A Milwaukee Woman's Life on the Left: The Autobiography of Meta Berger [Paperback]

Meta Berger (Author), Kimberly Swanson (Editor), Genevieve C. McBride (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2001

In the early 1900s a Milwaukee wife, mother, and schoolteacher traded in her apron and chalk for the turbulent world of political activism. This autobiography tells the story of transformation in the words of the woman who lived it, Meta Schlichting Berger (1873-1944). More than one woman's story, it is a tale that reveals the changes facing a nation during momentous times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

2001 Gambrinus Prize for Best Book on Milwaukee History from the Milwaukee County Historical Society

About the Author

Kimberly Swanson holds M.A. degrees in history and library science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society Press; 1 edition (January 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870203223
• ISBN-13: 978-0870203220
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,191,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating, informative contribution to women's studies, July 4, 2001

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Milwaukee Woman's Life on the Left: The Autobiography of Meta Berger (Paperback)

Meta Schlichting Berger was a Wisconsin wife, mother, schoolteacher, and politician at a time when women's role in public life (including their right to vote) were as contested as they were restricted. Ably edited by Kimberly Swanson, A Milwaukee Woman's Life On The Left is Meta Berger's autobiography and takes us through her transformation from a traditional wife and mother to a political activist who held elective office for thirty years. Married to Victor Berger in 1897, she saw her husband being elected to Congress as their first Socialist member. She was to eventually launch her own political campaign that would place her on the Milwaukee School Board and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. She was an activist in the peace and women's suffrage movements of the day, all while serving as confidant and advisor to her Congressman husband. Her husband was faced with twenty years in prison and denial of his Congressional seat because of his opposition to World War I. Meta helped him to win his eventual vindication before the United States Supreme Court. After her husband's death in 1929, Meta became even more radicalized than her husband ever was and embroiled in left-wing politics during the turbulent decade of the 1930s. A Milwaukee Woman's Life On The Left is a fascinating and informative contribution to women's studies in general, and Wisconsin history in particular.