
A Woman's Work
Reclaiming the Radical History of Mothering
Elinor Cleghorn(Autor*in)
Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Verlag)
Erschienen am 12. März 2026
Buch
Hardcover
400 Seiten
978-1-3996-0542-7 (ISBN)
Beschreibung
Mothers make history. Yet for centuries, patriarchal control of motherhood has relegated acts of growing, birthing, nurturing and loving children to the sidelines, deeming the work of mothering to be unworthy of historical enquiry.
In A Woman's Work, Elinor Cleghorn retells the story of motherhood, showcasing the mothers, othermothers, midwives, activists, and community leaders who have shaped the course of history. These inspiring figures include Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval nun and mystic with pioneering views about the maternal body; Mary Wollstonecraft, who laid the intellectual groundwork to release motherhood from male control; and Sojourner Truth, who drew attention to the abhorrent treatment of mothers under chattel slavery.
Beginning in the ancient world, we learn how each era constructed its own idealised notion of motherhood - from the misogynistic dogma of the early church and the stigmatisation of single mothers in 17th century England, all the way through to the post-war myth of the perfectly contented housewife. But we also learn how mothers of all classes and circumstances fought back, and lobbied to be valued, respected and supported - not as reproductive vessels, but as people.
From the author of Unwell Women, A Woman's Work is a bold and radical new history of mothering, and a timely reminder that the fight for reproductive justice is far from over.
In A Woman's Work, Elinor Cleghorn retells the story of motherhood, showcasing the mothers, othermothers, midwives, activists, and community leaders who have shaped the course of history. These inspiring figures include Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval nun and mystic with pioneering views about the maternal body; Mary Wollstonecraft, who laid the intellectual groundwork to release motherhood from male control; and Sojourner Truth, who drew attention to the abhorrent treatment of mothers under chattel slavery.
Beginning in the ancient world, we learn how each era constructed its own idealised notion of motherhood - from the misogynistic dogma of the early church and the stigmatisation of single mothers in 17th century England, all the way through to the post-war myth of the perfectly contented housewife. But we also learn how mothers of all classes and circumstances fought back, and lobbied to be valued, respected and supported - not as reproductive vessels, but as people.
From the author of Unwell Women, A Woman's Work is a bold and radical new history of mothering, and a timely reminder that the fight for reproductive justice is far from over.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
An essential history of forgotten lives and labour * Leah Hazard, author of WOMB * A perfectly timed and illuminating triumph that consolidates Cleghorn's place among the foremost voices in medical history * Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of THE FACEMAKER * [Written] with robust research and eloquent rage...a timely lesson on the dangers of allowing outdated patriarchal attitudes to shape modern public policy. * Elaine Weiss, author of SPELL FREEDOM and THE WOMAN'S HOUR *Weitere Details
Sprache
Englisch
Verlagsort
London
Großbritannien
Verlagsgruppe
Orion Publishing Co
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Für Beruf und Forschung
Produkt-Hinweis
Standardbindung
Maße
Höhe: 239 mm
Breite: 159 mm
Dicke: 39 mm
Gewicht
644 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3996-0542-7 (9781399605427)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
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E-Book
03/2026
Weidenfeld and Nicholson
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Person
Elinor Cleghorn is a feminist cultural historian, writer and researcher living in Sussex, UK. After receiving her PhD in humanities and cultural studies in 2012, she worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Ruskin School of Art at the University of Oxford on an interdisciplinary arts and medical humanities project. Her writing on women's health and its histories has been published in Wall Street Journal, BBC History Magazine, BBC Science Focus, New Scientist, and Vogue, and she has discussed her research on BBC Woman's Hour, NPR, and numerous podcasts. Elinor is the author of Unwell Women, which was published in 2021 in the UK and US, and has been translated across the world.