Book Review·Book Review｜A Winter Recipe: Farewell to Wintering in March

March is the month connected with women❤️; it is the month when the ice and snow melt, the late spring cold is gone, and it is as warm as spring; the poem "Fireworks in Yangzhou in March" not only carries the beauty of "Yangzhou", but also creates the feeling of "Three Years" The scenery of "Moon" and "Fireworks". I don’t know if it is because of such a seasonal reason that we associate March with women to describe this soft and beautiful season of birth of life.

The two previous winter recipes have kept me company for several months. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I can finally see the sun every day again! I have also read to the end of the book "Wintering". Maybe this is the slowest book I read 😂

The chapter "March" consists of "Survival" and "Singing". In Survival, Catherine talks about how we humans "overwinter" in a metaphorical sense in order to establish more social connections, because social connections are the ultimate cure for us.

Actually, I totally agree and feel the same here. Not long ago, I was still trapped in the web of lies I had compiled over the years, dragging myself along with the one I loved despite my own safety, just because I had no self-awareness and distance. At that time, I thought that the most important person in my life was not myself, my loved ones or my children, but always my parents. Just like that, I kept being afraid and being entangled until I found that when I turned around, there was no one around me. This suffocating isolation is terrifying and bone-deep. Now, I can enjoy a freedom that I have never felt before, and slowly build new social circles, whether online or offline. I can also gradually feel my emotions more clearly, and gain the joy of caring from social connections. At the same time, you can also give the same thing back to others. ❤️

I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, but after “Survival”, Catherine also turned to women—talking about singing and voices in the chapter “Singing”. Although the entire society's requirements for women are not limited to voice, voice is definitely an important part. The vicissitudes of life can be heard in the voice, and aren’t most of our expressions conveyed through voice?

Catherine used Thatcher as an example: Mrs Thatcher took her famous oratory course after becoming the British Prime Minister. During the course, she not only had to lose her own hairstyle and dressing style, but was also instructed by the famous television producer Gordon Reece on how to speak with a deeper, more certain voice. In addition, Mrs. Thatcher also worked with someone from the National Theater to train how to breathe and how to slow down when speaking, not allowing her voice to be confrontational or provocative. She needs to sound like a mother or nanny, encouraging people toward her decision by speaking with conviction; and even sometimes, she needs to sound like a lover, whispering pillow talk.

The example of Margaret Thatcher is interesting. Catherine May said that Mrs. Thatcher’s voice was not allowed to challenge the existing patriarchy at all. On the contrary, it was always necessary to use a seductive voice to carry the language. I thought of Wu Zetian. I remember there are books that record that the Empress Wu Zetian was beautiful and very good at makeup and dressing up. However, as the all-powerful Empress and Emperor, Wu Zetian did not have much ability to "govern the country" like other male emperors (😂 reminds me of a book) record. This is also what Empress Dowager Cixi faced later. In the same way, the video of the young prime minister of Finland having a dance party was leaked and she was also attacked. However, when she was attacked, the word "female prime minister" was always added. Many people thought she was not decent, but there were very few Some people condemned the person who let the video leak...

These are not extreme examples. Last year, a lot happened from the time the chained girls incident broke out to Women’s Day in March. Until now, no one knows any follow-up and the whereabouts of the brave girls. The current situation faced by women is sad, but it has been improving in many countries. I want to welcome their works in March and bloom in the sunshine🌹

In the March of Fireworks, I hope to write more articles about women and introduce more works by women through book reviews. In fact, it started last spring:

Tiger Reading, Not Food: "Dear Ijeawele" is for you who are raising daughters

Book Review•Book Review｜#AmINEXT in "On Violence and Violence against Women"

Quick Reading for Commuting｜"We Should All Become Feminists" and "The Hidden Words of Men"

I hope I can write more this month☺️Of course, it’s time to show off #AmINext again. Violence against women has been popping up in the news. Recently, the tragic murder of model Cai Tianfeng broke out in Hong Kong. 😱It’s extremely horrifying. #AmINEXT is a warning, a question, and the beginning of a struggle. It’s really hard to see the women who are at the forefront of many struggles.

On the first day of March, my favorite female writer Elif Shafak tweeted this:

[Elif writes: Young women in Iran have played an important role in the national struggle against blind obedience and oppression. They are brave and outstanding. Today, 900 girls in Iran were poisoned by a chemical gas while in school. The horror is beyond words. 】You can’t tell the whole story from this tweet alone, but it seems that the media did not pay attention to this matter😢Not long ago, a hidden poem tribute was specially added to the canvas restoration project of the Mona Lisa in cooperation with@SpaceDAO To the protesting women in Iran, the proceeds will be donated to women's rights organizations. I hope to give a little support through such a project. Currently, only collectors who have collected the NFT can see this hidden poem. If you want to donate your support, look here 👇

【 Make Mona Lisa Smile Again 】👈

👆Thank you

Today is March 3rd, welcome March