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Sex Wars: A Novel of Gilded Age New York

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Sex Wars by Marge Piercy is a historical fiction novel set in Gilded Age New York, focusing on the battle for women's equality in the late 19th century. The book intertwines the stories of real historical figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Victoria Woodhull, and Anthony Comstock with a fictional character named Freydeh Levin, a Jewish Russian immigrant. The narrative delves into the struggles faced by women in a society where they had limited control over their own bodies, legal matters, and freedom, shedding light on important historical events and figures through meticulous research and storytelling.

Characters:

Characters are well-developed, featuring a mix of historical figures and a fictional immigrant, each with compelling and distinct narratives.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is characterized by elaborate descriptions and a third-person perspective, effectively blending storytelling with historical detail.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative intertwines the journeys of several characters fighting for women's rights, including real historical figures and fictional characters, highlighting their personal and societal struggles.

Setting:

The novel is set in New York City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reflecting a time of significant social and political change.

Pacing:

The pacing begins slowly, especially due to perspective shifts but accelerates significantly, making it engaging in the latter half.
VICTORIA WAS READING the enormous book their landlady on Greene Street kept in her parlor. She was lying in bed with her temporary lover, Charlie, who was sleeping in on his back, snoring lightly She ...

Notes:

The novel is set in post-Civil War New York City during the Gilded Age.
It follows real historical figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Victoria Woodhull.
Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for President of the United States in 1876.
Anthony Comstock was known for his efforts to censor sexual content and promote the Comstock Laws.
The book explores women's rights and social issues from the 1870s to the early 1900s.
Freydeh, a fictional character, is a Jewish immigrant in search of her sister and struggles to support street children.
The novel combines multiple characters' viewpoints to tell interconnected stories about women's fight for equality.
Marge Piercy conducted extensive research, resulting in a rich portrayal of domestic life and historical accuracy.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book includes content warnings for themes such as censorship, sexuality, women's struggles, and historical injustices.

From The Publisher:

Post-Civil War New York City is the battleground of the American dream. In this era of free love, emerging rights of women, and brutal sexual repression, Freydeh, a spirited young Jewish immigrant, toils at different jobs to earn passage to America for her family. Learning that her younger sister is adrift somewhere in the city, she begins a determined search that carries her from tenement to brothel to prison-as her story interweaves with those of some of the epoch's most notorious figures: Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Susan B. Anthony; sexual freedom activist Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president; and Anthony Comstock, founder of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, whose censorship laws are still on the books.

In the tradition of her bestselling World War II epic Gone to Soldiers, Marge Piercy once again re-creates a turbulent period in American history and explores changing attitudes in a land of sacrifice, suffering, promise, and reward.

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