Synopses & Reviews
A bold, original, moving book that will inspire fanatical devotion and ignite debate.
“Whom to marry, and when will it happen — these two questions define every woman’s existence.” So begins Spinster, a revelatory and slyly erudite look at the pleasures and possibilities of remaining single. Using her own experiences as a starting point, journalist and cultural critic Kate Bolick invites us into her carefully considered, passionately lived life, weaving together the past and present to examine why she — along with over 100 million American women, whose ranks keep growing — remains unmarried.
This unprecedented demographic shift, Bolick explains, is the logical outcome of hundreds of years of change that has neither been fully understood, nor appreciated. Spinster introduces a cast of pioneering women from the last century whose genius, tenacity, and flair for drama have emboldened Bolick to fashion her life on her own terms: journalist Neith Boyce, essayist Maeve Brennan, social reformer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, and novelist Edith Wharton. By animating their unconventional ideas and choices, Bolick shows us that contemporary debates about settling down, and having it all, are timeless, the crucible upon which all thoughtful women have tried for centuries to forge a good life.
Intellectually substantial and deeply personal, Spinster is a new kind of unreservedly inquisitive work of memoir and broader cultural exploration that asks us to acknowledge the opportunities that exist within ourselves to live authentically. Bolick offers readers a way back into their own lives — a chance to see those splendid years when we were young and unencumbered, or middle-aged and finally left to our own devices, for what they really are: unbounded and our own to savor.
Review
"What's surprising about Spinster is how, in its charmingly digressive style, the book sets forth a clear vision not just for single women, but for all women: to disregard the reigning views of how women should live, to know their own hearts and to carve out a little space for their dreams." New York Times Book Review
Review
"Awakened and inspired by the lives of five historical women, Bolick revels in her own singledom in this blazingly smart memoir, which argues that 'Spinster' should be a coveted destination, not a dirty word. Her eloquent, provocative story illustrates how charting a unique course can make any life truly singular." People
Review
"Bolick weaves memoir, feminist theory, and biographies of five forgone writers into a riveting, essential text. Bolick's voice crackles with wit, sharp criticism, and breathtaking metaphors as she makes an enticing case for Spinsterhood." Entertainment Weekly
Review
"Bolick's evocation of the untethered state is often beautiful, her metaphors precise and lyrical in the manner of her heroines. More important, she does not flinch from describing just how alone alone can feel....Bolick is adept at spotting the unexamined confusions and curious silences that have arisen in the wake of an incomplete sexual revolution — and that bedevil those of us who are living outside of our culture's sturdiest institutions." Elle
Review
"Bolick's cri de coeur dispels the 'conundrum' of the willfully single female." O Magazine
Review
"In Spinster, a sharp-witted paean to the single life, Kate Bolick explains why she has consciously opted out of coupling." Harper's Bazaar
Review
"In this beautifully articulated memoir-cultural/historical examination mashup, Bolick shares both her own reasons for remaining unmarried, as well as sharing examples of great Spinsters throughout history (such as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Charlotte Perkins Gilman), absolving the term's negative connotations in the process....Bolick's newest is an inspirational treatise that will help define a nascent generation of women who choose to live happily independently." Bustle
Review
"While the stereotypes of Spinsters are mostly unflattering — cue the cat lady, the bag lady and Grey Gardens — Bolick's Spinster offers a corrective through nuanced portraits of women who love and are loved, and who choose to place their work and their friends at the center of their lives. Engaging and informative, Spinster offers a decidedly non-'Sex and the City' portrait of the challenges and opportunities of single life." Bookpage
Review
"Kate Bolick's Spinster will take your breath away. Writing with a bold vision and in incandescent prose, Bolick gives us a user's guide to going solo — and a gorgeous work of cultural criticism." Susan Cain, co-founder of Quiet Revolution and bestselling author of Quiet
Review
"[A] powerful memoir...Bolick's intense and moving combination of personal, historical, and cultural narratives will inspire readers — especially women — to think about what they want their own lives to be, and how close they are to their goals." Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Review
"Refreshingly bold and incisive....As Bolick traces her evolution into a woman unapologetic for her choices and unafraid of her own personal freedom, she also reclaims the derogatory word 'Spinster' for all females, married or not....A sexy, eloquent, well-written study/memoir." Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Review
"Smartly written, intimate, and heartfelt, Spinster challenges readers to reconsider what a successful life feels like for women and gifts them with a wondrous group of historic figures to immerse themselves in. A brilliant and timely narrative for twenty-first-century bluestockings, and book groups shall rejoice from all the wonders it has to offer." Booklist
Review
"Bolick's message for readers is a celebration of the delights, challenges and opportunities of remaining single." Shelf Awareness
About the Author
Kate Bolick is a contributing editor to The Atlantic. She was previously the executive editor of Domino magazine. She lives in New York.