Girls: A History of Growing Up Female in America - Softcover

Girls from all walks of life and from all regions of America are represented in Penny Colman's glorious celebration of the resilience of girls throughout history. One story after another--unearthed in diaries, memoirs, letters, photographs, household manuals, popular magazines--reveals everyday experiences of girls. In 1704 a group of French soldiers and Abenaki warriors raided a Massachusetts settlement, killing many and taking 7-year-old Eunice Williams prisoner. Eunice ended up being adopted by a family of Roman Catholic Iroquois, and she chose to continue living her life as a member of this culture, dressing in blankets and living in a wigwam. In the 1940s, Drew Gilpin Faust's mother often said, "It's a man's world, sweetie, and the sooner you learn that the better off you'll be." Drew refused to bow to gender pressure, and joined the 4-H club, not to sew and can like the other girls, but to raise sheep and cattle with the boys.

Girls such as Eunice and Drew have much to offer today's generation of girls. Their compelling stories and the accompanying photos and illustrations offer a running commentary on American girlhood, from the Ice Age to the present. Sections on slavery, crippling fashion trends (such as tight corsets and huge hoop skirts), and the working world provide a context for understanding the wide range of perspectives represented. This illuminating book will empower and inspire girls ages 9 to 99. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Born in Denver, Colorado, Penny Colman also lived in Oregon, Washington and Kentucky before her parents settled in North Warren, a small town in the northwest corner of Pennsylvania. Her father was a psychiatrist with a position at the state hospital. She lived on the grounds of the mental hospital along with her father, her mother, an artist, and three brothers. When Penny was eleven years old, a writer and photographer came to do an article titled, "The Strangest Place to Find a Happy Family” that was published in Redbook Magazine.

After two years of college, Penny decided to hitchhike through Europe. When she returned home, she finished college, went to graduate school, got married, and had three children (two were twins) all within four years. For the next seventeen years, Penny Colman threw herself into being an active mom, minister's wife, volunteer, on-and-off writer, teacher, consultant, project manager, and art gallery owner. Finally, she decided to be a full-time writer in 1987, embarking on a challenging and exciting career. She writes for readers of all ages on a wide variety of topics.