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Ulrich inadvertently made the quote famous, but then more than 20 years later, wrote a book with the same name. Now, she had the opportunity to access history in ways she couldn't before, with innumerable sources. Just had the opportunity to interview Ulrich for my blog site - she has some amazing insights. Definitely enjoyed this book, especially if you're into women's history.
And I'm glad I did. I grew up when that phrase -- Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History -- was always in the background -- on posters, bumper stickers, and mugs. So I was excited to read the book, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, who invented the phrase. It taught me about the history of the Amazons (not totally grounded in fact, in turns out), women writers from different eras, and the intriguing Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Bottom line: It's an interesting book, heavy on the history -- perfect if you're in an academic mood.
I've seen thousands of those bumper stickers and t-shirts stating (incorrectly, as it turns out), "Well-behaved women rarely make history." (I interned at NOW years ago, and they were everywhere). But Ulrich's choice of focus seemed arbitrary and, despite occasionally short forays elsewhere, was distressingly White and Western. Anyone considering writing a similar book in the future, I beg of you: remember to be inclusive. From such humble beginnings it came.Ulrich may have bitten off more than she could chew, though, with writing this book. First of all, because any book that aims to tell the stories and histories of women deserves to be read, for reasons Ulrich details excellently in this book. In her attempt to assess the accuracy of her now-legendary quote, she focuses on three prominent female figures in history: Christine de Pizan, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Virginia Woolf, then branches out with anecdotes from there. Learning the source of the quote, which Ulrich explains in her preface to this book, was alone worth reading this book. Even the torso on the cover is White.
Clearly she had to narrow her focus; "women's history" is too vast and varied to be condensed into a single volume. (In that regard, look at what grade school textbooks have done to American history). If you can't meet the goal of inclusivity in your target page length, perhaps you need to re-think the whole idea of your book.So why do I give this book 4 stars despite my criticism. Second, I enjoyed learning more about Christine de Pizan and Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Pizan because I'd never previously heard of her, and Stanton because she was complex (and controversial) far beyond her enduring fame as a suffragist.In sum, this book is a recreational (and educational) read for those interested in the topic, but it should not be a primary source for learning about the histories of women.
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