Writing Out My Heart: Selections from the Journal of Frances E. Willard, 1855-96 (Women in American History)
Educator, orator, feminist, and longtime president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, Willard (1839-98) was an international representative of a prominent strand of Protestant American activism. This landmark volume is the first publication of selections from her massive journals, which she kept mostly as a young woman. Entries show the development of her religious and reform commitments, her search for suitable outlets for her ambition, and her struggles to reconcile conflicting demands of family, society, and self. Also revealed is her passionate love for other women, which she understood in terms that will seem both familiar and unfamiliar to contemporary readers. Editor Gifford introduces each section, provides an extensive bibliography, and identifies most names and quotations in Willard's text. This is an essential purchase for any academic library supporting courses in U.S. history and women's studies and will also be of interest to large public libraries with collections in these fields.Carolynne Myall, Eastern Washington Univ. Libs., CheneyCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.