All the Single Ladies

Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation

By: Rebecca Traister

Narrated by: Candace Thaxton, Rebecca Traister - introduction

In a provocative, groundbreaking work, National Magazine Award finalist Rebecca Traister, "the most brilliant voice on feminism in this country" (Anne Lamott), traces the history of unmarried women in America who, through social, political, and economic means, have radically shaped our nation.

For legions of women, living single isn't news; it's life. In 2009, the award-winning journalist Rebecca Traister started All the Single Ladies - a book she thought would be a work of contemporary journalism - about the 21st-century phenomenon of the American single woman. It was the year the proportion of American women who were married dropped below 50 percent, and the median age of first marriages, which had remained between 20 and 22 years old for nearly a century (1890-1980), had risen dramatically to 27.

But over the course of her vast research and more than 100 interviews with academics, social scientists, and prominent single women, Traister discovered a startling truth: The phenomenon of the single woman in America is not a new one. And historically, when women were given options beyond early heterosexual marriage, the results were massive social change - temperance, abolition, secondary education, and more. Today, only 20 percent of Americans are wed by age 29, compared to nearly 60 percent in 1960. The Population Reference Bureau calls it a "dramatic reversal".

All the Single Ladies is a remarkable portrait of contemporary American life and how we got here, through the lens of the single American woman. Covering class, race, and sexual orientation and filled with vivid anecdotes from fascinating contemporary and historical figures, All the Single Ladies is destined to be a classic work of social history and journalism. Exhaustively researched, brilliantly balanced, and told with Traister's signature wit and insight, this book should be shelved alongside Gail Collins' When Everything Changed.

©2016 Rebecca Traister (P)2016 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

At the top of my all-time favourites list

What made the experience of listening to All the Single Ladies the most enjoyable?

Traister writes charmingly and with a depth of knowledge on the various aspects of what it means to be single in both the U.S. and, to an extent, the larger world. In this one book, Traister cohesively brings together the inputs and outputs that make unmarried life desirable, challenging and (un)intentional, articulating how it all connects and the resulting implications.

If you could give All the Single Ladies a new subtitle, what would it be?

It already belongs to the subtitle it needs.

Any additional comments?

Beyond the remarkable execution, this book speaks to everything that is in me; it voices my hopes, fears, and the realities that inform the life that I've cultivated and have observed in the women that I most respect. Traister (and Candace Thaxton for her audio presentation of the material) has my deepest and hearty thanks.

Best book I’ve read so far this year!

I can’t stop talking about this book! I’ve been telling all my friends about it. It’s phenomenal! Go read it!

Information, Educational, and Without Apology

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The sheer detail and compelling nature of the stories and histories provided

What does Candace Thaxton and Rebecca Traister - introduction bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Inflection in terms of irony and empathic moments are enunciated well and performed clearly even when the source material runs long in the wording or phrasing.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A not-so-secret society of single women integral to the fabric of America, and how they are more than what they are told to be.

Any additional comments?

Fantastic, sometimes hard to hear, very informative and helpful to know and hear options for improving the future.

A must read for all the single ladies

I love this book so much that I’ve sent it to two other family members(under 30). I am a 33 y.o southern woman, but knew the nuptials in the south were not for me, neither did I want a man with the same southern mentality (gender roles). This book has completely changed my perspective on relationships and marriage. It’s reaffirmed my no-fucks-given personality about patriarchal society’s idea of a “healthy” marriage.

Buy the book, thank me later and have sister circles for discussion.

Put Your Hands Up

This book is phenomenal and Rebecca Traister is a TRUE feminist. Not only does she throughly and thoughtful catalog the history and lives of single women in America, she makes sure that this book could represent a majority of women, even in small ways. I recommend this book to every feminist (that means men too!)!!!

Repetitive.

Clearly written during the Obama administration. Feels like this bk is actually promoting single-hood. Over the top on feminism.

Life Changing

This book has completely rocked my world and I keep wishing it could be some form of required reading. After rapidly consuming it in a weekend I already feel extremely relieved about not finding long term partners when many of my friends have, validated in my suspicion towards extravagant weddings, thankful for being raised by surprisingly egalitarian parents (my mom being the main breadwinner), and passionate about working towards female equality in our society. I highly recommend it as a high school or college graduation present for women.

'Fantastic , well researched , inspirational.

I have already recommended this book to my daughter, my two nieces and several girlfriends , my therapist and last but not least my loving husband . Thank you Rebecca .

What a revelation

This book was a whirlwind of emotions for me as I really got to grips with feminism and marriage and what being single and CHOOSING it means. I cannot recommend it enough to women in their late teens and early twenties. What a freeing way to choose yourself and your career as men have for generations.

Worthwhile if you are a feminist

If you are a feminist and left leaning, you will like this book. If you aren't, I suggest a different text.