Bachelor Girl: The Secret History of Single Women in the Twentieth Century

Betsy Israel's book takes a look at single women in the United States, specifically in New York City. I think because Israel isn't single herself, she's able to approach the subject with more objectivity. She begins at the end of the 19th century, with the "singly blessed," (a great term, I think) and continues through the decades, with the Bowery Gals, shop girls, flappers, Gibson Girls, the Riveting Rosie of WWII (both of the latter being completely made up stereotypes), the career girl. It seems as though single women in America have never fit into one category, even though the rest of society tries to place her in one. The book gave us a great picture of single women's lives in relation to their married counterparts, though I would have liked to have seen more on the single women of today (conversely, it might have been fun to have seen more on women before the late 19th century). This is an excellently-researched book that makes me feel a little bit better about being single in the modern world.

Betsy Israel has written THE book I've been searching for. As a 38 year old single woman, never married, I wondered who the single women pioneers were. Did they stumble into singlehood like I did or was it a conscious decision? Did they decide like me, that having a disastrous marriage was worse than being on my own? It was amazing to read about other single women, how they lived, the choices they made, and how the media and society manipulated and disrespected them. Two hundred years ago single women were accused of being witches since no one understood why these women would not want to fulfill their duty to marry and produce children. Why are people so suspicious of single women? Not long ago a coworker asked me if I was a witch. I told him I'm a Baptist. He also asked me if I was a lesbian (another common accusation mentioned in "Bachelor Girl".) I love men; I just haven't found one I can live with. Yet. It was great to read this book and know that other women have experienced the same things I've experienced. People have assumed I avoided marriage to pursue my career. If it weren't for my career I would have been forced to marry the wrong man in order to survive. I love my career, but I did not give up anything for it. I've also learned to fix things around the home I own, I've bought two cars on my own, I have planned for retirement, all things that many single women avoid doing as Betsy Israel points out in this book. However, I know married women who have done the same things I've done because their loving husbands had skills other than fixing things, negotiating deals or managing money. I also know women in miserable marriages who've had to do the same things because their husbands wouldn't do them. And when I'm feeling unlucky and unloved, reading about the factory worker girls, or shop girls who walked the fine line between their reality and society's perceptions I realize modern single women have it way easier. When I feel lonely I remember the amazing freedom I have that my single predecessors did not have. I'm so tired of books for singles that are all about dating, finding a man and getting him down the aisle. "Bachelor Girl" has none of that. I read that other book about the rules and like women in "Bachelor Girl" I laughed so hard I fell out of my chair. This book is about real single women and how they made their own rules and tried to live good lives and have a little fun too. Currently, the number of people choosing to stay single is rising. The 2000 Census shows that 25% of households are singles living alone. It was 13% in 1960. You'd think the politicians would be worried about the rise of singles rather than rising divorce rate or gay marriage, but I'm just happy to have the heat off me a little bit. But why should any of us take any criticism for our lives? Singles are a huge voting block, the politicians should pay attention to us. The only place the book seems to fall a little short is in reg

Betsy Israel has an approach that is very readable and not at all male-bashing (she happens to be married). In a few chapters, she even honorably mentions a few males that have furthered the causes for women. If anything, most of the plights that women have been through is because of poor laws that were constructed to restrict them to one way of life. I also love how she portrays the many different single women that have struggled valiantly to bring us to where we are today. She also covers each decade's progress and setbacks all the way up to modern day.I would recommend this book for all women to read - especially non-married women. After reading this book, you'll most likely feel relieved that you are in fact... a bachelor girl.Janelle R. B.Also recommend books by:Stephanie CoontzDorian Solot and Marshall Miller

I bought this book specifically because of the historical aspect of young women in the early 1900's, and found it immensely helpful as well as very well written. I have to admit I haven't read through to the end, because the novel I'm writing deals with women in that era. I found Bachelor Girl to be exactly what I wanted as a reference as well as engaging to read. I wish more writers would take upon themselves the task of presenting history in this story-telling style. Highly Recommended.

I have never read such a worthwhile book on single women. There are so many other books that claim to cover it all about single life, but I have never found one that takes in the whole picture--how single life developed in the US, going back a century, and how our attitudes and negative views of single women were forged over time. This is a media history. It's women's history. It's a story of how popular images have infected our ability to see single women with any honesty. Organized according to icons and "media archetypes" it's also a fun and fascinating read.