America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines.

Can a 20-something in 2010 relate to the first women to settle in America? Surprisingly after reading this book I can say with no hesitation; most definitely! There are so many elements I loved about this book. The depth of information Gail Collins offers in America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines is amazing, but what helps you really identify with these women is the personal stories interspersed throughout. Collins paints a picture of the typical American women at various points in history but then allows the women to share themselves in their own words through diary entries, notes to friends and family, speeches, and interviews. Throughout the book I found myself shocked at the living conditions, obstacles, and opinions women faced. Sometimes the shock was at how different life used to be and other times the shock was at how little has changed. In many ways we have come so incredibly far in others ways life is no different than it was for the first women sailing over to the New Land. With every positive change women saw new prejudices developed and that continues today.

Collins doesn't just present the history of women but also tells an intriguing story. Every women she chose to highlight was unique, but in so many ways they were all the same. Women throughout history have struggled with body-image, finding husbands, raising families, workplace issues, and on and on. These are the common threads you will find in the pages of Collins' book and your own life.