Alasdair Stuart, in his review of The Lord of the Sands of Time highlights one of my favorite aspects of the novel, the character of Miyo. He writes, in part:
She’s a quietly rebellious character, a woman of tremendous intellect and strength who manages to side step the stereotypes those character traits so often lead to. Miyo is fully aware not only of her responsibilities but of exactly how far she can push her luck. …In the hands of a lesser author, Miyo would be conflicted by the arrival of Orville, the other figure on the cover, worried about how her life would change or delighted to see that change made manifest. In Ogawa’s hands though, she becomes one of the most nuanced, grounded female protagonists of recent years, a woman who is tested to the limits by the horrific new world she’s plunged into but is up to the task and more. Miyo is a leader and her journey to that realisation is presented as subtly as it is realistically.
SF isn’t just a boy’s club. Check out The Lord of the Sands of Time and see what you’re missing.
