I‘VE NEVER BEEN ONE FOR light and fluffy summer reads. So as summer 2009 begins to unfold, I’m offering a few book suggestions with the theme of women’s rights and feminism. But take note brother(s): While these picks may be gynocentric, they are definitely not just for the ladies.
For Her Own Good by BARBARA EHRENREICH and DEIDRE ENGLISH: 25 years since its first publishing (and updated to cover the most recent quarter-century), For Her own Good chronicle two centuries of “expert” medical advice for women, from pregnancy (a disabling disease) to intense conversation (hazardous to women’s health). Ehrenreich and English write an account of history that is both comical and “deadly serious.”
The Handmaid’s Tale by MARGARET ATWOOD: In this dystopian futuristic novel, Margaret Atwood creates a bleak and horrifying world in which young women women, “handmaids,” are reduced to state property, used only for their ability to produce hiers for a ruling class of infertile couples. Told from the perspective of Offred, a handmaid who is struggling to accept her fate, The Handmaid’s Tale is a chilling and deeply meaningful story.
We Are Your Sisters by DOROTHY STERLING: In their own words, African American women document everyday life in the 19th century. Drawing largely from the Federal Writers Project’s collected testimonies of slaves and recovered letters, Sterling paints a vivid picture of the daily challenges of black women living before and after the Civil War. The contributors within We Are Your Sisters not only tell their intensely moving personal stories, but also the story of our nation’s history.
The Awakening by KATE CHOPIN: First published in 1899, this classic novel took on a shockingly progressive issues for its time. In The Awakening, Chopin describes the stifled unhappy marriage of Edna Pontellier and her consequent evolution into a free and liberated woman. While this novel caused quite the uproar at the time of its publication, it continues to be a delightful and rich read over a century later.
You can always find our TSP reading list in Sisterpedia, for more suggestions.
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Thanks for the list – I will definitely check these out.
The Handmaids Tale is a favourite.
Found you through Cup of Jo – great blog xx
I second The Handmaid’s Tale and The Awakening! Both marvelous books. One of my favorite summer reads is Sense and Sensibility. I think Jane Austen understood sisterhood.
Welcome Sas, it’s nice to see that readers love The Handmaid’s Tale, too. I found that one tricky to describe in a short blurb. How fantastic you arrived through Cup of Jo–I’ve really been loving Joanna’s musings on life lately! Come back and visit soon.
Alex – Jane Austen is a serious member of the sisterhood for sure, and I, too, love Sense and Sensibility. Feminist fiction fascinates me so…
i’ve been eying a few of these for awhile. i should probably just buy them seeing as how i still want to read them!
Hello leni! Perhaps your local library has a few of these reads, for a more economical summer reading experience. Let us know how you like the books when you’ve finished.