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9780593472705

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Reviews

“A perfectly timed and illuminating triumph that consolidates Cleghorn's place among the foremost voices in medical history.” —Lindsey Fitzharris, New York Times bestselling author of The Facemaker “An essential history of forgotten lives and labor.” —Leah Hazard, author of Womb “Mothers may have a special place in our hearts, but they've been robbed of their rightful place in our history. Valued for their wombs—not their minds or talents—for millennia women's bodies were controlled and their lives circumscribed by man-made political, economic, and religious systems designed to silence them in life and erase them for posterity. Now, with robust research and eloquent rage, Elinor Cleghorn digs deep to retrieve the names and restore the accomplishments of the childbearers, midwives, nurturers, and activists who refused to be merely passive ‘vessels’ of procreation, but the builders of civilization. Cleghorn exposes the origins of the power dynamics of motherhood still at work today, providing a timely lesson on the dangers of allowing outdated patriarchal attitudes to shape modern public policy. For mom's next gift, skip the hearts and flowers and give a copy of this enlightening, infuriating book.” —Elaine Weiss, author of Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools that Built the Civil Rights Movement and The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote

“A perfectly timed and illuminating triumph that consolidates Cleghorn's place among the foremost voices in medical history.” —Lindsey Fitzharris, New York Times bestselling author of The Facemaker “An essential history of forgotten lives and labor.” —Leah Hazard, author of Womb “Mothers may have a special place in our hearts, but they've been robbed of their rightful place in our history. Valued for their wombs—not their minds or talents—for millennia women's bodies were controlled and their lives circumscribed by man-made political, economic, and religious systems designed to silence them in life and erase them for posterity. Now, with robust research and eloquent rage, Elinor Cleghorn digs deep to retrieve the names and restore the accomplishments of the childbearers, midwives, nurturers, and activists who refused to be merely passive ‘vessels’ of procreation, but the builders of civilization. Cleghorn exposes the origins of the power dynamics of motherhood still at work today, providing a timely lesson on the dangers of allowing outdated patriarchal attitudes to shape modern public policy. For mom's next gift, skip the hearts and flowers and give a copy of this enlightening, infuriating book.” —Elaine Weiss, author of Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools that Built the Civil Rights Movement and The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote “Cleghorn takes a sweeping view of motherhood… Impressive research informs a vibrantly detailed history.” —Kirkus (starred review)

“A perfectly timed and illuminating triumph that consolidates Cleghorn's place among the foremost voices in medical history.” —Lindsey Fitzharris, New York Times bestselling author of The Facemaker “An essential history of forgotten lives and labor.” —Leah Hazard, author of Womb “Mothers may have a special place in our hearts, but they've been robbed of their rightful place in our history. Valued for their wombs—not their minds or talents—for millennia women's bodies were controlled and their lives circumscribed by man-made political, economic, and religious systems designed to silence them in life and erase them for posterity. Now, with robust research and eloquent rage, Elinor Cleghorn digs deep to retrieve the names and restore the accomplishments of the childbearers, midwives, nurturers, and activists who refused to be merely passive ‘vessels’ of procreation, but the builders of civilization. Cleghorn exposes the origins of the power dynamics of motherhood still at work today, providing a timely lesson on the dangers of allowing outdated patriarchal attitudes to shape modern public policy. For mom's next gift, skip the hearts and flowers and give a copy of this enlightening, infuriating book.” —Elaine Weiss, author of Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools that Built the Civil Rights Movement and The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote “Cleghorn takes a sweeping view of motherhood… Impressive research informs a vibrantly detailed history.” —Kirkus (starred review) “Feminist cultural historian Cleghorn's (Unwell Women, 2021) engaging commentary brings in profiles of historical figures and considerations of period texts, cultural expectations, societal conditions, government campaigns, and social media influences. . . . This call to action offers a thoughtful perspective.” —Booklist “Beyond being a history of pregnancy, this book is more broadly an analysis of how men have claimed and controlled women’s bodies.” —Library Journal “A meticulously comprehensive survey that, at its best, casts fascinating light on mothers’ thoughts on mothering.” —Publisher's Weekly

Author Information

Elinor Cleghorn is a feminist cultural historian, writer, and researcher living in Sussex. After receiving her PhD in humanities and cultural studies in 2012, she worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Ruskin School of Art at the University of Oxford on an interdisciplinary arts and medical humanities project. Her writing on women's health and its histories has been published in The Wall Street Journal, BBC History, BBC Science Focus, New Scientist, and Vogue, and she has discussed her research on BBC's Woman's Hour, NPR, and numerous podcasts. Elinor is the author of Unwell Women, which has been translated across the world.

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