Publishers Weekly
★ 03/09/2020
In this thorough and engrossing investigation, novelist Davis (Lost Stars) posits that gendered child rearing may soon be a thing of the past. Prompted by criticism of her 2017 New York Times essay about her gender-nonconforming daughter, Davis uncovered the mid-17th-century roots of the term tomboy and its evolution from having a negative connotation to a positive one in the late 1800s due in part to Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel Little Women. By the 1920s, the early childhood years—previously gender neutral, with lace, ruffle, and bow-adorned outfits for both boys and girls—became a proving ground to “prepare kids for their future adult performances of gender” with the introduction of boy/girl toys and clothing. While the pop culture Girl Power movement in the 1980s and ’90s ostensibly promoted tomboy-ism in television and film, Davis learned from gender studies experts that “these characters were allowed and encouraged and beloved because they seemed straight and cisgender. They weren’t crossing the line into lesbian and/or trans territory.” In coming out, Davis notes, tomboy actors Jodie Foster and Kristy McNichol mainstreamed LBGTQ issues, and today, “gender-creative” parenting—raising a child free of gender identity or expression until they decide for themselves—introduces a new approach. Davis’s persuasive and deeply personal argument for moving beyond the gender binary will resonate with those curious about child rearing free of normative expectations. (May)
From the Publisher
*** A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Editor's Choice/Staff Pick ***Publishers Weekly’s Top Nonfiction Books of 2020****PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, STARRED REVIEW*New York Times, "9 New Books We Recommend This Week"
MS. MAGAZINE, "Reads for the Rest of Us"
Chronogram, "Books For Your October Reading List"
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"Hooray for gender rebels!"—Peggy Orenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Girls & Sex
"[A] thorough and engrossing investigation... Davis's persuasive and deeply personal argument for moving beyond the gender binary will resonate with those curious about child rearing free of normative expectations."—Publishers Weekly
"Lisa Selin Davis leverages a familiar term to take a comprehensive look at gender performance in girls...Davis takes the reader in a fresh direction by illuminating the forces behind the shifting regard in which tomboys have been held. ...[a] thoughtful consideration of how money and power have shaped our ever-changing view of tomboys."—New York Times Book Review
"Tomboy is a revelation, an impassioned and empathic consideration of how gender is manufactured and sold, and how it can both oppress and empower. This is way more than a book for parents navigating how to raise individuals in a world of stubborn binaries; it's for all of us who want to understand that world, and how we might become our true selves within it."—LaurenSandler, author of This Is All I Got: A New Mother's Search for Home andOne and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One
"An intriguing look at culture's influence on gender & identity."—PEOPLE Magazine
"As I read this book, I felt at turns challenged and surprised and at turns comforted-as a tomboy in the 80s, I saw myself on the pages and understood where I had come from and the forces that shaped me. As someone who currently teaches gender inclusion at schools across the country, I can't wait to use this book in the presentations I give. It will really help teachers and parents understand not just tomboys but gender. But it isn't just an informative and useful book; it's exciting and compelling as well."—Alex Myers, author of Revolutionaryand Continental Divide
"Lisa Selin Davis uses TOMBOY as a launch pad for a thought-provoking and enlightening exploration of the troubled pink and blue waters of gender categories-and the words that can be life rafts to help us float above them or stones pulling us in deeper."—Deborah Tannen, professor oflinguistics at Georgetown University and author of You Just Don't Understand,You're Wearing THAT?, and You're the Only One I Can Tell
"This book will surprise, delight, and challenge everything you think you know about gender. Davis's writing is lively and lucid; a sage and compassionate guide on this rocky terrain. Every parent needs to read this book."—Jennifer Block, author of EverythingBelow the Waist
"A thoughtful, thorough examination and celebration of gender non-conformity, and a crucial contribution to our cultural understanding of this moment, and how we got here."—LizPlank, author of FOR THE LOVE OF MEN
"Tomboy tackles a unique, contradictory moment in history: male and female binaries are exploding yet childhood has become more hyper-gendered than ever. How did we get here? What does it mean? I picked up this book expecting to read a few pages; hours later I was still riveted, underlining paragraphs, scribbling margin notes and rethinking all my assumptions about boys, girls and everyone along or beyond that spectrum. Hooray for gender rebels!"—Peggy Orenstein, NewYork Times bestselling author of Girls & Sex
"An informative jumping-off point for further investigation."—Kirkus
"[A] fascinating book that has resulted [explores] the concept of the tomboy from Victorian times to today's world, where considerations of gender are front and center."—Booklist
"Davis traces the origin of the word tomboy, as well as movements of the pink/blue line in history and the impact of commercialism, homo- and transphobias, the media, racism and privilege. Who gets to draw the line? The single unequivocal truth about gender Davis uncovered is "it's complicated," but the more we know, the sooner we can undo stereotypes. Tracing the history and impact of the word "tomboy" [Davis] provides the backdrop for a study of changing gender identity lines and how better to navigate complex gender issues."—Shelf Awareness
“Davis entertainingly explores the history of tomboyism from the Victorian era up until today with painstaking attention to detail and healthy doses of humor. She sheds new light on a fascinating subject and brings fresh insight to the discussion of gender nonconformity. This one-of-a-kind narrative is both innovative in subject and breathtaking in scope.”—Publisher's Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
2020-02-16
An analysis of girls who identify as “tomboys” and how the designation has changed over time.
For decades, girls who had short hair, preferred to wear pants rather than dresses, and liked to do “boy” things like climb trees or play sports were often called “tomboys,” a term that disappeared once the girl reached puberty and “outgrew” it. Though the name is still widely used, journalist and essayist Davis, who has contributed to the New York Times, the Guardian, and other publications, explores the (in)adequacy of the word to cover the spectrum of gender and sexual identities finding expression today. In this meandering journey through the history and current state of “tomboyism,” some of the author’s pressing concerns include the pinkification of everything remotely feminine and the extreme boy-girl separation of toys and children’s products based on algorithms that instantly promote specific items tailored by gender. Davis scrutinizes the area surrounding gender identity vs. sexuality, especially in the chapter titled “War of the Words: Tomboy or Trans Boy?” She also considers the role of socio-economic status in the application of many of these designations. In addition to citing research into a variety of relevant topics, Davis includes personal stories of women who were considered tomboys as children who have since been able to find a comfortable place on the wide spectrum that exists today. “I think it’s important for parents, and kids,” she writes, “to understand how sex, gender, and sexuality have been understood in different eras, to see that the way we are experiencing and understanding them now is part of the evolution, and that we’ve still got so much more to learn.” There is still much to learn, and though Davis could have gone more in-depth in some areas, readers will find this a good place to start their education.
An informative jumping-off point for further investigation.