For those familiar with Ensler’s work, much of Reckoning will feel like a jagged replay of her core stories; amply represented are transcripts of speeches she’s delivered at the conferences and forums where she’s become an honored guest, or pieces previously published ... the jump-cut style she’s refined for decades is actually perfectly suited to people who get their news from TikTok, and her rhythmic singling out of particular words... presaged hashtag activism ... Reckoning is, if not a failure, kind of a bloody mess, but defiantly, provocatively, maybe intentionally so. It exhorts readers to confront the worst and ugliest, pleads for progress and peace, and provokes admiration for its resilient, activist author.
A reflection on the personal, an overview of the professional and a reminder of the political, all with undertones of grief, vulnerability and later-in-life perspective ... Unfortunately, V’s conclusions and solutions can sometimes feel vague, overly upbeat — or frankly unrealistic. And although her perspective consistently radiates from the personal to the global, times have changed. Does the world really need another older White woman... speaking on behalf of communities we are not a part of? ... This book comes across as more of a historical documentation of action than a solutions-based pathway to making change. Perhaps that’s part of V’s reckoning, too.
Deeply felt, thoughtful, and lyrical, the narrative offers a reflection on the connectedness of the personal and political and the need for all humanity to reckon fully with its past in pursuit of a more just world. An elegant and timely book.
