HISTORY

Undaunted: How Women Changed American Journalism

Knopf. May 2023. 592p. ISBN 9780525659143. $35. HIST
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This sixth book by NYU professor emerita and award-winning journalist Kroeger (The Suffragents) is an immersive, inspiring chronicle of women journalists, beginning in 1840 with trailblazing correspondent Margaret Fuller (who also edited a journal for Ralph Waldo Emerson) and continuing through the #MeToo movement. Kroeger not only offers brief but fascinating glimpses into the lives and times of many women she profiles; she also demonstrates how their work affected broader societal change and contributed to the evolution of journalism, even though the field was dominated by men. She is careful to point out that some of the women she profiles benefited from privileged backgrounds and family connections, while others could rely on only their own relentless determination. Despite covering over 180 years and profiling an incredible number of accomplished women, Kroeger’s fluid writing style and engaging personal stories give the book a decidedly lively pace.
VERDICT A must-read for those interested in journalism, women’s studies, and American cultural history. Kroeger’s advice and cautionary tales are potent, not just for women journalists but for all professionals pushing back against gender barriers.
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