengthen and empower the women and that is how she presents the story and why, despite the subject matter, it has an upbeat feeling at the end. I think the story is clever and well written and is an interesting look at important issues but I didn’t particularly enjoy it and nor did I support the overall message of the book. This might be one for a good discussion at a book club.