Linda Hirshman, “Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment”
The first history—incisive, witty, fascinating—of the fight against sexual harassment, from the author of the New York Times bestseller Sisters in Law
Linda Hirshman, acclaimed historian of social movements, delivers the sweeping story of the struggle leading up to #MeToo and beyond: from the first tales of workplace harassment percolating to the surface in the 1970s to the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal—when liberal women largely forgave Clinton, giving men a free pass for two decades. Many liberals even resisted the movement to end rape on campus.
And yet, legal, political, and cultural efforts, often spearheaded by women of color, were quietly paving the way for the takedown of abusers and harassers. Reckoning delivers the stirring tale of a movement catching fire as pioneering women in the media exposed the Harvey Weinsteins of the world, women flooded the political landscape, and the walls of male privilege finally began to crack. This is revelatory, essential social history.
Author
LINDA HIRSHMAN is the author of Reckoning: The Epic Battle Against Sexual Abuse and Harassment, and of the New York Times best-selling Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World.
Reviews
“Inspiring . . . a tightly constructed narrative about how #MeToo became a cultural phenomenon [and a] celebration of the bold women who stood up for themselves to earn legal victories against harassment.” —Publishers Weekly
“Hirshman documents behind-the-scene details, political maneuverings, evidence that was presented or suppressed, truths that became apparent long after decisions went into effect, and how these developments affect current events. The unabated, continuing public outcry against sexual harassment is a reminder that resolution is long overdue.” —Booklist, starred review
“In Reckoning, Linda Hirshman delivers a stirring, essential history for women of all ages. Prepare to meet the most important—and in some cases the most unsung—feminist heroes of the past fifty years.” —Alyssa Milano, actor and activist
“An important and fascinating history of the intersection of sex and power, in the workplace and beyond. Hirshman’s new book reveals aspects of American feminist history many of us did not know, and provides important context around what we thought we did know. An inspiring, necessary, and perfectly timed work.” —Anna Holmes, writer and creator, Jezebel
“Reckoning is a gripping account of the most profound cultural, political, and legal transformation of the past fifty years. Pulling no punches and sparing no hypocrites, Linda Hirshman speaks to all of us, men and women alike, in a voice at once urgent and entertaining, about the eternal double helix of sex and power.” —Laurence H. Tribe, Professor of Constitutional Law, Harvard Law School
Excerpts
https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/reckoning/9780358305613
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 03/10/2020