Fire up the kettle, as it’s time to spill some tea. In Beyond Belief, journalist Katie Baskerville investigates the history of gossip and the reasons why women engage in it. Whether helping to make new connections, strengthen existing bonds or warn the office newbie about the handsy guy from HR, whispering networks are a vital source of information and sisterly protection.
It’s a lesson that starts young. Every schoolgirl learns that there is no vow more sacrosanct than the pinky promise, and every teenager who has ever fancied their best friend’s crush will have been lectured on the rules of girl code. The need for such clandestine behaviour is reinforced by an in-depth look at the character assassinations routinely doled out to women who speak out publicly.
While the book purports to be a wholehearted defence of gossip, it comes down hard on online forums like Tattle Life and often gets sidetracked by current phenomena such as Andrew Tate and the ‘tradwife’ trend. But despite this scattershot approach, Baskerville is a skilful writer who makes a rousing plea for the benefits of face-to-face female gossip in an increasingly isolated, digitally driven world. Do your friends a favour and pass it on.
