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A review by daumari
Jell-O Girls: A Family History by Allie Rowbottom
3.0
I felt obligated to read this after Allie showed up on two of the podcasts I listen to (Gastropod's episode on gelatin/jelly, and the Sporkful posting a guest episode from Household Name). While the history of the Jell-O company is sprinkled throughout, like the subtitle says this is primarily biography- first, of Allie's grandmother Midge, and then mostly about her mother, Mary.
Family history, feminism, and Jell-O's marketing strategies throughout the years are deftly woven into a quick pageturner. Looking at other GR ratings, opinions seem pretty mixed, and I wonder if that's due to expectations. This isn't a microhistory of Jell-O, nor does it focus on the inventor's family (the man who sold it to the Woodwards, who Allie is related to by marriage). However, it's an alright piece for the mother-daughter genre.
Family history, feminism, and Jell-O's marketing strategies throughout the years are deftly woven into a quick pageturner. Looking at other GR ratings, opinions seem pretty mixed, and I wonder if that's due to expectations. This isn't a microhistory of Jell-O, nor does it focus on the inventor's family (the man who sold it to the Woodwards, who Allie is related to by marriage). However, it's an alright piece for the mother-daughter genre.