First published 2001
Betty Friedan examines her own journey from student in Peoria to becoming one of America's most influential feminist leaders over four decades. The author traces her path through higher education, her groundbreaking 1963 work "The Feminine Mystique" that sparked the second wave of feminism throughout the Western world, and her role in establishing the National Organization for Women in 1966. Friedan uses her personal story as a lens to examine broader changes in American society. She connects her individual experiences with the larger social movements that transformed women's roles and opportunities. The memoir offers readers both an intimate portrait of a pioneering activist and a firsthand account of the social upheavals that reshaped modern America.
Genres: 20th-century, gender-studies, feminism, autobiography, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, personal-journey, social-commentary
Setting: United States
Period: 20th-century
400 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster