Rich in detail, filled with fascinating characters, and panoramic in its sweep, this magnificent, comprehensive work tells for the first time the complete story of the American woman from the Pilgrims to the 21st-century
In this sweeping cultural history, Gail Collins explores the transformations, victories, and tragedies of women in America over the past 300 years. As she traces the role of females from their arrival on the Mayflower through the 19th century to the feminist movement of the 1970s and today, she demonstrates a boomerang pattern of participation and retreat.
In some periods, women were expected to work in the fields and behind the barricades—to colonize the nation, pioneer the West, and run the defense industries of World War II. In the decades between, economic forces and cultural attitudes shunted them back into the home, confining them to the role of moral beacon and domestic goddess. Told chronologically through the compelling true stories of individuals whose lives, linked together, provide a complete picture of the American woman’s experience, Untitled is a landmark work and major contribution for us all.
Well researched and well written, America’s Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines is a powerful and important book. Starting with Pocahontas and Eleanor Dare (the first female colonist), this lively and fascinating history records the changes in American women’s lives and the transformations in American society from the 1580s through the 2000s.
A history of the oft-marginalized sex must often draw from diaries and journals, which were disproportionally written by whites; as a result, African-American and Native American women are not as well represented as white in the earlier chapters of America’s Women. However, Gail Collins writes about women of many races and ethnicities, and in fact provides more information about Native Americans, African-Americans, and Chinese, Jewish, and Italian immigrants than some general U.S. history books. She writes about rich and poor, young and old, urban and rural, slave and slave-owner, athlete and aviatrix, president’s wife and presidential candidate–and, of course, men and women. And some of these women–from the justly famous, like Clara Barton and Harriet Tubman, to the undeservedly obscure, like Elizabeth Eckford and Senator Margaret Chase Smith–will not only make any woman proud to be a woman, they will make any American proud to be American.
An editor at the New York Times, Gail Collins has also written Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Celebrity, and American Politics and, with Dan Collins, The Millennium Book. –Cynthia Ward
In a vibrant history of American women that is as vast and varied as the nation itself, Collins elegantly and eruditely celebrates the hard-won victories, overwhelming obstacles, and selfless contributions of a captivating array of influential women. Chronicling issues both critical and obscure, Collins demonstrates an uncommon appreciation of commonplace subjects, taking a “you are there” approach to illuminate the extraordinary challenges faced by pioneer women, such as needing to provide diapers for their babies, or to empathize with a young Pilgrim woman faced with forging a life in a hostile wilderness. From the first English child born in the “new world” to the birth of the “second wave” of feminism, the characters and subjects that have formed, and informed, women’s current status are presented from a broad perspective and personal viewpoint to create a thoroughly readable, often revelatory, and intimately refined account of the philosophical concepts and practical considerations that embody the past, enable the present, and empower the future of American women. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
“Though America’s Women is an easy and entertaining read, it also fulfills the radical promise of women’s history.”
Hooking Up With a Rockstar
Kitt Henley
Publication date: October 28th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
An opposites-attract friends-to-lovers romance featuring a charming, swoon-worthy rockstar hero who falls first, a fiercely independent club-manager heroine, a hometown show, a secret song, and one very compromising position.
I told him it was just a hookup. I don’t think he bought it.
JUNE: Anthony’s always been a wild good time, but even before his band got famous, I knew better than to let myself bask in the glow of that 1,000-watt smile.
He makes me feel things I don’t ever want to feel. For anyone.
So when his band went on tour halfway across the world, forgetting him was the goal, but his postcards from the road didn’t make it any easier.
And now he’s back. Playing my club, looking every inch the rock god, and reminding me what it feels like to be with him.
Under him.
But I have a club to run, a boss breathing down my neck, and no room for distractions. This is my chance to prove myself, and unlike my mother, I’m not about to let some guy derail my life.
Three nights.
That’s all I have to survive without letting my guard down.
Without losing myself.
