Period, end of sentence A new chapter in the fight for menstrual justice

Anita Diamant

Book - 2021

"Explores the subject of menstruation, from toxic historic and religious roots to how young activists are challenging the silence and shame that can erode self-esteem and even threaten lives ..."--Page 4 of cover.

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Subjects
Published
New York : Scribner 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Anita Diamant (author)
Other Authors
Melissa Berton (writer of foreword)
Edition
First Scribner trade paperback edition. First Scribner hardcover edition
Item Description
Includes "Book club favorites : reader's guide".
Physical Description
xviii, 158 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 137-149) and index.
ISBN
9781982144289
9781982144296
  • Part one. The curse
  • Shame
  • Shamelessness: the changing of the guard
  • Part two. R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
  • Indigenous wisdoms
  • New traditions
  • Part three. The struggle
  • Period poverty and the tampon tax
  • Menstruating at work
  • Dignity
  • Part four. Menstruation goes public
  • Men-struation
  • The menstruation business
  • Period.org
  • Part five. Seeing red
  • The takeaway.
Review by Booklist Review

Diamant, author of the bestselling novels The Red Tent (2007) and The Boston Girl (2014), sustains the impact of the Oscar-winning documentary Period. End of Sentence in this scorching and utterly unforgettable read. After a foreword by producer Melissa Berton detailing the film's development, Diamant swiftly unleashes a narrative of the history, politics, and economics detailing how societies around the world have long treated the normal, natural human function of menstruation as a source of shame. Brandishing a stunning array of statistics and sharing stories from around the world of girls and women in every social circumstance, Diamant delivers a withering account of how menstruation has led to humiliation, threats, and on more than one grim occasion, even death. Here, too, are rousing stories of success, including the middle-school girls in America who rose up against a male school principal who claimed students would "abuse the privilege" if free tampons were made available in restrooms and the Indian inventor who became committed to bringing not only menstruation products to poor women but also the means of their production. This is a barn burner of cultural analysis that never strays from the preventable suffering at its core. A life-improving title that should be made as widely available as possible.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Novelist Diamant (The Red Tent) examines all things menstrual in this expansive collection of anecdote, history, and pop culture criticism. Spurred by the documentary of the same title (a producer of which asked Diamant to write "a book about menstruation"), Diamant traces the development of "period-positive" movements that aim to recognize the "full humanity of women and girls and everyone who menstruates." In "Shame," she details harrowing stories of period-related embarrassment around the world (in New Zealand and Australia, for instance, more than half of the teenage girls interviewed said they'd rather "fail a school test than have their classmates know they're on their period"). "Period Poverty and the Tampon Tax" covers the economic toll of menstruation ("menstruators spend $17,000 during their lifetime" on period products), and "Indigenous Wisdoms" offers examples of cultures in which periods aren't shrouded in secrecy, such as the Hupa's celebratory Flower Dance. The wealth of information and anecdote can feel disjointed at times, but the effect is powerful nonetheless, and lands as a repository of information rarely in the spotlight. For young women, especially, this will provide a fascinating look back and powerful impetus to work for a shame-free future. Agent: Amanda Urban, ICM Partners. (May)

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