Helen Andelin and the Fascinating Womanhood Movement

The author, a fine writer, presents a movement most of us never even heard about that is a vital part of our American history and particularly interesting in contrast of the first women’s rights movement. This book topic almost mirrors some extreme groups today who oppose the present feminist movement and hold a more religious, traditional value of women’s various roles in the home. Andelin’s suggestions about how to be the ideal wife were extreme and it is fascinating to ponder how this movement may have shaped children of these women and how it may have influenced their parenting today. Ultimately, though we live in one country, there are many religious and cultural differences and hearing about the past in this book leads to better understanding of present day women’s/societal views on male vs female roles in the home.

What a book! If like me, you have ever wondered how and why the counter-feminist movement "ticks," and why it is still ticking to this day, this book is for you. Reading feminist authors is preaching to the choir in my world. Reading authors who tell me that my happiness is to be found in the home, husband and children isn't the way I was raised nor does it bear any relation to how I live my life so reading about the women who tell you this is the secret to either a successful marriage ["Domestic Goddess" is the term that Andelin employs] or relationships is "fascinating."I had no idea until I read this book that Roseanne Barr who is well known for sarcastically referring to herself as a "Domestic Goddess" actually got this from her own mother who went to "Fascinating Womanhood" classes in Utah. I had always wondered about Barr's use of the term and this book finally answers that question.Neuffer gained access to Andelin when Andelin was old and her involvement in FW was long over. Her husband was dead and she had burned a lot of bridges but Neuffer [through Andelin] is able to take us through the whole "Fascinating Womanhood" movement dovetailing it neatly with what was happening in Andelin's own life at the time which wasn't quite as merry as one would believe reading Andelin's books. And none of Andelin's writing is organic [ironically neither are any of the authors who followed Andelin and stole from her] but from booklets entitled "Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood" that were published in the 1920's. In Andelin's first editions, there is a "Word of Explanation" about where the ideas come from on the same page as the printing history but that's the only attribution that Andelin ever gives.One surprising factor is the effect that Andelin herself had on the ERA. Phyllis Schlafly either managed to grab or get all the credit for derailing what was a bill for equal rights for women [and nothing more] but Andelin's grass roots movement began before Schlafly really even started. We know what Andelin thinks of gay rights, women's rights, and premarital sex but she turned her strict religious ideas into a political movement to help defeat the ERA.Since I read Helen Andelin's books years ago, it took me to other authors and so does Neuffer. We learn about Marabel Morgan [interesting!], Laura Doyle, Laura Schlessinger, and the "Rules" authors...Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider who appear to have cribbed outright most of their book from Andelin's "Fascinating Girl." Neuffer notes that their was so many similarities between the two books that Andelin's family teased her about it.Neuffer manages to stay strictly out of the way in terms of her own personal feelings and let the story tell itself which is that "Fascinating Womanhood" appealed to scores of women and according to letters, helped or even saved countless marriages. Can one argue with success even if one doesn't believe in the method? I can but Neuffer is never judgmental and takes us on a journey of one housewife who started a movement that lives on to this day with a multitude of authors imitating Andelin.In its own way, this book was as important to me as when I first read "The Feminine Mystique" [handed down to me from my mom] because when I go to Amazon and see all the "how to please your husband by being submissive to him" books and wonder where on earth this is coming from, Neuffer shows us why and how.So this book works on far more than one level. Not only do we learn everything about the woman who [with her husband] started and helmed the FW movement but we learn what it spawned...for better or for worse.

Half way through the book and it's only been a week. It has kept me interested from the beginning. It has helped me reflect on myself and how to create a better environment for my husband and understanding him and his needs.I am using the person who needs to share every thought, what woman is not? But realizing it could hurt my relationship with my husband, it has been reconsidering my emotions and learning how to reflect, find my point and make it short before discussing my concerns. Excited to finish the book!

I just finished the book Helen Andelin by Julie Neuffer and found it to be very interesting and in-depth! I was so impressed with the research that went into this book and the fact that she got to interview Helen Andelin herself! I have to admit that I had a copy of Fascinating Womanhood on my shelf as a young girl but hadn't really read it through. Now after reading Ms Neuffer's book, I am going to buy a copy and read it! I may not agree with the FW philosophy per say but I NO idea what a movement it was during a very turbulent time for women. I not only got a great historical view of the different women's movements but the book also gave my an intimate look at the life of Helen Andelin. Bravo!! J. Petersen

Really glad I read this book, which covers a fascinating (!) piece of American women's history. Neuffer mostly sticks to the facts of Andelin's life and the Fascinating Womanhood (FW) movement, and presents these controversial people and events in an even-handed way. It is a wee bit short on analysis. While it was kinda awesome to read a scholarly book that told a nice, concise story in 160 pp., I think another 50 pp. of analysis would have been a welcome addition. Questions I would have been interested in include: Why was FW successful in the 60s and 70s? (Neuffer did touch on this, but it seems to me there would have been more to say.) Why is FW still successful today? What about the Mormon tradition / doctrine made it such a fertile foundation for FW? Who practiced FW? (Neuffer touched on this as well, but I hardly thought her demographic analysis was "in-depth" as it was described in the intro). What do the women who practiced FW in the 60s and 70s think of the philosophy today? Etc.PS On a personal note, as a practicing Mormon this book held extra layers of interest for me. I will confess to reading it with bated breath, hoping the Church wouldn't do something lame...and they didn't! Seems that Church leadership saw the FW movement for what it was, and declined to promote it. Whew.