Daughters of the North (P.S.) (Paperback)

by Sarah Hall (Author)
Key Phrases: dog box, Jackie Nixon, High Street, Beacon Hill (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Chronicling a journey of violence, oppression and fleeting liberation, this brutal third novel from the author of The Electric Michelangelo is a timely feminist commentary on war, gender, politics and identity. Set in a dystopian near-future northern U.K. where global warming, a fuel crisis, drug epidemics and a cruel totalitarian regime known as the Authority have savaged the land and people, the story is told by Sister, a young woman living in cramped terrace quarters. Sterilized against her will (the result of the Authority's female sterilization policy) and forced to work in a New Fuel factory, Sister escapes to seek out Carhullan, a shadowy all-female commune run by the enigmatic Jackie Nixon. Carhullan is a hard-knocks utopia, in which women's strengths and passions grow from manual labor, paramilitary training and intense, sometimes sexual, friendships. As the threat of the Authority grows, Sister rises in the ranks of the Carhullan resistance force, oblivious to the increasing similarities between the Authority and Jackie's seductive, psychological control. Though the climax and denouement are sloppily handled, the overall effect is haunting, timely and well wrought. (Apr.)
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Review
"A ferocious dystopian novel…Hall’s dystopian story of resistance and struggle…must be read at the same time as a kind of optimism, striking in its final pages a defiant chord that reminds us power can sometimes be defeated, if not always, and if always at great cost." -- Independent Weekly (Durham, NC)

"If you liked Children of Men, give this sci-fi page-turner a read. Sister exists in a dystopian future where the UK is under a totalitarian regime." -- OK! Magazine (FIVE STARS)

"Jackie is not infallible, and her methods in pursuit of the greater good are not always kind. But that is what makes Daughters of the North a novel, not an allegory. Hall has created a complex, tight work about hope springing out of resistance." -- NPR's "BOOKS WE LIKE" (Jessa Crispin of BookSlut.com reviewing)

"The heroine of Sarah Hall’s novel is known only as Sister. She, like Hall’s prose, is raw, brave, and suprising, both to herself and to the reader...The book is remarkable for its lovingly accurate portrayal of women…the themes it raises are powerful in the present." -- Boston Phoenix, (WORD UP)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 209 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061430366
• ISBN-13: 978-0061430367
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #327,259 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible story and psychological study, but not for everyone, May 6, 2008

By	Kat (Honolulu, HI) - See all my reviews

This book has become one of my absolute favorites. The story telling is phenomenally direct yet composed. The plot runs a little thick and close to home, makes you want to loosen your collar a little bit and seriously consider all those jokes you've made about moving to another country. For any woman who has ever wanted to cry out in defiance, this book will soothe you. My only caution is this is not a light beach read; it's a little rough in subject matter in parts and I would not recommend it to young adult readers.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing ..., May 28, 2008

By	Kisabel "Kisabel" (Newtown PA USA) - See all my reviews

Reminiscent of (but inferior to) the Handmaid's Tale - an interesting take on a radically dystopian & totalitarian future society. Other Amazon reviewers have referenced global warming as the source of the unnamed environmental disaster, but the book itself does not specify this. Actually, the book is vague on most of the details about how Britain came to suffer this horrible fate.

Good story, interesting & strong female characters. A bit heavy-handed, and the ending feels cut short. There more to this story than the author chose to tell - the book skips over the time between our "heroines" planning their rebellion to the end of the battle, which I found quite unsatisfying.

Overall interesting, but I would borrow from the library instead of purchase.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-written, thought provoking read...., August 11, 2008

By	Peaches (Yorba Linda, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I thought this was excellent. Definitely not your light-hearted beach read, but still, I couldn't put it down and was up late 2 nights in a row trying to finish it. I am just guessing that the writer accomplished what she had hoped, with me at least. It made me think more deeply about our world--pollution, conflict, terrorism, war, food shortages, genocide and how we react to all these things. The importance of gender equality, standing up for your beliefs.....I could go on and on. I found the characters interesting and "Sister" likeable. I especially enjoyed her journey to a strong and healthy warrior, even though part of me found it sad. The ending was a bit abrupt, but I think it was because addt'l info wasn't necessary and perhaps would've distracted from the poignancy of the ending.