REVIEW: Cat Brushing by Jane Campbell

Genre: Short Stories

Release Date: 21st July 2022

Publisher: Quercus Books

In this electrifying debut, we follow the stories of thirteen older women as they reflect on the erotic, the emotional and the evocative parts of life they leave unspoken.

The narrator of our lead story as she looks back on the sensuality of her past. An elderly woman who finds herself starting a relationship with her stunning young carer. A married lady trying to find her former lover. Someone explores robotic pleasure for the first time. A woman arrives at the funeral of her ex-husband and relives the pain of the relationship.

Each story creates a tender, elegant connection with the subject, each character undeniable real and visceral. Jane Campbell boldly and unashamedly writes about the unspoken, unaccepted truths of female lust and life as we go through life and age - about the forced invisibility and desexualisation of women that is put upon us we age.

Exploring sexuality, sensuality and femininity, this story resonated deeply with me - with such an eclectic range of themes from futuristic sci-fi to quietly impending mortality - but all of them capturing the beautiful and universal truths of womanhood.

The stories all have very similar styles and structures, giving a sense of familiarity throughout even with the wide scope of the subjects. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Campell in the future.

"The lust of an old man is disgusting but the lust of an old woman in worse. Everyone knows that."

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review.

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