Tina Stewart Brakebill – författare

Facets of Barbara Egger Lennon''s life depict an ordinary white Midwestern woman of her time: teacher, wife, mother. Her work as a union organizer and political activist, however, complicate that picture. The way in which Egger Lennon balanced these roles illustrates how many women of her time shaped their lives in the face of three significant forces: work, family, and politics. Enriched by years of her detailed diary entries, Barbara Egger Lennon: Teacher, Mother, Activist deepens our understanding of the ways in which work and political activism existed alongside the traditional role of women in the early 20th century.

About the Lives of American Women series: Selected and edited by renowned women''s historian Carol Berkin, these brief biographies are designed for use in undergraduate courses. Rather than a comprehensive approach, each biography focuses instead on a particular aspect of a woman''s life that is emblematic of her time, or which made her a pivotal figure in the era. The emphasis is on a ''good read'', featuring accessible writing and compelling narratives, without sacrificing sound scholarship and academic integrity. Primary sources at the end of each biography reveal the subject''s perspective in her own words. Study questions and an annotated bibliography support the student reader.

Facets of Barbara Egger Lennon''s life depict an ordinary white Midwestern woman of her time: teacher, wife, mother. Her work as a union organizer and political activist, however, complicate that picture. The way in which Egger Lennon balanced these roles illustrates how many women of her time shaped their lives in the face of three significant forces: work, family, and politics. Enriched by years of her detailed diary entries, Barbara Egger Lennon: Teacher, Mother, Activist deepens our understanding of the ways in which work and political activism existed alongside the traditional role of women in the early 20th century.

About the Lives of American Women series: Selected and edited by renowned women''s historian Carol Berkin, these brief biographies are designed for use in undergraduate courses. Rather than a comprehensive approach, each biography focuses instead on a particular aspect of a woman''s life that is emblematic of her time, or which made her a pivotal figure in the era. The emphasis is on a ''good read'', featuring accessible writing and compelling narratives, without sacrificing sound scholarship and academic integrity. Primary sources at the end of each biography reveal the subject''s perspective in her own words. Study questions and an annotated bibliography support the student reader.

A 19th-century midwestern woman’s reflections on her role in society

Celestia Rice Colby, born in Ohio in 1827, had lifestyle options that were relatively straightforward for the typical white female child born in the first half of the nineteenth century: she married in 1848, had five children, spent much of her life working as a dairy farmer and housewife, and died in 1900.

Her rich legacy, however, extended beyond her children and grandchildren and survived in the form of detailed and reflective diaries and writings. Her private and published writings show that despite the appearances of the quintessential normal life, Colby struggled to reconcile her personal hopes and ambitions with the expectations and obligations placed on her by society. Author Tina Stewart Brakebill has woven original research with secondary material to form the fabric of Colby’s life—from her days as the daughter of an Ohio dairy farmer to her relationship with her daughter, a pioneering university professor. What emerges is a multifaceted picture of one woman’s lifelong struggle to establish her own identity within the confines of society’s proscriptions.

Colby’s life story offers valuable insights that move beyond conventional generalizations regarding women of the past and that continue to affect the study of women today.