Free to Be Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Story of Women and Law - Softcover

Kanefield, Teri

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0692723218 ISBN 13: 9780692723210

Publisher: Armon Books, 2016

Synopsis

“We hear many voices in this wonderfully engaging biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and come away with a far richer understanding of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and of what the rise of feminism has meant for all of us, whatever our gender, whatever our politics.” — Kathleen Vanden Heuvel, Law Library Director, Adjunct Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law

“An absorbing personal biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg that is also equal parts legal history and political philosophy. Like Ginsburg herself, Kanefield’s narrative is precise, candid, logical, yet filled with humor and irony. She shows the reader the warmth and humility behind a serious legal mind. Free to Be Ruth Bader Ginsburg will appeal to a wide range of readers and is a valuable addition to all types of libraries.” — Suzy Szasz Palmer, Past President, Virginia Library Association

“An engrossing biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg that doubles as a primer on how America’s champions for gender equality pressed their cause in the courts. Recommended for every law student, lawyer, and lay reader looking for an authoritative yet readable treatment of how the law shapes women’s lives, and vice-versa.” — Kathleen Morris, Associate Professor of Law, Golden Gate Law School

“Free to Be is a richly detailed biography offering fascinating insights into the groundbreaking career of Ruth Bader Ginsberg and at the same time charting for readers a thorough and engaging history of the law of sex discrimination and equal protection jurisprudence that she helped to shape. Kanefield’s book is a must read, not only for fans of RBG but for anyone interested in a more complete understanding of the evolution of women’s rights and legal status in the U.S.” – Sharmilla Lodhia, Associate Professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, Santa Clara University.

“Kanefield expertly weaves together the history of women in law and the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s pragmatic and strategic approach to gradually influence changes in legal rulings related to equality in the U.S. She paints a picture of Ginsburg’s drive, attention to detail, and collegiality – all things that contributed to her rise to the Supreme Court. Free to Be is a must read for those who love history, want to know more about the women’s rights movement, or have an interest in modern politics and culture. I highly recommend it!” – Kristi Jensen, Librarian, University of Minnesota

Kanefield (The Girl from the Tar Paper School) derives from mixed sources an informative, simply written account of the impressive arc of Ginsburg’s life. She begins with Ginsburg’s humble beginnings as the daughter of a Russian Jewish immigrant who struggled to make a go in New York City’s garment business. From an early age, she demonstrated the intelligence and diligence that became her hallmark as the second woman ever on the Supreme Court. Kanefield makes accessible to laypersons the legal arguments at the heart of many of Ginsburg’s cases, including the gender discrimination Ginsburg attacked when she was a practicing attorney. The justice’s personal life gets appropriate attention, especially her warm and mutually supportive relationship with her late husband, Marty. Despite the book’s positive tone, this is not a hagiography; Kanefield does include quotes from those critical of Ginsburg. Those who have followed Ginsburg’s career and jurisprudence will not find anything new here, but most readers will emerge with a great deal of respect for a fiercely independent woman who battled sexism to reach the pinnacle of her profession. – Publisher’s Weekly (the full review)

About this title

About the Author

Teri writes novels, short stories, essays, stories for children, and nonfiction for both children and adults. Her stories and essays have appeared in publications as diverse as Education Week, Scope Magazine, The Iowa Review, The American Literary Review, and Cricket Magazine. She lives in California by the beach.

From the Back Cover

She was born in 1933 in a working-class neighborhood in Brooklyn. Her father, an immigrant, had no formal education beyond night school to learn English. She was brilliant--college classmates described her as "scary smart." She wanted to be a lawyer, but the legal profession was all but closed to women.

Reserved and quiet, she didn't set out to be a trailblazer, but there was something in her way: the law. Hundreds of years of legal precedent, a line of devastating Supreme Court cases, and countless statutes depriving women of equal citizenship and keeping them from full participation in the legal and political process. So she took it upon herself to change the laws of the United States.

From the Inside Flap

Teri's books have received the following honors and distinctions:

The Girl From The Tar Paper School:

--Jane Addams Children's Book Award for Older Readers, 2015

--Carter G. Woodson Middle Level Book Award, 2015

--California Reading Association Eureka Silver Honor Book Award

--Named a Distinguished Book by The Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California

--Included on the 2015 list of Notable Social Studies Trade Books for young readers compiled by the National Council for Social Studies

--Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children (National Association of Teachers of English), Recommended Book

--Included in the New York Public Library's list of 100 children's books to read in 2014.

--A Junior Library Guild selection

Rivka's Way
--Sidney Taylor Book Awards, Notable book of 2001
--Lilith Magazine's 5th Annual Selection of Books for Young Readers
--Included in Great Books for Girls, by Kathleen Odean
--Included in Best Jewish Books for Children and Teens, by Linda R. Silver

Guilty? Crime, Punishment, and the Changing Face of Justice

--Junior Library Guild selection

Edition details

• Publisher: Armon Books
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0692723218
• ISBN 13: 9780692723210
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 333