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Unbecoming a lady : the forgotten sluts and shrews that shaped America / Therese Oneill ; illustrations by Lisa Jonté.

by Oneill, Therese, author.

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New York : Simon Element, 2024.

Women -- United States -- Biography.

Women -- Social conditions -- 19th century.

Women -- Social conditions -- 20th century.

Women -- History.

9781982199708 (hardcover) :

1982199709 (hardcover)

viii, 245 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 21 cm

First Simon Element hardcover edition.

Introduction: Upon finding oneself to be plain, cranky, a bit self-absorbed, and a tad slutty -- Making a spectacle of oneself: Daring drama queens of dubious renown -- Ballbusters: Business broads who played with the big boys -- That's sissy stuff: Dames who took a perfectly good thing and made it better -- The righteous sisters: Goody-goodies for God -- Running her mouth: Big-mouth broads, changing the world one cringey reveal at a time -- Too far, too soon: shrill shrews who didn't know when to stop -- Conclusion: Be dreadful.

Slut. Shrew. Sinful. Scold. The 19th- and early 20th-century American women profiled in this collection were called all these names and worse when they were alive. And that's just fine. These glorious dames earned those monikers, and one hundred years later they can wear them proudly! They refused to conform to societal standards. They bucked everyday niceties and blazed their own trails. They were collectively unbecoming as women, but they forever changed what women can become. With irresistible charm and laugh-out-loud impertinence, New York Times bestselling author Therese Oneill chronicles the lives of eighteen unbecoming ladies whose audacity, courage, and sheer disdain for lady-like expectations left them out of so many history books. Curious readers will learn about forgotten heroines such as: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker: who, despite being the only woman ever awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, was shunned and forgotten due to her insistence on wearing pants in public; Elizabeth Packard: whose careful record of her own unjust incarceration in a 19th century madhouse by her husband (her crime: not wanting to be Presbyterian anymore) led to nationwide law reforms to protect the rights of those with mental health issues; Lilian Gilbreth: best remembered for being the real-life mom of Cheaper by the Dozen but who probably should be remembered for scientifically removing the stigma of the sanitary napkin and designing the modern-day kitchen; and many more! With dozens of illustrations and historical photographs throughout, Unbecoming a Lady shines a light on unforgettable, impressive women who deserve to be remembered.

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