First, the blurb:
In 1853, Abigail Scott was a 19-year-old school teacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When financial mistakes and an injury force Ben to stop working, Abigail becomes the primary breadwinner for her growing family. What she sees as a working woman appalls her, and she devotes her life to fighting for the rights of women, including their right to vote.
Following Abigail as she bears six children, runs a millinery and a private school, helps on the farm, writes novels, gives speeches, and eventually runs a newspaper supporting women’s suffrage, Something Worth Doing explores issues that will resonate strongly with modern women: the pull between career and family, finding one’s place in the public sphere, and dealing with frustrations and prejudices women encounter when they compete in male-dominated spaces. Based on a true story of a pioneer for women’s rights from award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick will inspire you to believe that some things are worth doing–even when the cost is great.
What I thought of the book:
I will be honest – I am tired of hearing about how “oppressed” and “unfairly treated” women in the US are today. Many of the people saying this should take a very good look at how things were in the mid-1800s and before, then compare it to the ease with which women run their lives now. Women like Abigail Scott Duniway fought for and won what we enjoy today.
I liked this book – well-researched and historically accurate (as far as I can tell!), it brings to life one of the lesser-known heroines of the fight for actual equality. An advocate of women’s suffrage, she fought for that and for other rights and protections for women through her weekly newspaper, and later was invited to speak to the legislature in Oregon about the right for women to vote. If you are curious about this woman, women’s suffrage, women’s rights, or just about this period in history, I highly recommend giving this book a read.
** I was sent this book from Revell Books in exchange for my honest (which doesn’t always mean positive!) review.
Me, Take Three 