In this fascinating work of history and gender studies, Muriel Fox brings the second wave feminist movement of the late twentieth century to life. Spotlighting various women from the movement, especially the less-famous ones behind the scenes of the National Organization for Women (NOW), Fox chooses to focus on one woman per chapter, and other women reappear in other chapters as necessary. By using these incredible first person narratives and anecdotes to tell the story of a movement, Fox creates a human-centric perspective of the movement and individualizes the larger organizational narrative. Built from Fox’s personal archive, this book contains hundreds of excerpts from official NOW documents which have not made it to the public purview, adding an incredible amount of detail to the book. An incredible insight into NOW and second wave feminism, this is a must-read for historians and scholars of gender studies, yet the approachable prose and narrative approach make this readable for those of all backgrounds. A complex and complete narrative about the movement, Fox is a brilliant and clear writer, and her narrative approach to the history of NOW places the organization in conversation with other social and political organizations and events from the late twentieth century.

What a great introduction to the women’s revolution. Something I didn’t previously know much about, it is enlightening to be able to read an entertaining accessible book to wet my interest in this subject.
Muriel Fox is an inspirational woman who chronicles not only her own successes within the movement but that of many other often forgotten pioneers.
Her writing style is easy and accessible and I feel that I’ve learnt a lot about this topic.
This is a must read for anyone who is interested in this revolution but does not know where to start

This book is Muriel Fox's account of her activism for women's rights and equality. Let's start with the pros. She is informative and thorough. I feel like I'm taking a university lecture. It's wonderful to see so many recognizable figures and how central they are to the women's movement. It's an insightful look through history through the lens of someone in the middle of the battle.

The cons. Remember how I said it's like a university lecture? Well, there are parts that are dry and just a regurgitation of facts. I actually ended up DNF'ing the book. I feel like I got the gist of it and the story after the first half, and then it seemed repetitive.

Overall, it was informative and insightful, but I wish I got to see more of Muriel's personal voice and experience.

How did the woman's movement (the Second Wave) in the USA come about? Muriel Fox, cofounder of the National Organization for Women (NOW), tells you her firsthand stories in this book. About 29 people who were there, not only herself but also people such as Betty Friedan, Pauli Murray, Mary Eastwood... and the cases they took on to make eveybody's life better. Better work-life balance is also something men are benefitting from, argues Fox.

Fox based book mainly on her own Feminism Files, with hundreds of letters, clippings, notes, and photographs that she archived. This makes the book a very valuable time capsule. Tt's really interesting to see the discussions and frustrations they had whether it was too white, too straight...

Thank you New Village Press and NetGalley for this ARC

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

The women’s revolution discusses the history of women both subjugated and defiant.
The women’s revolution joins the shelves of Bad Feminist and Simone du Beauvoir as a catalog of feminist work. Discussing truly appalling acts such as forbidding married women from working and opening with a list of what was expected of women not too long ago like a horror movie before introducing groups in those times that pushed for more and the women involved [Betty Friedman, Martha Griffiths, etc.] well put together and tells of history you may not know.

This book is telling you about the people behind the changes for a better world for women from a primary source: personal recollection of the co-founder of National Organization for Women as one of the leading driving force for the Second Wave movement in America.

2.5⭐ from me
It's hard for me to give meager star review because I really want to understand the book and the author and I will explain why I gave that amount of stars for this book.

I admire NOW as an organization who fights for equal rights between women and men. Successfully done a number of cases against inequality in the United States. Though it is unfortunate, in this book, when Muriel defended Zionism a couple times and mentioned that Betty Friedan loves Israel as a part of her Zionism, took a "birthright trip" is what we called today, even as far as fighting for feminism there. What I see is an ironic stance of fighting for equality. It's hard to understand how they can strenuously fight for women all around the world EXCEPT women in occupied Palestine. I understand that their movement are confined to their nation. At LEAST, they must acknowledge the injustice, discrimination and deprivation of equal human rights Palestinian Women faces every day since the israeli occupation which happened around the same time of the formation of their organization, National Organization for Women. 

Her book also bias in some parts, such as when she discuss about her own looks to explain why Betty Friedan was cold towards her at the beginning (it could be true if we regard Betty's personality, but come on). She's proud of herself and her works, (and her looks) that's for sure. She also frequently discuss looks of other feminists and I think the looks part is unnecessary.
*Additional note: She explained that maintaining good looks is necessary for her, she always wants to look presentable because of her childhood trauma. I understand and I sympathized with her but I still think it's unnecessary to discuss others looks.

I was irritated when she mentioned her trip to Saudi Arabia and commented that she didn't see a single woman walking outdoors, walk with a shopping cart or baby carriage or briefcase:
--
"One highlight was a trip to Saudi Arabia. In their drab capital city, Riyadh, I did not see a single woman walking outdoors. Nor did I see any with a shopping cart or baby carriage, let alone a briefcase."
--
 I understand her need to voice her frustation for lack thereof equality presentation everywhere she presides, but she needs to understand other places is not America and can't be equate to America and their way of living. There is no one way of feminism and she knows it well. It's ironic how she acknowledged the power of homemaker but she let her prejudices win over her in that country. It sounds like she has underlying meaning when she purposefully put that sentence there (and she only mentioned it once without further context).

Despite all of that, I have to give credit to the leaders of NOW, middle (or maybe upper too) working class women and men who have enough privileges to elevate other women who doesn't have enough privileges to fight for their rights. What an unrelenting group of people with impressive connections to those in power to change the law to favor sex equality. Because at the time, the prejudices against women that consequently resulted in sex inequality were really concerning. So I have to give credit where it's due.

