The Whisper Network

Wow. I don't even know where to start with The Whisper Network. Chandler Baker's novel struck me in a way I haven't had a book do in a long time. It's entertaining, gripping, but most importantly relatable. She takes the extremely important and relevant subject of sexual harassment of women in corporate America and sends home a message in a manageable way. Without going into too much detail about my own personal life, I loved this book because it felt like there were parts where she was telling pieces of my own story. It always shakes me when I come across a book that does that.

The book takes place in current day Dallas, and follows four women working for a major athleticware brand. It covers the daily challenges and obstacles women face when balancing their families, career, and motherhood. After the death of their CEO, the women realize that the man next in line to fill the role has predatory behavior. Chandler Baker begins many chapters with the collective "we" talking about regular hoops women jump through daily when trying to fit into a generally male-dominated field. I found these chapter openings especially striking because she puts into writing things I have seen in my own career; it felt like issues I was never allowed to talk about were suddenly part of a conversation.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Their voices felt so real. Chandler Baker did such a good job of covering the myriad of perspectives and opinions that tend to surface in the day-to-day lives of working women. I've heard a lot of people compare this book to Big Little Lies and I don't disagree; I actually think it's a HUGE accomplishment. What LM does well in BLL is tell a story that's extremely complicated but still manages to keep you entertained.

Overall I loved this book and would definitely recommend - I seriously felt heard by this book and hope more women do too!