Tammy M. (Tamsbooks) reviewed The Peabody Sisters : Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism on + 39 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Weve heard of the Transcendentalists. Weve heard of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Weve heard of Nathaniel Hawthorne. We might have heard of Bronson Alcott and Horace Mann. But we have not heard of the remarkable Peabody Sisters Elizabeth, Mary and Sophia. These three sisters seem to have been in the midst of every important personage and movement during the years when the Transcendentalists were making their mark on the intellectual stamp of the United States.
This book is about their story. Growing up without means, these remarkably intellectual women faced many obstacles they constantly struggled with making some sort of living (their father and brothers not being successful in supporting the family). They were constantly fighting the societal currents that would bear women into domestic and intellectual obscurity. I was amazed by how talented and accomplished these women were, how difficult it was for them to find intellectual fulfillment, and how integral they were to so many of the important movements of the time.
The book captures the personality of the three sisters with impeccable research and the parade of famous characters that intersect these sisters lives. Frankly, it is a wonder Ive never heard of these sisters before. They were as important as the iconic male figures that dominate the literary and social reform history of the era. Sadly, the story seems to end rather abruptly at the marriage of Mary. I find this ironic. The book is very much about the relationship of these sisters and their many accomplishments. Given that these sisters lived nearly as many productive years after their marriages as they did before, it seems odd that their history would come to an end at the point of their marriage almost as if their identities become subsumed in marriage.
However, this is a small point of contention. The book was a fascinating tour through the Transcendental movement through the perspective of three interesting women.
This book is about their story. Growing up without means, these remarkably intellectual women faced many obstacles they constantly struggled with making some sort of living (their father and brothers not being successful in supporting the family). They were constantly fighting the societal currents that would bear women into domestic and intellectual obscurity. I was amazed by how talented and accomplished these women were, how difficult it was for them to find intellectual fulfillment, and how integral they were to so many of the important movements of the time.
The book captures the personality of the three sisters with impeccable research and the parade of famous characters that intersect these sisters lives. Frankly, it is a wonder Ive never heard of these sisters before. They were as important as the iconic male figures that dominate the literary and social reform history of the era. Sadly, the story seems to end rather abruptly at the marriage of Mary. I find this ironic. The book is very much about the relationship of these sisters and their many accomplishments. Given that these sisters lived nearly as many productive years after their marriages as they did before, it seems odd that their history would come to an end at the point of their marriage almost as if their identities become subsumed in marriage.
However, this is a small point of contention. The book was a fascinating tour through the Transcendental movement through the perspective of three interesting women.
