Review of Reading Women: How the Great Books of Feminism Changed My Life

Reading Women: How the Great Books of Feminism Changed My Life by Stephanie Staal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Stephanie Staal was facing an identity crisis. Relocated from NYC to Annapolis after giving birth to her daughter, she was confused, isolated and definitely did not fit in with the local mommy klatch. One day she randomly takes another look at the old Feminine Mystique. Cue epiphany: Shocked at how much more relatable Friedan’s 60s tome is to her now, she returns to her alma mater to re-take Feminist Texts.

Billed as “part memoir, part literary adventure, part social observation,” Reading Women integrates Staal’s reflections on her journey from independent Gen-Xer to “wife-and-mother” with brief analyses of works from the feminist canon. Along the way, perceptions shift—both the author’s feelings about her life and how she views the iconic books a decade later.

Despite a short foray into Third Wave plurality, Staal’s point of view remains rooted in her own life. Essays about Barnard, doulas and work-at-home options for both spouses show an upper-middle-class, hetero privilege that may not resonate across the board. Staal is a talented memoirist and reporter, but does little to challenge the idea that feminism is a luxury of privilege. This specificity aside, the prose is earnest and fun to read, without the solemnity or snark that pervades the mommy-sphere of media. She takes feminism and feminists seriously, from Mary Wollstonecraft to Iraqi blogger Riverbend. While never claiming to be comprehensive, to similar women looking to integrate the theory of their college years into their grown-up lives, Reading Women could be revelatory.



View all my reviews