Reviews

In early 17th-century England, an era known for patriarchy and repression, women were expected to know their place and keep silent. Yet male domination was resisted and challenged by some of these women in their domestic lives and through their letters, diaries, poetry, and drama. In this thoroughly researched volume of criticism, Lewalski analyzes the long-ignored writing of such women as Elizabeth Cary, Aemilia Lanyer, Rachel Speght, and Mary Wroth, as well as Queen Anne and Princess Elizabeth. Their writings provide valuable insight into the roles women played in the literary and social milieu of Jacobean England. An important contribution to the study of English literature and feminism that will encourage further investigation of a neglected era, this book is highly recommended for all academic libraries.-- Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo