Animal, the debut novel from the writer of Three Women, opens with a very violent and very public suicide that causes the book’s protagonist to begin aa journey of shocking self-discovery.
Weaving between the past and present day, as Animal explores themes of loss, separation, anxiety, depression, sexual assault, miscarriage, death, lust and rage, as we follow the unravelling and reassembling of Joan who has spent a lifetime enduring the cruel acts of men.
“If someone asked me to describe myself in a single word, depraved is the one I would use.” Joan.
Animal has the patriarchy in its crosshairs, and is never apologetic about its depiction of men and their treatment of women, it is (for this reader at least) a startlingly viewpoint of a women serving a male-dominated society.
Taddeo is a writer who’s star has been in the ascendancy for some time following her contributions to New York magazine, Esquire, Elle, Glamour and, of course, that firebrand bestseller.
With this striking piece of work Taddeo announces her voice as a brilliant ‘new’ talent. Not for the feint of heart.
Animal is available now on Avid Reader Press.