Without wanting him.—
Soulmates: Two bands. Three shows. Four happily ever afters.
Hooking Up With a Rockstar is a complete romance novella with no cliffhanger. This story can be enjoyed as a standalone or read as the second book in the Soulmates interwoven rockstar romance series.
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EXCERPT:
“How are you doing on your part of the list so far?” I ask, situating myself on the barstool directly across from June.
“Doing good.” Her eyelashes flutter a little. She’s working hard to keep her attention on the bottles she’s probably pretending to count, but her eyes keep darting in my direction. “Everything’s ready to go for ticketing and admission, and the staff are all confirmed for tonight.”
“OK, fabulous. Sounds like the perfect time for the two of us to grab a bite to eat.”
“Oh. Thanks, but I’ll get something later.” She angles her body away even further.
She’s adorable.
June’s making me work for it, that’s for sure. She’s a tough nut to crack, so I wasn’t expecting her to toss her panties at me or anything, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping she’d be a little more receptive. But that’s OK. We’ve got three whole days together, and this time I’m playing the long game.
“My treat.” I slide over one stool and inch myself back into her line of sight. “How about a quick sandwich?”
“Oh, I don’t know…” She finally turns to face me, looking skeptical.
“Come on, Chicago,” I tease, lowering my voice. “What. Are you afraid I’m gonna put the moves on you?”
She rolls her eyes. “I freaking know you will.”
“No. This is a professional lunch outing.”
“Uh-huh. Sure it is.” She shakes her head, smiling. “Yeah, all right. But just a quick bite.”
“Absolutely.”
She reaches for her coat and we step outside. I swear it’s even colder than it was this morning, and it takes my eyes a minute to adjust to the bright sun after spending all day in the club.
“We could grab barbecue sandwiches at that place around the corner,” June says.
“Actually, I heard there’s this great place a couple of blocks down. Follow me.”
The truth is I know exactly where we’re headed. It’s the diner where June and I used to go sometimes after closing up the bar.
The first time she asked if I wanted to get a bite to eat after work, I thought she was asking me out on a real date. We were sitting at that diner, facing each other across the table, when she first started telling me about all the different bands she was into. Eclectic stuff. She could appreciate things in the music that most people never even notice. That was when I realized she was someone special.
As we make our way down the sidewalk, I can’t help but feel giddy. It’s good to be walking through the city side by side with June again.
We round the corner and I slow down as we approach the restaurant.
“Oh, I see what you did here,” she says. “A trip down memory lane, huh? I recall being promised a quick sandwich.”
“But if you’ll remember, June, the service here is incredibly speedy,” I reassure her with a wink, and she rolls her eyes.
We score our usual cozy table by the window and put our sandwich orders in right away to speed things up.
June leans toward me, resting both hands at the edge of the table and giving me a little scowl as the server pours us each a cup of coffee.
“I can’t believe you brought me back here,” she says, shaking her head. “You’re hilarious. You know that?”
“It’s one of the things you love most about me.” I grin.
“That’s debatable.” She’s giving me one of those feisty June expressions that I’ve missed so much.
“Well, you guys sure have been getting around this past year.”
“Oh, you’ve been paying attention?” I wink.
“I did receive thirty-eight postcards.” She gives me a sideways glare, and my heart does a flip-flop. She actually read my cards.
“Ahh, but who’s counting?” I tease.
“Right.” She nods slowly, but her cheeks flush pink.
I pause, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “You know, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this past year.”
“Yeah? About what?” She takes a sip of her coffee.
“About us, actually,” I say softly.
That must’ve caught her off guard because those dark eyes lock right on mine, and her cheeks flush a deep shade of pink.
“Oh.”
“Sorry. Is that weird?”
“No, I mean, it’s fine,” she says, dropping her voice a little. “It’s just—I’m worried we got our wires crossed somewhere.”
“What do you mean?”
