A review by ejdecoster
Margaret Sanger: A Life of Passion by Jean H. Baker

3.0

Good, but didn't necessarily knock my socks off. It was interesting to read about how difficult a subject Sanger must have been to biographize, given her persistent misinformation campaign about her age and obfuscating of other personal details. There were also a few points where the chronology felt a bit muddled (Baker would be discussing the 1930s, and then mention a conference from 1925, for example) so I advise readers to pay close attention to dates. Given Baker's discussions of Sanger's relationship with eugenics, the African-American community, the development of the birth control pill, and the terminology surrounding "birth control" vs "family planning", this book feels very timely and more relevant than it might have just a few years ago. This book isn't going to change your life, but if you're interested in women's reproductive rights and the history of the movement, this would be a good place to start. (Though I'm open to more recommendations, friends!)