Synopses & Reviews
In this witty look at our obsession with cleaning, Margaret Horsfield confronts her own dirt demons and scours the social, historical, literary and psychological nooks and crannies of the world of household chores. Through historical research, countless interviews with people and an analysis of characters from novels and advertising, Horsfield presents such memorable personalities as the woman who sends her small daughter to walk around other peoples houses in white tights to check for dirt and the mother who, upon her sons suicide, sheds not a tear but stays up all night frantically polishing her already gleaming hardwood floors. From demented television housewives to the redoubtable Mrs. Beeton,
Biting the Dust runs the gamut of ideas and emotions.
Review
“A spiffy book . . .” —
The New York Times Book Review“An often fascinating history that by turns will have you flailing under the beds for dust devils and laughing until your sides ache.” —The Chicago Tribune
“An entertaining combination of literary tidbits, social history, and personal recollections . . . wise and witty.” —The Boston Globe
About the Author
Margaret Horsfield has been a reporter for the BBC, the CBC,
The Guardian, The Independent and
She magazine. She lives in British Columbia with her daughter.
Table of Contents
Denial and Defense * Dirty Work Afoot * Mothers and Mentors * Happy and Glorious * Maids and Ladies * Public Concern * Germs * Movers and Shakers * Improvement and Irony * Buyers and Sellers * Search and Destroy * Purge and Purify * Clean Freaks and Crazies * Looking for Mr. Clean * Pros and Cons * Flappers and Scrubbers