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When a wife and a mistress find out about each other and meet face to face, the enmity is instantaneous. In another story, the stage could be set for an all-out war of woman against woman, each poised to destroy the other in parallel pursuit of their shared target: the love and commitment of the man they have in common. But the prize is different in this book, which marries the what-if scenario of a truly sociopathic serial lothario with the chronicling of sexual harassment and marginalization of women that the author herself observed and experienced during her days as a senior executive working in California's technology hub, Silicon Valley.
The story moves along on dual tracks as the protagonists, both minorities as executive women in Silicon Valley's predominantly male trenches, develop an unexpected relationship while unraveling the path that led them into simultaneous relationships with the same man. Meanwhile, both women awaken to and seek effective ways to address the pervasive sexism in their workplaces. These concurrent journeys undertaken by smart, accomplished women lead to some eye-opening transformations and next steps.
The book works both as a wives-get-even story and on the deeper social issue of the ongoing inequality in gender treatment in Silicon Valley offices. Occasionally the characters' exploration of workplace grievances and wrongs veers into dialogue that reads less like fiction than feminist talking points at rallies for social change. However, the story is earnest and clearly born of the author's passion for bringing about change and advancement in workplaces that have yet to evolve adequately and equitably.
A 2021 Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalist
RECOMMENDED by the US Review