Sex Wars, by Marge Piercy
This is a book that I didn't know I wanted for Christmas until my husband bought it for me. I originally thought it was a research book, but then I read the full title--it's a novel about the "turbulent post-Civil War period" . Here's a short bit from the inside cover:
"Post-Civil War New York City was the battleground of the American dream: an era of vast fortunes and crushing poverty; a time notorious for free love and the emerging rights of women, yet one that say the rise of brutal sexual repression and the enforcement of prejudice. . . . Embodying the times is Fredydeh, a spirited young Jewish woman from Russia. . . Interwoven with Fredydeh's story is a vividly wrought account of such real-life heroines--often at odds with the law as well as societal customs--Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Victoria Woodhull. . . .Depicted as well is the fundamentalist crusader Anthony Comstock, who fought to eliminate sexual expression, pushing for the passage of laws that still haunt our legal system."
Not a romance obviously, but oh man, this book sounds like it was written just for me. And it starts out in 1868 with Ms. Woodhull herself, reading in bed with her temporary lover sleeping beside her. Fantastic. Haven't read it yet, but I just had to write a post on it. When I'm done (don't hold your breath, my to-be-read pile is very high these days) I'll post a short blog on it again.
This one promises to be much fun. Oh and here's Ms. Piercy's website, for anyone interested:
http://www.margepiercy.com/books/Sex-Wars.htm
2 comments:
I love reading about the civil war era. My husband had gotten a sword from his father that had belonged to his grandfather. Now my son has it.
I started reading this book but I ended up abandoning it. I got it because it did sound interesting but it failed to hold my attention.
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