A review by bookish_nel
Jell-O Girls: A Family History by Allie Rowbottom

2.0

I got to about page 100, and the book just wasn’t for me. The women in the family are immensely privileged, which is mentioned at some points. There are some truly traumatic events that occur within the lives of these women, but I can’t help thinking how much worse it would be to endure these events as a woman of color, a poor woman, a lesbian/bi/queer woman, a trans woman, or a non-binary person. The bulk of the book is dedicated to how difficult these women had it bc of the patriarchy. It’s also discussed at length how unfulfilled one woman is being a housewife. I can definitely see how it might not be fulfilling to some!! However, many people didn’t even have the option whether or not to stay home—many were doing domestic labor for other families. Like my mom for instance. However, my opinion is VERY colored by my personal past. My mother had the same disease when I was young and worked as a housekeeper. She’s doing great today, but it wasn’t because of a curse that she got cancer. It was genetics. We were privileged—my dad’s health insurance was in place as a safety net, we had access to healthcare, we were a working class white family in Iowa. I don’t want to minimize other people’s experiences. I can’t finish the book without my personal feelings getting in the way.

But I do really like Jell-O.