His And Hers Review

There’s no question of the effort that has gone into this study of womankind in rural Ireland. Wardrop has cut together 70 interviews, with ladies aged one to 90, into a coherent chronicle from birth to old age, each story knitted into a portrait of a woman’s life with no narration and little music. Yet, the gimmick is that those interviewed talk only about their fathers, husbands and sons, largely with affection and amusement. The ladies themselves are strong, witty and sometimes heartbreaking — especially at the more mature end. But there’s something unpleasantly patronising about talking to so many extraordinary characters and asking only about men. Instead of offering these women a voice of their own, it puts the focus back where it’s always been: on men.