“Last year—when we hooked up—I didn’t mean for it to be anything more than one night.” She’s watching my eyes closely now.
“Yeah, I was wondering about that,” I say.
“I know. I really fucked that up. I should have been clear about what I was looking for from the start. That wasn’t fair to you.”
I shrug. “Nah, you’re OK. We didn’t make any promises that night.”
She gives me a little smile. “Well, thanks for saying that. But I shouldn’t have ghosted you. We’ve been friends a long time, and you deserve better.”
“OK. But I get it. It was intense, what happened between us.”
She stops mid-sip, almost choking on her coffee. “Err, umm—hmm? What do you mean?”
“The two of us. We’re something else together. I know you felt it too.”
“Oh, I don’t know…” Her pupils dilate and her lips part a bit, the way they do when she’s turned on.
“It wasn’t just a hookup, June.” I let my tone drop down low, just the way she likes it. “No matter what you want to tell yourself.”
“Um, no, I’m pretty sure that’s what it was,” she tries, but her voice is breathless, and her hands are trembling. “Just…a hookup.”
“If you say so, Chicago,” I tease, giving her a wide smile.
Author Bio:
Kitt Henley writes short, spicy contemporary romance with relatable characters, a touch of humor, and tons of heart. Never one to make it through a good romance (or cookie commercial) with dry eyes, Kitt’s heartstrings are easy to pull on. When she played in rock bands and crunched numbers in the Seattle tech world, those waterworks weren’t an asset, but after a friend suggested she try writing romance, everything clicked into place. From the moment she sat down to write her first novel, she knew she’d found her calling.
When she’s not wrangling words in her tiny bedroom office, Kitt loves to spend time with her high school best friend (a.k.a. her rockstar husband) and their two ridiculously funny boys. She’s still holding out hope for that family band someday, but in the meantime she’ll happily settle for camping trips, board games, long walks with friends, and watching lots and lots of thrillers.
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First in the series!
Memorable characters, a cozy seaside inn, small-town charm, and a celebration for every holiday.
After suffering a devastating personal loss, Abby Sullivan leaves San Francisco and impulsively buys a sprawling old mansion in Holiday Bay, Maine—sight unseen. She hopes to find solitude and healing but instead finds herself unexpectedly adopted by a giant Maine Coon cat named Rufus, a mysterious drifter named Georgia, and Georgia’s lovable but insecure dog named Ramos. Even though Abby initially believed that solitude would be essential for her to heal, she discovered an inn she never planned to own, a cat who refused to leave, and a family she never imagined needing.
In the first book in this series, the small seaside town is rocked by the murder of a local girl. Abby is drawn into a tangled investigation when she stumbles across boxes in her basement that may hold clues to the killer’s identity. She’s not a detective, but as a New York Times bestselling mystery author and the widow of a homicide detective, she knows how to follow the trail. Together with Georgia, Rufus, Ramos, and Police Chief Colt Wilder, Abby races to solve the case before the killer strikes again in what could be an annual spree.
RO G'ma
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Exciting New Start
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2018
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This is the first book in a new series written by Kathi Daley. The writing style flows smoothly, and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in descriptive writing, and much of the time I was reading, I felt like I was right in the midst of the activities taking place and sharing the characters tragedies and joys. The mystery was well plotted and complex, with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The setting is charming, the well-developed characters are affable, compassionate, and caring, and this book is a perfect blend of humor, mystery, heartache, joy, and caring.
