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ladyexlibris's review
Not entirely what I was expecting. I only read part of it and skimmed the rest.
rosierosereads's review
4.0
A very interesting reframing of early American cleanliness habits, formation of beliefs about the body and how they reflected gentility. Brown challenges readers to rethink current ideas of a civilized body and reflect on the labor of women behind personal hygiene habits.
tamick's review
3.0
I struggle with giving this book a three because Brown is well-researched and erudite on her topic. This rating should definitely not be criticizing the book’s academic quality either. Rather I have this book a 3 star review for two reasons. First, Brown’s work, though centered in the realm of Atlantic history, relies heavily on European and American upper class accounts, giving the findings a discernible Eurocentric bent. Secondly, and more importantly, Brown’s book is extraordinarily expansive. She is knowledgeable on a number of topics across a large expanse of time, but this has a drawback in that it limits the book’s ability to focus on specific topics within her grand narrative.
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