... focuses on cultural and religious attitudes about menstruation, period poverty and humanitarian efforts to make menstrual products accessible to anyone who needs them ... Organized into five sections that arc toward making visible what has often been regarded as unspeakable, the book begins with an exploration of the stigmas that surround menstruation ... Throughout, Diamant draws on historical examples that are at once horrifying and ridiculous ... Diamant continues that effort around the world, by posing questions of dignity, justice and access, and documenting the ongoing efforts of organizations to address them.Though this book is pitched as an essay collection, it reads more like an overview or progress report. Diamant has compiled a trove of moving anecdotes, statistics and news reports that can seem thrown rather than threaded together. Nevertheless, this hopeful celebration of menstruation will be a useful tool for raising awareness.
The pages of Period. End of Sentence. are filled with rich personal testimonies, details on political organizing strategy, and Diamant’s own wisdom on issues ranging from religious rituals surrounding menstruation to pop culture celebrations of periods to menstrual product marketing critiques. Woven throughout are powerful firsthand accounts from activists and everyday people alike: of bittersweet first (and worst) period stories, of grappling with the trauma of period poverty, and of surviving deeply held stigma and shame. Diamant knowingly and lovingly represents it all—with the keen eye of a reporter, the soul of a storyteller, and the voice of a trusted narrator ... Her commitment to social justice and dignity for all shines through.
Diamant examines all things menstrual in this expansive collection of anecdote, history, and pop culture criticism ... The wealth of information and anecdote can feel disjointed at times, but the effect is powerful nonetheless, and lands as a repository of information rarely in the spotlight. For young women, especially, this will provide a fascinating look back and powerful impetus to work for a shame-free future.
