Overview

In the coldest reaches of northern Minnesota, a group of women endured a shocking degree of sexual harassment, until one found the courage to file the first sexual harassment class action suit in America, permanently changing the legal landscape. When the local iron mine began hiring women in 1975, Lois Jenson, a single mother on welfare, didn't think twice about accepting the grueling but well-paying job. What she hadn't considered was that she was entering a male-dominated society that fiercely resented the inclusion of women, a prejudice born out in the brutal harassment of every female miner. Relentlessly threatened with pornographic graffiti, denigrating language, stalking, and physical assaults, the women largely kept quiet for fear of losing their jobs, until Lois, devastated by the abuse, found the courage to sue--and won. This book was the basis for the acclaimed motion picture North Country starring Charlize Theron.

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9780786173839

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Reviews

Brilliantly reported, documented, and written...Protagonist Lois Jenson, a worker in a Minnesota mine, is the real Erin Brockovich. Her war is not only that of every woman but of every citizen. -- Bob Woodward, author of All the President's Men A suspenseful page-turner...The reader feels a need to know what happens next. -- Newsday Bingham and Gansler have come up with mesmerizing, complex portraits of the participants in a beautifully paced narrative...Impeccable. -- Washington Post A complex account of justice sought--and won...Detailed but not dense: a sturdy addition to the literature of social justice and contemporary women's issues. -- Kirkus Reviews Gabrielle de Cuir exerts commendable effort to present the story's extensive background information in an engaging, well-paced manner. She largely succeeds, despite the wordy text...Listeners too will find the emotional impact of this book hard to ignore. -- AudioFile Riveting, assiduously well reported...A useful reminder of the emotional and psychological cost of waging even the most successful--and justified--lawsuits. -- New Yorker Powerful...top-notch reporting...Class Action is a compelling court saga and an important historical document. -- Minneapolis Star Tribune Courageous...Bingham and Gansler's dogged legal anthropology [shows] you don't need bright-line heroism and villainy to bundle together disparate acts of everyday degradation, name them...and demand justice. -- New York Observer Riveting and engrossing...A gripping and unforgettable story. -- San Francisco Chronicle Tightly written, extensively researched, and well plotted...With the pacing of a novel, [the authors] engage the reader from the outset...Fascinating. -- Los Angeles Times

A complex account of justice sought--and won...Detailed but not dense: a sturdy addition to the literature of social justice and contemporary women's issues. -- Kirkus Reviews Gabrielle de Cuir exerts commendable effort to present the story's extensive background information in an engaging, well-paced manner. She largely succeeds, despite the wordy text...Listeners too will find the emotional impact of this book hard to ignore. -- AudioFile Brilliantly reported, documented, and written...Protagonist Lois Jenson, a worker in a Minnesota mine, is the real Erin Brockovich. Her war is not only that of every woman but of every citizen. -- Bob Woodward, author of All the President's Men Riveting, assiduously well reported...A useful reminder of the emotional and psychological cost of waging even the most successful--and justified--lawsuits. -- New Yorker Powerful...top-notch reporting...Class Action is a compelling court saga and an important historical document. -- Minneapolis Star Tribune A suspenseful page-turner...The reader feels a need to know what happens next. -- Newsday Courageous...Bingham and Gansler's dogged legal anthropology [shows] you don't need bright-line heroism and villainy to bundle together disparate acts of everyday degradation, name them...and demand justice. -- New York Observer Riveting and engrossing...A gripping and unforgettable story. -- San Francisco Chronicle Tightly written, extensively researched, and well plotted...With the pacing of a novel, [the authors] engage the reader from the outset...Fascinating. -- Los Angeles Times Bingham and Gansler have come up with mesmerizing, complex portraits of the participants in a beautifully paced narrative...Impeccable. -- Washington Post

Author Information

Clara Bingham is a former White House correspondent for Newsweek and author of Women on the Hill: Challenging the Culture of Congress. A graduate of Harvard, she has written for Talk, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Washington Monthly. Laura Leedy Gansler is a lawyer specializing in alternative dispute resolution and securities law. A Harvard graduate who received a JD from the University of Virginia, she is a former adjunct law professor at American University. Gabrielle de Cuir, award-winning narration, has narrated over two hundred titles and specializes in fantasy, humor, and titles requiring extensive foreign language and accent skills. She was a cowinner of the Audie Award for best narration in 2011 and a three-time finalist for the Audie and has garnered six AudioFile Earphones Awards. Her velvet touch as an actor's director has earned her a special place in the audiobook world as the foremost producer for bestselling authors and celebrities.

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