SOME BIRD
by Gail Ingram (Sudden Valley Press, $30)
Gail Ingram has a very robust feminist case to make in and she sets it out in terms of five phases in a woman’s life. First, the adopted baby girl growing up vaguely understanding she is different from her siblings and not quite wanted. Then, going through puberty and teenagerhood, having to conform to boys’ expectations about unrefined courting. Then reaching young adulthood, married and having everything change as she has to care for a baby of her own. As a housekeeper, she is always under scrutiny with judgments about how “good” she is as a mother. Worse, though (as told in the poemsand That it is clear she is doing all the heavy lifting when it comes to childcare and her husband contributes very little. Which leads to a well-earned separation and independence, but she’s not entirely happy with the way feminism has gone.
