rebel readers: our book of the month for November

Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers the Human Story Changes by Elizabeth Lesser

Charlene Storey

Nov 01, 2024

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〰️ welcome to rebel readers! 〰️

I’m so excited to start off the first gathering of the rebel readers - a book club dedicated to women’s stories!

I’ve been so restless to get started and can’t wait to take part in all the brilliant discussions I know we’ll have together.

Taking part is completely free so I really hope you’ll get involved and join in.

〰️ so, what’s the plan? 〰️

On the 1st of each month: I’ll share a new book for us to read with a post just like this one to introduce you to the author and the book. We’ll discuss your initial thoughts in the comments and then have the rest of the month to read the book.
Mid-way through the month: I’ll check in with a discussion prompt in the Chat to see how everyone’s getting on with the book so far. You can find this in the Substack app or at the top of the haver & sparrow homepage here.
In the final week of each month: I’ll share a second post with discussion & journal prompts and a further reading list to help you explore more of the themes and ideas in each book. Discussions will take place in the comments section (which was everyone’s preference in last week’s poll!) so feel free to dip in and out whenever you like.

〰️ our book of the month: november 〰️

Our very first read - I feel I should have prepared a drum roll or a fireworks display for this moment - is…

Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers the Human Story Changes by Elizabeth Lesser.

*look at that cover, isn’t she a beauty? bonus Bear in the background 💘*

〰️ about the author 〰️

Elizabeth Lesser is an author of four books and the co-founder of the Omega Institute, a renowned retreat centre for spiritual and holistic wellbeing. She has given two popular TED talks, been featured on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday and the conference she organised on Women & Power in 2002 became a series at Omega that has now grown into a whole centre dedicated to women’s leadership.

〰️ about the book 〰️

I wanted our first book to give everyone a broader perspective on why women’s stories matter. It’s not just important to us as readers but to our understanding of historical and cultural events as well as the way our present and future is shaped. It’s about the power of narrative to shape reality and that narrative is largely controlled by people who already hold power. Traditionally, that has not been women… But what if it had been?

In Cassandra Speaks, Lesser explores that idea by re-examining the stories we’ve been told about women and power and how our understanding of what it means to be human would be wildly different if it had been shaped through women’s stories and voices. She asks:

What story would Eve have told about picking the apple? Why is Pandora blamed for opening the box? And what about the fate of Cassandra, who was blessed with knowing the future but cursed so that no one believed her? What if women had also told our guiding origin tales, spiritual parables, and hero myths? Imagine if the books written , the movies directed, and the art made by women had consistently been called the “greatest”, the most powerful, the creations that deinfe what it means to be human.
What if women had been the storytellers, too?

This book invites us to consider how listening to women’s voices and making our stories part of the cultural narrative can reshape the way we understand ourselves and the world. The tone of the book is conversational and it’s an entertaining mix of personal anecdotes, literary and historical references, and feminist criticism. The ideas are powerful but it’s not a heavy read, there’s a light touch to it that makes it accessible and enjoyable to read.

It’s also perfect for us to discuss all sorts of ideas around identity, power, and storeylling, and I can’t wait to hear what you think...

〰️ how to join in 〰️

Grab yourself a copy of the book

You can buy a copy of the book here or on any book site you prefer. It’s also available on Audible here and for Kindle here. And if you have a library nearby, it may be stocked there too - always worth a look! Our local library has some free audio and e-book apps now so it’s worth investigating whether yours does as well, if you’d like a digital copy.

To read the whole book within the month you can take a few different approaches but if you like these things broken down into manageable chunks it’ll be about 10 pages a day. Alternatively, curl up when you have a spare afternoon or, if it’s tricky to get that time for yourself, maybe try listening to the audiobook on your commute or when you’re doing chores.

And if you’ve any tips of your own for developing a steady reading habit, share them in the comments - it’s always useful to hear other options.

Let us know you’re reading along

You could comment below, tag me on Notes with a photo of the book, or re-stack this post with a note to let everyone know you’re joining in. And if you’re annotating your book I’d love to see that too!

Get involved in the discussion

When we get to the end of the month and we’re discussing our thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear your ideas and opinions about the book and the themes Lesser explores. There will be specific discussion prompts to tackle but it’ll be an informal, free-flowing discussion that you can take part in, dip in and out of, or lurk on the sidelines if you prefer.

I might even include a mini podcast episode with some of my reflections and some extra thoughts on the further reading list I’ll be sharing at that point too.

〰️ book club vibes 〰️

One final thing, if you haven’t already seen this Note I shared recently, this is essentially the vibe we’re bringing to book club:

So, let me know what you think of this first pick… Have you read it, or any of Elizabeth Lessers other books, before? Do you agree that it seems like a good choice to get us started? And what are you initial thoughts about re-telling our cultural narratives from the perspective of women? Let me know in the comments!