When a distracted driver swerved into oncoming traffic, Abby Sullivan’s life changed forever because her husband, Ben, and their five-week-old son, Johnathan, didn’t survive. A year later, Abby, a published author, hadn’t written a word since the accident and was still struggling to cope with her loss. She decided a change was in order, so she bought a huge old house in the charming town of Holiday Bay, Maine without even seeing it, sold her condo, packed up her belongings, and left San Francisco. Over the years, the house had been neglected and was in need of repairs, but there was an adorable little cottage on the property that she was able to move into. Abby isn’t a cat person and had never owned a pet, but the day she arrived, a large orange cat she later learned was a Maine Coon named Rufus whose owner had recently passed away, entered into her life, and she finds that she can’t resist his sweet meows and cuddling. Abby contacted Lonnie Parker, a highly recommended contractor, and a decision was made to convert the main house into an inn. She became fast friends with him and his wife, Lacy. A young woman, Georgia Carter, who’d gone through some hard times and been on the road for over a year with her rather large dog, Ramos, shows up on her doorstep looking for a job and a place to stay. Being kind-hearted and knowing how devastating the curves life throws at a person can be, Abby puts Georgia in contact with Lonnie and offers her the cottage’s second bedroom for at least a few nights. The body of Darcy Jared, a murder victim, was found in the woods on Abby’s second day in town. Abby found four boxes in the basement of the main house, each containing possessions, and photos of teenage girls, which she thought was odd. When Police Chief Colt Wilder showed her a picture of a group of people, she recognized one of the young women as one of the girls whose pictures were in the boxes she’d found. Abby becomes intrigued with the girls, two of whom had died, one who was missing, and the final one who was still alive and well and starts investigating. Although she’s not a trained professional, she always did research for her books and used to brainstorm with her husband, who had been a homicide detective, on some of his cases, and he’d often told her she had a natural knack for seeing details others had missed.
Iconic sleuth Nero Wolfe returns to track down the murderer of a New York Symphony Orchestra conductor in this Nero Award–winning mystery.
Ever since disgraced associate Orrie Cather’s suicide, armchair detective Nero Wolfe has relished retirement in his Manhattan brownstone on West Thirty-Fifth Street. Two years after Cather’s death, only a visit from Maria Radovich—and the urging of Wolfe’s prize assistant, Archie Goodwin—could draw the eccentric and reclusive genius back into business. Maria’s uncle, New York Symphony Orchestra conductor Milan Stevens, formerly known as Milos Stefanovic, spent his youth alongside Wolfe as a fellow freedom fighter in the mountains of Montenegro. And now that the maestro has been receiving death threats, Wolfe can’t turn his back on the compatriot who once saved his life.
Though her uncle has dismissed the menacing letters, Maria fears they’re more than the work of a harmless crank. But before Wolfe can attack the case, Stevens is murdered. The accused is the orchestra’s lead violinist, whose intimate relationship with Maria hit more than a few sour notes in her uncle’s professional circle. But Wolfe knows that when it comes to murder, nothing is so simple—especially when there are so many suspects, from newspaper critics and ex-lovers to an assortment of shady musicians.
Now, in this award-winning novel that carries on the great tradition of Rex Stout, the irascible and immovable Nero Wolfe is back in the game, listening for clues and ready to go to war to find a killer.
Murder in E Minor is the 48th book in the Nero Wolfe Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
“A loving, knowledgeable, mightily pleasing recreation.” —Kirkus Reviews “Wolfe in all his glorious splendor. . . . The book plays strictly by the rules that Stout established.” —Chicago Tribune “It is fun once again to enter the brownstone on West 35th Street. . . . [Wolfe] is as insufferably omniscient as ever.” —The New York Times
Robert Goldsborough (b. 1937) is an American author best known for continuing Rex Stout’s famous Nero Wolfe series. Born in Chicago, he attended Northwestern University and upon graduation went to work for the Associated Press, beginning a lifelong career in journalism that would include long periods at the Chicago Tribune and Advertising Age.
While at the Tribune, Goldsborough began writing mysteries in the voice of Rex Stout, the creator of iconic sleuths Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Goldsborough’s first novel starring Wolfe, Murder in E Minor (1986), was met with acclaim from both critics and devoted fans, winning a Nero Award from the Wolfe Pack. Nine more Wolfe mysteries followed, including Death on Deadline (1987) and Fade to Black (1990). His most recent book is Archie in the Crosshairs (2015).
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree 