We Are Our Mothers' Daughters - Hardcover

Roberts, Cokie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688151981 ISBN 13: 9780688151980

Publisher: Harper, 1998

Synopsis

“[A] paean to feminism and the solidarity of womenkind. . . . This book is a celebration of women in their various roles: mother, sister, civil rights advocate, consumer advocate, first-class mechanic, politician—which Roberts’ own mother once was.”
—Washington Post

“The perfect combination of powerful feelings and a modulated style.”
— Los Angeles Times

From the much beloved Cokie Roberts comes a revised and expanded tenth-anniversary paperback edition of the #1 New York Times Bestseller We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters—complete with new profiles.

About this title

Review

Like any journalist worth her salt, renowned news correspondent Cokie Roberts knows how to ask the tough questions. In We Are Our Mothers' Daughters, she poses what has long been a real doozy: "What is woman's place?" As you might guess, her answer is manifold, reflected by the table of contents, which reads like the Career Day schedule at a progressive girls' school: Sister, Politician, Consumer Advocate, Aunt, Soldier, First Class Mechanic, Friend, Reporter, Civil Rights Activist, Wife, Mother/Daughter, Enterpriser. Roberts makes no claims about this being groundbreaking research, or even an exacting investigation, rather, she explains that these are simply her own stories, and those of women she has come in contact with at different times and places in her life.

Having graduated from Wellesley College in 1964, Roberts explains that the women of her generation were pioneers in many ways--especially when it came to career and workplace issues: "We were the first women at almost everything we did, and most of us often had the experience of being the only woman in the room." Accordingly, many of her essays are political in nature: the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (which included "sex" as a prohibited discrimination category by virtual accident); the work of consumer advocate Esther Peterson; and the history of women in the military. But for Roberts, it's clear that the personal is political, and many stories, while not overtly activist--her older sister's death, her circle of female friends, and her experiences as a wife, mother, and reporter--reveal the importance she places on a united community of strong women. Using clean, compelling language throughout, Roberts compiles these different stories to reveal a thread of continuity running through the fabric of women, summarizing, "We are connected throughout time and regardless of place." She ends with a message of encouragement for young women--that we need only look as far as our foremothers for inspiration. --Brangien Davis, Amazon.com Kids Editor

From the Publisher

Renowned news correspondent, Cokie Roberts, explores significant issues confronting women on the cusp of the new millennium, such as the balance of work and family, the diverse roles of women, and the connection and distinction between different generations of women. She addresses these critical topics through the lens of her reporting career, melding her personal experiences with the experiences of other exceptional women she has met.

Sensitive, straightforward, and perceptive, We Are Our Mothers' Daughters celebrates the diversity of choices and perspectives available to the women of today, but ultimately affirms a bond of female solidarity -- a vital, powerful interconnection among all women, whatever their background. It's an important message, delivered by one of America's most respected and eloquent journalists.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0688151981
• ISBN 13: 9780688151980
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 197