In the early 1970s, the national conversation regarding feminism was very different. Public discussions of womanhood—single life, marriage, workplace harassment, rights, gripes—were often channeled through movement spokeswomen and always refracted through the lens of talking to men about men. Little was shared about the chats happening behind closed doors where everyday women talked to women without the threat of men listening in. But, all that changed with the book Bitching.

Originally published in 1973, Bitching is journalist and author Marion Meade’s deep and insightful investigation into the real dialogue happening inside coffee klatches, consciousness¿raising groups, and therapist’s sessions. Using excerpts from real taped conversations, Meade presents the frustration, anger, resigned acceptance, and scathing humor that make up the female experience from birth to grave.

For the first time, male chauvinist behavior goes fully examined and unexcused, and the roles men force upon women get broken down to their sometimes ridiculous component parts. A snapshot into a key time in the feminist movement, this book is a must¿read for anyone interested in how far we have come . . . or how much we have stayed the same.