First published 1999
Cheryl Jarvis examines the experiences of women who temporarily step away from their domestic responsibilities to pursue personal growth. Drawing from conversations with 55 women who took sabbaticals of varying durations and purposes, Jarvis documents how these breaks from routine family life served different goals. Her research spans historical examples, including Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, all of whom spent extended periods separated from their husbands. Jarvis weaves her own story throughout the book, describing how she gradually subordinated her writing career to support her husband's ambitions and raise children. Eventually feeling suffocated by family obligations, she took a three-month retreat at writers' colonies. The book addresses common concerns through chapters on motivations, fears, and spousal reactions, supported by extensive research across history, mythology, and religion. Jarvis argues that women who take time for personal renewal ultimately strengthen their marriages and families by returning with renewed energy and perspective.
Genres: family-life, 20th-century, feminism, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-growth
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
256 pages · Hardcover · UNKNO