SEX WARS

Sex Wars, Marge Piercy, William Morrow, 2005, 408 pp


Never before have I read a novel set in post Civil War America that was from the women's side of the story. Here we have Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B Anthony, and Victoria Hull slugging it out for freedom and rights for women. Every main female character is strong, vehement about being in charge of her own life and completely flippant about what any man might expect of her. Which is not to say that they did not like men or engage in passionate sex (except for Susan B Anthony who was a virgin all her life, but also the most conservative.)

The writing was a bit odd; not bad exactly but certainly not literary or lyrical. However, once I got hooked on the story, I didn't care. I think every American woman should read this book, but especially young women in their 20s and 30s, lest the battles fought and won for women be forgotten. I am so glad I read this book and learned the history of those battles.