America's Women

Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines

By: Gail Collins

Narrated by: Jane Alexander

Rich in detail, filled with fascinating characters, and panoramic in its sweep, this magnificent, comprehensive work tells for the first time the complete story of the American woman from the Pilgrims to the 21st-century

In this sweeping cultural history, Gail Collins explores the transformations, victories, and tragedies of women in America over the past 300 years. As she traces the role of females from their arrival on the Mayflower through the 19th century to the feminist movement of the 1970s and today, she demonstrates a boomerang pattern of participation and retreat.

In some periods, women were expected to work in the fields and behind the barricades—to colonize the nation, pioneer the West, and run the defense industries of World War II. In the decades between, economic forces and cultural attitudes shunted them back into the home, confining them to the role of moral beacon and domestic goddess. Told chronologically through the compelling true stories of individuals whose lives, linked together, provide a complete picture of the American woman’s experience, Untitled is a landmark work and major contribution for us all.

©2003 Gail Collins; (P)2003 HarperCollinsPublishers

fascinating

A wonderful, fun-to-read overview of women in American history. One of the best books I've listened to and I've listened to a lot. It helped me to choose other women's lives I'd like to read more about. The sad thing is there often aren't the books (at least on audible) which will give me an indepth look at Katie Stanton, Alice Paul or Eleanor Roosevelt--only children's books for these women's lives. I don't know if the books aren't out there or if I just can't find them here. But I digress, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and enjoyed the reader's voice very much.

Textbook for my American Women's History Class

As a textbook this book was great, and I was so glad to have it on here as an audible book. I have to admit if this wasn't something I was assigned to read I wouldn't have finished it. I liked learning about history though and don't regret reading it.

Loved it

Interesting, funny, and insightful. I just wish it wasn't abridged. I will likely buy the print copy to use as reference.

So informative

I only wish this were an unabridged version. Why didn’t they just read the whole book? It’s incredible. Loved Collins use of statistics throughout. Excellent.

Gives me perspective

Any additional comments?

I've been listening to a lot of books on relationships and marriage. But I had apparently been looking for something, (without knowing that I was) and wasn't finding it the relationship books. But I found it in the feminist books. And that is perspective. Why our relationships have so many dysfunctions. Why are women so often co-dependent. Why are there so many unrealistic expectations placed on women in relationships. None of these questions were answered by marriage and relationship books, within a broader historical context, even though many of those books were useful in their own ways and filled with good info and good advice, regarding how to simply make it work, despite the difference. But I need a lot more than that. I need to know why is it like that. Then there are questions of women in society. Why do women not value their work as much as men do. Why do we put up with so much abuse and discrimination, still. And why do we get paid less for the same work then men. Only feminist books, so far, have answered these questions with a level of clarity and intelligence that I need to satisfy my genuine need to know the truth.This book paints a retrospect of many pictures and short stories about women's lives in the US, since the first European woman arrived on the mayflower. (The book doesn't talk about the prehistory in the Americas, though mentions the Native American women a little bit.) I found the book very interesting, and easy to read. It adds to the overall pool of information I'm collecting about women's genuine experiences, and personal histories.