Generations: A Century of Women Speak About Their Lives

by Myriam Miedzian

A compilation of women's oral histories explores the changes that have occured in such areas as education, employment, parenting, social status, and sexuality

Genres: History

549 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1997

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading people's accounts of their life, such as one gets in Studs Turkel or Svetlana Aleksievich, and that's what kept me going through this long book. Some of the stories, from three generations of women spanning much of the 20th century, were very interesting, others less so. It made me realize again the importance of the interviewer; the ones here were adequate but not extraordinary.

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I remember reading parts of it out loud to my niece who was about 5 years old at the time, and she listening intently and asking questions. Of course I had to choose which bits to read and which bits to leave out. If you're familiar with Studs Terkel's work, this is along those lines -- women from all walks of life are interviewed and their stories are transcribed, in their own words. It's a work of anthropology, really. Essential reading for everyone, in my opinion. I got this book free with a Ms. magazine renewal.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was about 50/50 for me. Some of the stories were compelling and fascinating-others not so much.