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

2.0

A one and a half rounded up. I almost DNF this one around page 60, but kept on as I had sympathy for the author and her mother and grandmother. The physical and mental health challenges they endured were awful, and their childhoods were unhappy. But the continued implication that these things could be tied to a “Jell-O curse”, which she equates with wealth and patriarchy grew tiresome. The weaving of the history of Jell-O marketing strategies to demonstrate the oppression of twentieth century American women just didn’t connect for me. This book was bleak, and although it seems the author may have a happy ending, this book just didn’t work for me.