"Please be warned that this book is intense. There are graphic descriptions of racism and sexism in this book. Darby directly interviews those that a part of the white nationalist movement or have been a part of it. Due to this, opinions and thoughts about other racial, ethnic, and religious groups outside of the typical WASP community can be hard to read

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I made the decision to pick this up. Even as I write the review, I'm aware of how difficult it is to describe the experience that comes with reading Sisters in Hate. While I'm not surprised about the amount of information that has been coming out in regrad to the alt right and white nationalism, I was extremely surprised at the role that women play in the movement especially in terms of recruitment. Often white nationalism is associated with young white men. And that comes from this idea that all white women are serene and docile and harmless. Meanwhile, Darby interestingly captures how dedicated some white women are to the ideals that are heavily anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQIA+, anti Semitic, anti-feminist, racist, bigoted, and more. Even as a Black woman who is aware of the false narratives and characterizations of white women I still wanted to know how such a hateful group of men could even begin to lure them into such radicalized ideologies. I found my answers in the from of what I thought was a harmless hashtag #tradlife (short for traditional life). Women who are advocates for tradlife believe in a time in which a woman was more concerned with maintaining a household, having and taking care of children, and keeping herself beautiful for her husband. The same ideals are utilized to recruit White women into believing the radicalized idea that they are the preservers of the White race and White culture. These women are usually made to feel that they belong somewhere, that they are important, and that they have a purpose. In doing so, they transition from just believing in traditional values to believing that the White race is superior to others and that it is on the verge of extinction.

There were quite a few moments in reading this book where I had to stop and remove myself from the hateful rhetoric that was spewed by those being interviewed. While I found it fascinating to watch as these women went from liberal feminist to active members in the alt right and white nationalist movement, quite a few things mentioned were triggering and infuriating. Sometimes it's easy to say "how could you possibly believe something that stupid and ignorant?" But I often have to remind myself that a lot of the women described in this book have a strong emotional connection to the movement. It's reaffirming and gives them a feeling of fulfillment. A lot of them described in this book came from emotional and physically abusive households. While this isn't an excuse to perpetuate hateful rhetoric to any marginalized group, it does assist in understanding the psychological, emotional, and mental appeal of such a hate based organization/movement.

The book itself is broken up into three parts that focus on three specific women and their journeys to (and in some cases from) the white nationalist movement. This method of relaying information made the book accessible to me as a reader. One topic that I wish Darby would have explored in more depth is the blatant misogyny that these women face as part of this movement. While there are women like Lana Lokteff who are active and vocal in the movement, there are many men who believe that they need to "learn their place" and adhere to the subservient standards that White men set for them which usually ends up meaning "shut up, look pretty, and have babies." I found this intriguing because it's a walking, talking contradiction. Women like Lokteff want recognition for the work that they do in the movement, yet the men in the movement want them to take a backseat and focus on having children. The psychology and sociology behind that is something that I would love to learn more about. The very challenges that these women fight against to recognized in male dominated spaces is quite similar to what feminists do yet they identify as anti-feminist.

I will actively admit that this book is a difficult read, but also an important read because we must recognize the role that women have in this movement. To underestimate their role and power seems to be equal to underestimating the power of white nationalism as a whole. This is definitely a topic that I would like to explore more, but I am aware that I would need to take it in small doses.
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"Like many McFadden books, this book is very enjoyable, well written, with plenty of twists. However, read enough McFadden books and then central twist of this book becomes somewhat transparent and predictable with subsequent twists (like the final one) somewhat superfluous and unneeded. Still the Tenant is a fun brain candy style read that’s perfect for summer."

Kenny Schwarz is 47% done with Parenting without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World