I was intrigued by the premise of this book. Janet Golden argues that when Americans started promoting the welfare of babies, society as a whole was affected for the better in terms of the medical, governmental and cultural advancements and development. This resulted in the modern age for America. I thought that was a bold statement but after reading this book, I cannot help agreeing with Golden. This book is essentially the history of American babyhood from the late 1890s to the 1960s. I thought it was fascinating.

My favourite parts were the sections focused on American history. I learned about the incubator shows which I had never heard about. During the 1920s, people would spend money on tickets to see premature babies in incubator. This was in line with the freak shows at the time. I cannot imagine objectifying premature babies in this manner. However, one positive thing that resulted from this is that American society was exposed to modern technologies. The incubator was a new invention at that time that helped to save the lives of many babies.

This book is packed with information. Golden discusses various ideas including eugenics, traditional healing vs modern medicine, education, infant mortality, and social activism among many others. I thought it was an interesting and thought-provoking read and I look forward to reading whatever the author writes next.

I received a free copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to give great insight and was thoroughly pleased with the content contained within. Definitely a great read.

Unique and interesting book. Easy to read and very informative. Highly recommend.