Chandler Baker used to be a corporate lawyer and in her 2019 novel Whisper Network she really writes about what she knows. A New York Times bestseller, as well as Reese's Book Club's pick for July 2019, be prepared for bullying, sexism, gaslighting, infidelity, physical abuse, pregnancy, sexual assault, racism, rape, classism, death, mental illness, sexual harassment, and possible murder/suicide.
Sloane, Ardie, and Claire have all worked for the athletic apparel company Truviv for years, and generally speaking it's not been too bad. But the sudden death of the company's CEO puts the whole company on edge as they try to choose a new CEO. On the shortlist is Sloane, Ardie, and Claire's boss, Ames. When a new lawyer starts at the company, Sloane notices that Ames is taking a personal interest in her. His reputation has long been shadowed by insinuations and whispers of how he treats women, and the women realize that if he becomes CEO he will no longer have anyone to stop him. They decide that enough is enough, it's time to take a stand. But Ames does not take the news of their allegations well.
This book does a great job showcasing all of the small harassments that most women face on a daily basis that we chose to ignore to not cause waves. All of the little changes we make to make ourselves more palatable, easier to work with. You get to experience chapters from several different characters: Sloane, Ardie, Claire, and Rosalita, how the four of them interact with each other, their relationships to Ames, their relationships to their families. The main plotline is between the three main characters and their company, but their are several smaller, very interesting lines that I enjoyed reading about as well. All in all, it was not the most lighthearted read, but it was still very good. And the characters were downright funny.
I'm giving Whisper Network by Chandler Baker 4.5 stars out of 5. I'll definitely look into some more of Chandler Baker's works, this book made me interact with it in a way most do not. I laughed out loud, I scoffed (also out loud), and I berated the characters as they didn't answer the phone when I really, really wanted them to. Read it, you'll know when you get there.
For more work from Chandler Baker, check out her website at https://www.chandlerbakerbooks.com/
Pairs well with olive tapenade on crackers and an away message in your email.
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