I also applaud and honor each and every individual unsung feminist hero that are mentioned in this book. Every sparring from the organization, activist, feminist group, government agency, made such a discourse that can further develop resolution for the better.

This book succeeded in making me sided with the equality feminism but I still can detect her bias since it's her perspective and what she believes. Overall it's a great book to understand the Women's Revolution in America from Muriel Fox's primary point of view and a great source for understanding Women's movement in America to comprehend the entirety of the movement all around the world.

A fabulous, inspiring recount of the sweat, frustrations and determination of one American organisation's formation and impact from the OG Communicator of NOW. It's a tremendous reminder that, no matter where we are in the world or when, there is much that has been done and even more to be done to elevate humanity to a level where we can all co-exist harmoniously and disagree politely. Gaining recognition and respect and implementing and maintaining women's rights and gender equality are only some of the biggest fights of modern society. The notion of progress is that there is always room for improvement. Well, there's still lots of room.

Thanks to Netgalley and New Village Press for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re interested in second wave feminism then you’ll probably enjoy this read - but it wasn’t what I had imagined and even though I majored in Women’s Studies in my 20s, this wasn’t the read I was looking for. It is still well written and well laid out and would be a good reference and read for some… just not me, unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Women's Revolution by Muriel Fox reminds me of Azealia Banks and Ronnie Radke, in that Muriel Fox writes about feminists and their accomplishments and then <b> BOOM! </b> they think one of the following:
a) black people are bad
b) lesbians are bad
c) transgenders are bad

Nonetheless, this is a good starter book looking to get into one's own journey with feminism, especially since Muriel can't seem to form an opinion on anything that plagues the modern women (see: thinks that TERFs are "complicated"). But I can't deny that NOW, despite their very clear issues, have irrevocably changed how women are viewed in the United States, and thus this book is a good jumping off point for someone wanting to read something basic and accessible with no "complex" political influence.

3.43 rounded down

The Women’s Revolution by Muriel Fox

320 Pages
Publisher: New Village Press
Release Date: June 18, 2024

Nonfiction, Politics, History, Politics, Women’s Movement, Feminism

This is a first-hand account of the feminist movement. She mentions her work was a part of the second wave of feminism. She was a co-founder of NOW, National Organization of Women in 1966. She talks about the letter Betty Friedan to several women dated August 31, 1966, asking $5 for membership. There were three major locations for NOW: New York, Washington, D.C., and Detroit.

She mentions Title VII, equal pay, sex discrimination, commission on the status of women. She describes the jail door necklace that Alice Paul wore. Nuns also signed up for membership because they were working women and were oppressed. Muriel wrote a press release and borrowed a mimeograph machine. It was carried my several major newspapers.

This is a wonderful memoir written about an important time for women. Ms Fox did a fantastic job chronicling the events and the biographical information of the women involved in the movement. If you are a member of NOW or lived through this period, you will enjoy reading this book.

Fair warning, this is not a casual read.
It infuriates, instigates, inspires and tells you about that part of history which they mostly skip over at school.
I call myself a feminist and try to act as one, but without knowing the history, the building blocks, the sacrifices and the people without whom we might have still been stuck in the dark ages, my feministic journey would have been utterly incomplete.
Written with a passionate voice, I would advocate for this book to be read by all and sundry. Such a much-needed wake-up call this powerhouse of a book is!
This one needs way more publicity that it's getting. Such a treasure!

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity to gain early access to your book, "The Women's Revolution: How We Changed Your Life," via NetGalley.

Your masterful storytelling has provided me with an enlightening and empowering journey through the milestones and triumphs of the feminist movement. Your ability to seamlessly weave together personal anecdotes, historical events, and the indomitable spirit of those who paved the way for change is truly commendable.

The authenticity you bring to the narrative, drawing from your own experiences as a key figure in the women's movement, adds a unique and invaluable depth to the storytelling. Your perspective enriches the reader's understanding of the challenges faced by women and the collective strength that fueled the revolution.

I also want to commend the meticulous research evident in the book, offering a comprehensive overview of the various facets of the women's revolution. The historical account is both informative and engaging, providing readers with a rich tapestry of the movement's evolution.

"The Women's Revolution" is not just a historical account; it is a call to action. Your unwavering optimism and belief in the power of collective action are infectious, leaving readers inspired to continue the fight for equality in their own lives.

In conclusion, I am grateful for the opportunity to explore the pages of "The Women's Revolution" early through NetGalley. It is a timely and important contribution to the ongoing dialogue surrounding gender equality, and I believe it will resonate with a wide audience.

Thank you for your dedication to sharing this transformative journey. I look forward to its official release and the positive impact it will undoubtedly have on readers around the world.

The subtitle says it all.
Ms. Fox’s book is well researched and thoughtfully presented. It’s hard to believe how trapped and disadvantaged women were in the years following WWII. Having glimpsed a wider world, filling in for men who were fighting in the war, at meaningful jobs all across the country, it was especially galling to be forced back into the home, when that’s not what filled many women’s hearts.
I grew up in the 50s and 60s, starting working in the 70s, and the descriptions in this book rang true. I have always been grateful for the women that came before me, who pried open doors that had long been closed. I have always worked toward more open doors for more women. Ms. Fox puts a name to the women who made our world change.
“The Women’s Revolution, How We Changed Your Life” is an important historical logbook of what it took to make the progress that seemed impossible at the time. So much has changed in even my lifetime, and I see the fruits of all that revolutionary work, in the faces and composure of young women today, living fulfilled existences because of all the women who came before, the ones who changed all of our lives.
Ms. Fox names crucial pioneers and describes their circumstances, their challenges, and the changes that each one brought about. Here is our chance to know these amazing women, and to understand just how far we’ve come.