When Everything Changed
The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present
By: Gail Collins
Published:October 14, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 480 pages
ISBN: 9780316059541
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
"Then, suddenly, everything changed. The cherished convictions about women and what they could do were smashed in the lifetime of many of the women living today", writes New York Times editorial page editor, and the first woman to hold the position, Gail Collins in her monumental, landmark book When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present. The author chronicles the women's rights movement from the 1960s to the present day, describing both the triumphs and often tragic setbacks of countless courageous women, as they fought for gender equality.
Gail Collins provides a powerful and deeply personal narrative, that brings the often divisive issues surrounding the women's movement, to life. Real people, facing very real and often life threatening discrimination on the basis of gender, race, or both fill the pages of this important book. For many young men and women today, the real events described in the book might seem like ancient history. They are not. Discrimination against women, in occupations, education, the military, politics, and in their personal lives has happened very recently. Gail Collins points out that many of the issues raised by the women's movement are still unresolved today. Indeed, many of the hard won victories of early feminists can still be overturned or rolled back.
Gail Collins (photo left) recognizes that the women's rights movement is still going on today, with women facing ever more challenges, both at home and in the workplace. From the early 1960s, when the movement for gender equality was both part of, and separate from the struggle for racial equality, the author describes vivid examples of women risking their reputations, their careers, and even their lives in the quest for equality for all people. Many of the fearless women, whose stories of courage are presented in the book paid dearly for their cause. Some of the stories told are heart wrenching in their sadness, while others will have the reader stand up and cheer. All of the women, whose very personal lives are shared with the reader, are to be admired as changers of history. Change is the one constant in America, and these extraordinary women were at the forefront of that change.
For me, the power of the book is in the personal approach taken by Gail Collins, to bring the women and their stories to life. Many of the women, who spearheaded the quest for gender, as well as racial equality, never set out to be heroines. Their goal was often simply acceptance for their abilities as people. Their battles with employers, politicians, some men who failed to recognize the equality of gender, and even with other women, changed society forever. There were many missteps along the way. Some initial victories turned into setbacks, while other tragedies led to astonishing wide reaching societal consensus on women's rights. Gail Collins is clear that the battle is not yet over, and there is much to still be won for women, making the book even more important for readers.
I highly recommend the must read, and sweeping epic of the women's movement When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins, to anyone seeking a lively, and on the ground examination of a pivotal time in American life. At the beginning of the book, women were seen as being either stay at home wives or restricted to a severely limited number of occupations. By the end of the book, women saw their horizons widened to the point of running for the Presidency of the United States. At the same time, women still face serious challenges with juggling home, family, and career; while continuing to break down barriers that began to crumble slowly decades ago.
Read the astonishing and eye opening book When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins, and discover the many courageous women who led the struggle for gender equality. Their triumphs and tragedies will stay with the reader long after the book is completed. At the same time, the reader will gain an entirely new perspective on the women's rights movement, and the extraordinary women who were part of that often perilous journey toward gender equality.
