How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution at 30,000 Feet
by Nell McShane Wulfhart
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2022
320 pages
Genre: History, Current Affairs and Religion
Publication Information
The empowering true story of a group of spirited stewardesses who "stood up to huge corporations and won, creating momentous change for all working women" (Gloria Steinem, co-founder of Ms. magazine).
It was the Golden Age of Travel, and everyone wanted in. As flying boomed in the 1960s, women from across the United States applied for jobs as stewardesses. They were drawn to the promise of glamorous jet-setting, the chance to see the world, and an alternative to traditional occupations like homemaking, nursing, and teaching.
But as the number of "stews" grew, so did their suspicion that the job was not as picture-perfect as the ads would have them believe. "Sky girls" had to adhere to strict weight limits at all times; gain a few extra pounds and they'd be suspended from work. They couldn't marry or have children; their makeup, hair, and teeth had to be just so. Girdles were mandatory while stewardesses were on the clock. And, most important, stewardesses had to resign at 32.
Eventually the stewardesses began to push back and it's thanks to their trailblazing efforts in part that working women have gotten closer to workplace equality today. Nell McShane Wulfhart crafts a rousing narrative of female empowerment, the paradigm-shifting '60s and '70s, the labor movement, and the cadre of gutsy women who fought for their rights—and won.
"Recommended for readers of women's history and histories of the airline industry, and anyone looking for an engaging and entertaining read." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Accompanied by occasional black-and-white images, this engaging narrative offers a fascinating look at how the intersection of the women's and labor movements helped a little-discussed, female-dominated profession achieve viability and respect. An informatively readable combination of cultural and feminist history." - Kirkus Reviews
"[A] rousing history...Wulfhart lucidly contextualizes the stewardesses' campaign within the larger feminist movement...The result is an invigorating and inspiring story of women triumphing over discrimination." - Publishers Weekly
"Engaging...Insightful...Compelling...Wulfhart explains union wranglings, emerging legislation, and lengthy court battles within context, exposing the era's expectations regarding women's roles as sex objects, wives, and mothers in stark reality. This is an eye-opening chapter in the history of feminism and women's rights." - Booklist
"Put aside any preconceived notions you might have about flight attendants. Wulfhart's uniformed women battled the airlines' sexist policies and lurid advertising, forging a feminist revolution along the way." - Paulina Bren, author of The Barbizon
"An entertaining page turner and a powerful story of personal and political transformation." - Lynn Povich, author of The Good Girls Revolt
This information about The Great Stewardess Rebellion was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Nell McShane Wulfhart is a frequent contributor to the New York Times travel section and wrote the column "Carry On" from 2016-2019. She has written for Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, the Wall Street Journal Magazine, and T Magazine. She is the author of the Audible Original Off Menu.
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