No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women
In the preface to her engaging narrative history of feminism,No Turning Back, Estelle Freedman thanks a woman we should all  thank, someone who asked her to recommend one book that best presented  feminist scholarship to date. Realizing that her only suggestions would  require the woman to read extensively across a range of disciplines,  Freedman set out to provide that book herself. The result is an  expansive but eminently readable history of feminism, its political  roots and objectives, and the case for its centrality to the future of  women.While displaying an in-depth knowledge of her field in discussing  women's rights, work, and the more recent history of women's political  strategies, Freedman also demonstrates a willingness to engage in  critical thinking beyond her own sphere and range; she explores  subjects ranging from the development of labor and social roles across  centuries and cultures to the ways in which race, class, and other  social hierarchies inform and define different "feminisms."  Acknowledging that her book does not "tell a single, unified history of  revolutionary triumph," Freedman examines issues related to politics,  economics, race, relationships, health, sexuality, and violence within  the context of feminist history. Though it could have been a dry  polemic,No Turning Backis, instead, an enthusiastic look at  how and why feminist ideas have remained a part of the political  landscape since their emergence. Freedman not only recognizes the  complex processes of adaptation and redefinition that feminism has  undergone, but proposes that this malleability is what has enabled the  movement to withstand the test of time.  For an obviously impassioned  (but still well-reasoned and solidly supported) presentation of the  story thus far, Freedman's answer to this book's instigator should now  be an easy one.--S. Ketchum--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.