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

2.0

2.5 stars. Though much of this book resonated with me, I felt it tried to do entirely too much within 300 pages. It tried to be a history of female pain, her family, La Roy, Jell-O, and American patriarchy - in doing so, it was a bit of a mess. Though many of these things intersect, the connections were tenuous at times. Indeed, the premise of the "curse" was unconvincing as Rowbottom's family sold the company many decades ago and hadn't even invented the product. I really appreciated that she tried to weave all this together but felt like she was simultaneously writing four different books. (Also a few too many "breaking the mold" metaphors.)