Editorial Reviews:
The most inclusive book to date on U.S. women's collective history! A landmark work, The Reader's Companion to U.S. Women's History, gathers together more than 400 articles to offer a diverse, rich, and often neglected panorama of the nation's past. Written by more than 300 contributors, drawn from various areas of expertise, these narrative and interpretive entries "effectively cover five centuries of women's experiences" (Bloomsbury Review). Here are articles on cowgirls and child care, on the daily lives of single women and the changing notions of motherhood, on the artistic contributions of women of color and the history of Jewish feminism. Wide-ranging in scope and wonderfully accessible, this unique resource reexamines with fresh clarity and brio the issues and concerns that color the lives of all women. Articles and their contributors include: African American Women, Darlene Clark Hine; Cult of Domesticity, Carroll Smith-Rosenberg; Fashion and Style, Lynn Yaeger; Jazz and Blues, Daphne Duval Harrison; Lesbians, Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy; Native American Cultures, Clara Sue Kidwell; Picture Brides, Judy Yung; Salem Witchcraft Trials, Mary Beth Norton; Vietnam Era, Sara M. Evans.
Presented in encyclopedia format, with articles ranging from "Abolitionist Movement" to "YWCA," this hefty book provides a vast amount of material, both factual and interpretive. The editors, which include such icons as Gloria Steinem and the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller, give a broad overview of issues relevant to feminist history and present material that will further debates about the role played by women in American history. The Reader's Companion offers a strongly feminist interpretation, and some would no doubt argue that many of the pieces are not so much history as arguments for social reform. That said, the reference's nearly exhaustive coverage (there are more than 400 articles) makes the book a valuable resource.
Customer Reviews:
 wonderful reading and browsing
Don't be discouraged by the awesome title of "Reader's Companion to U.S. Women's History." I found this book deeply engaging. Each article told me something I didn't know. I kept the book by my night-table, and dipped into it before I went to sleep. The editors have not imposed a deadly uniformity on the entries, but have encouraged a wide and diverse set of approaches. From the TWO articles, with different perspectives, on "feminism and feminisms" (followed by 17 -- I think -- different specific feminisms) to the story of Bessie Coleman under "Aviation" -- this book gives you a magnificent insight into women's history in the U.S.
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