Women Making America Book

U.S. women's history for everyone! Explore the history you never learned in school. Experience the everyday struggles, delights, and courage of America's women from the Revolutionary War to the present in a format that all readers can enjoy. Dabble in history at a glance, or immerse yourself in comprehensive study. Read it for pleasure, or use it in the classroom. Historian Sally Roesch Wagner says, 'This is the book I've been waiting for. Full of rich and well-researched detail, it is a breathtaking swoop of everything from popular culture to suffrage, distilling complex material down to easy to understand information, and full of engagingly good anecdotes. The feel and taste and smell of the time come alive and the attention to accuracy is exemplary. Most importantly, it is not the typical narrow-focused history of white women of means, but the multifaceted story of the diversity of histories that speaks to all women of the United States. A joy to read!'

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up

This hefty volume surveys the role of women in American history from 1770 to the present, focusing primarily on health issues, paid work, home, education, beauty, amusements, and the arts. Each chapter includes a brief summary of historical events and then examines the common threads. Photographs, reproductions, and numerous sidebars convey information on pages filled with bright colors and lively layouts. Quotes, biographical information, facts, and vignettes place women in the context of the times. Outstanding highlights are the "Did you know?" and "Have you heard of...?" sections. There is good racial, ethnic, and age diversity in the text and in the illustrations. The bibliography offers general histories and specific chapter references. The book concludes with the authors addressing their female readers by asking "How will your passion and hard work pave the way for those still to come?...The next chapter of American history belongs to you and your children and grandchildren. What will that story be?" The book's innovative and direct approach is sure to capture the attention of young women. Classroom teachers can utilize the plethora of facts to liven social studies and history lessons, and the format is appealing enough to attract browsers.-Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL