Girls Can’t Hit by T. S. Easton (review)

In this companion to the hilarious Boys Don’t Knit (BCCB 5/15), Fleur Waters tolerates her best friend Blossom’s addiction to causes with bemused affection, preferring to make jokes rather than fight for social justice. When she tags along to protest the gender segregation of a boxing club, however, she’s intrigued by the possibility of getting fit; triying it out, she finds the workouts are killer, but she enjoys the challenge of sticking with something when others think she’ll bail. Both Blossom and Fleur’s mother object to her boxing, Blossom because of the glorification of violence and her mom because of the perceived danger. Her friend Pip, on the other hand, offers comic relief as he flees not only from the real challenges of boxing but also from the pretend violence of a reenactment of the Battle of Hastings in the history park where Fleur, Blossom, and Pip work. This British import is surprisingly substantive in its exploration of the complexities of feminist empowerment. Fleur is acting out against her mother’s obsessive fears and finding her own way toward a feminist awakening, which includes standing up to both Blossom and Bonita, a girl from her school who has been bullying her but whom she ultimately comes to respect and befriend. As Fleur learns to keep her guard up and hit as well as defend, Easton’s signature humor delivers plenty of stylistic punches along the way, demonstrating that feminism can be funny even while the book offers genuine inspiration for girls to join the fight.