When She Woke - by Hillary Jordan (Paperback)

About the Book

A stigmatized woman struggles to navigate in an America of the not-too-distant future. She unknowingly embarks on a path of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she holds true, and the righteousness of a country that politicizes faith.

Book Synopsis

Bellwether Prize winner Hillary Jordan's provocative new novel, When She Woke, tells the story of a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of a not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned and rehabilitated but chromed--their skin color is genetically altered to match the class of their crimes--and then released back into the population to survive as best they can. Hannah is a Red; her crime is murder.

In seeking a path to safety in an alien and hostile world, Hannah unknowingly embarks on a path of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she once held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes faith.

Review Quotes

"The Scarlet Letter could unfurl from no better a speculative pen than that held by Hillary Jordan. She takes the seeds of that story and roots them in a world where 'right to life' is the law of the land . . . The result . . . is as compulsively readable as it is thought-provoking."
--The Denver Post

"[A] chilling futuristic novel."--O, The Oprah Magazine --Kirkus Reviews

"[A] provocative, politically charged novel... [Hannah's] journey to reclaim herself is equally chilling and riveting."--Family Circle --The Book Case

"An inventive tale about a new America that has lost its way . . . When She Woke is, at its heart, a tense, energetic and lively paced story about self-discovery and reclamation in the wake of enormous shame. It is a story about the price of love."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"An utterly engrossing story, driven by a heroine as layered and magnetic as Hester Prynne herself, and reminiscent, too, of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Absolutely a must-read."
--Booklist, starred review

"Christian fundamentalists may shun this novel, but book clubs will devour it, and savvy educators will pair it with Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter. Essential."--Library Journal
--Booklist

"In the chillingly credible tomorrowland of Jordan's second novel, Roe v. Wade has been overturned, abortion has been criminalized in 42 states and a vigilante group known as the Fist of Christ brutalizes violators . . . Jordan's feverishly conceived dystopia holds its own alongside the dark inventions of Margaret Atwood and Ray Bradbury."
--The New York Times Book Review

"It reads like a thriller, and one that makes you think hard, to boot. I've already placed this one on my favorite-books-for-book-clubs list."--The Book Case

"Jordan blends hot-button issues such as separation of church and state, abortion, and criminal justice with an utterly engrossing story, driven by a heroine as layered and magnetic as Hester Prynne herself, and reminiscent, too, of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (1985). Absolutely a must-read."--Booklist, starred review--Family Circle

"Jordan manages to open up powerful feminist and political themes without becoming overly preachy--and the parallels with Hawthorne are fun to trace."--Kirkus --Library Journal

"Jordan's take on the hot button issues of our time--separation of church and state, abortion, an imperfect criminal justice system--is compelling."
--San Antonio Express-News

"[A] provocative, politically charged novel . . . [Hannah's] journey to reclaim herself is equally chilling and riveting." --Family Circle

"Hannah's fight for freedom is both a sober warning and a gripping page-turner. Already it reads like a classic." --AARP

"Will spark many an intriguing book club discussion." --The Cleveland Plain Dealer