Customer Reviews

Brabbling Women: Disorderly Speech and the Law in Early Virginia

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This was a very interesting read. I bought this book for a history class I'm currently taking-History of American Law-and was so intrigued by the portrayal of women and their attempts to find alternative ways around the law, which was a law that did not offer women many rights or liberties. Accordingly, it's a great depiction of the origin of women's gossiping and its, almost, vigilante justice effect. I highly recommend you to read it.

Brabbling Women is a book about how we *do* history in addition to colonial Virginia history. Women were not considered important enough to include in the historical record unless it was through "illegal" or "legal" behavior. When women sought redress in the courts, it sometimes ensured their experience would be written into the record, whether intentional or not. In this case, foes of women who sought legal redress called their speech "brabbling." This in itself shows both de juris and de facto forms of gender segregation and how coercion works. However, this condition is not consistent in court cases--as is the case of most legal history, despite our love of precedence.

In the wake of an election where female candidates were labeled as "complainers" or "whiners," this book seems even more relevant to today. It shows us how human beings may work as agents of social change because the personal remains political. This book is densely investigated and makes new gains in cultural history. I read it for pleasure.

In theory, a fascinating look at women in early Virginia and their attempts to push back against the system -- in practice, a poorly-researched piece that comes no closer to convincing you of anything. A maddening read.