A Cowardly Woman No More
In lively storytelling form, A Cowardly Woman No More is the adventure of Trisha Donahue, age forty-four, who begins to change forever when the company she works for denies her a well-earned promotion, and gives it instead to a much less qualified man. She’d been a star team player, determined to fit in, while putting up with—as the only woman in her department—frequent teasing and belittling. But a moment will arrive when she finds a chance to take steps in a different direction.
There came to me the secret feeling that I was a coward.
This is a novel of reckoning. Of someone figuring out the possibility of a transformation. Looking at her life, Trisha does truth-telling in a voice that can be lyrical, funny, blunt, pissed off, sad, and exuberant. Along the way, on a journey taking place in one momentous day, she encounters people who help her, from a cast of supporting characters rendered vividly and memorably. And at home is the emotionally vibrant family of her husband and kids, who are changed alongside her, because she meets the right moment and says yes to it.
Praise
Publishers Weekly, Best Books of 2023
“Captivating…This elegant and off-kilter upending of the office novel sings.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“I have been a fan of Ellen Cooney’s for years, and she is in undeniably brilliant form once again here. Masterfully told, full of surprise, built from unforgettable sentences that sing, whisper, or shout, A Cowardly Woman No More is utterly compelling from its first fiery comet of a page to its last.” —Laird Hunt
“The book unspools, with grace, humor, and perceptive depth, over the course of a single ordinary, extraordinary day. It is, in part, an office novel, and Cooney nails the soul-dulling absurdity of certain working lives. And it is, in part, a much stranger and more magical thing…Cooney’s great skill as we press against the limits of the real is that we are with her in every moment; her language is unshowy, matter-of-fact, human, and she is also open — and opens us — to the inexplicable, the wild magic, the stuff we can’t make sense of all the way.” —Nina MacLaughlin, Boston Globe
“After eight years with “the company,” Trisha Donahue, the ideal candidate for an imminent promotion, is stunned when an underqualified man gets the job…Trisha is unequivocally likable. She has long endured workplace sexism and acknowledges the culture that fosters it, starting with the childhood lesson to “never speak up.” A Cowardly Woman No More, narrated by a newly assertive heroine, is an inspiring literary reminder that the era of the classic feminist revenge movie 9 to 5 isn’t yet history.” —Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany NY, in Shelf Awareness
“A Cowardly Woman No More is a feminist novel, but it’s more than a Me Too take on gender equity and inequality. It speaks to girls and women crushed by the limiting rules and expectations of others. It makes us think about ourselves. What can we do differently to move beyond who we became?” —Lorraine Kleinwaks, Enchanted Prose
“The engaging directness of her narrative—its spokenness, sharpness of vision and recall, and willingness to place an exclamation point at the end of a sentence when she amazes herself—comprise her bravery.” —Ron Slate, On the Seawall
“Cooney is remarkably adept at capturing inner crises within an individual and the imperfect but real connections between people…A shining example of human frailty and endurance.” —Kirkus Review
“A truly lovely read, funny at times, and poignant, and an interesting portrait of a type of person I’m sure we all have met, or maybe actually are.” —Davida Chazan, TCL Book Reviews
“Who should read this book? Every woman who has silently screamed after an encounter with an entitled male boss. Every woman who has given years to a job only to be passed over for a promotion…Cooney’s writing is a delight, and every woman who has gone against her best judgement to ‘fit in’ will love her book.” —Mary Ann Grossman, Twin Cities Pioneer Press
“Funny and strange, over the course of one seemingly ordinary turned extraordinary day.” —Most Anticipated Books 2023, The Millions