Sara Ruddick (1935–2011)

I found myself uncharacteristically uninterested in finishing this book, so much so that I finally stopped reading at page 160 (of 251) out of a sense that I wasn't getting an adequate density of benefit.

Which is not to say that the book is not worth reading. I found the opening fifty-something pages very very compelling. I suspect that if A) I had read very little of the post-1980s literature on mothering/motherhood, B) I had doubts as to the meaningful and complex labor involved in show more parenting, and/or C) I was working on an academic project related to peace politics or the 1980s, I would find the whole thing useful and interesting. Since none of those factors is present for me ... well ... I didn't.

I love how clearly and usefully Ruddick defines "maternal work" and the role our society gives "Fathers," and how she questions the desirability of maintaining them as separate, gender-segregated fields of action and responsibility. show less

Working It Out is an iconic book that had an enormous impact on women, including me, when it came out in the 1970s. I recently looked at it again and am amazed at how these personal accounts by accomplished and creative women -- their struggles and choices -- remain relevant today.