Scabmuggers
Based on a True Story
The keenly observant historical novel Scabmuggers amplifies the experiences of women in fields dominated by men, demonstrating how activists are not immune to bias and inequity.
In Yvonne Martinez’s candid historical novel Scabmuggers, a woman empowers her colleagues in a prestigious trade union program.
Simone is an Afro-Mexican labor organizer in Seattle, Washington, in the early 1990s. Her grandmother was one of the original Utah scabmuggers—women who protected the rights of vulnerable workers in their communities. This family legacy inspires her activism.
Simone and thirty other activists and organizers from various countries are hosted by Harvard for a program facilitating the study of the labor movement. They also strategize to improve the rights of workers. But despite the program’s high ideals, their work is marred by prejudice and harassment toward those at the margins.
Simone’s experiences highlight the double dose of discrimination visited upon certain women in the trades. Simone’s colleague Ana is sexually harassed by Aaron, a program participant. Meanwhile, Simone navigates her own personal experience of assault after a profound betrayal from one of the guys she dubbed “reasonable.” Simone demonstrates how the sexist men in trade unions are blind to the same ideals they should be protecting.
While it does an able job of amplifying the experiences of women in fields dominated by men and of demonstrating how activists are not immune to bias and inequity, the book is heavy-handed in dealing with these themes. It is thick with dialogue to the exclusion of other narrative elements, impeding its tension and rendering the delivery of some information unnatural. For example, the conflict between the men and women is revealed via overheard conversations, and when private conversations are related back to Simone. When Aaron sexually harasses Ana, she relates the experience to other organizers; when the men engage in a barbaric ritual, the incident is described to Simone secondhand. The rise and fall of central plot points is somewhat forced through these techniques.
Further, when the organizers gather for conference meetings, their actions and emotions are under attended to. And why the men behave in the ways they do is seldom explored beyond blanket ideas of sexism; their characterizations are flat as a result. While Aaron’s misconduct toward Ana escalates to violence, his interactions with others are rare; who he is beyond his bad behavior is unknown. In contrast, Anthony is respectful toward all the women, so when he violates Simone’s trust, it’s jarring and strains credulity. Indeed, those beyond Simone seem present as stand-ins for larger arguments; several serve the singular function of perpetuating acts of discrimination and violence.
In the sharp historical novel Scabmuggers, a woman overcomes sexism and prejudice in her industry through solidarity with past and present women activists.
Reviewed by
Paige Soto
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
