A History of Women in 101 Objects

Culture writer Hirsch’s debut essay collection is “a cabinet of curiosities” that plumbs the complex, surprising, and nonlinear history of women. From cave paintings and corsets to computers and contraception, her book explores the evolution of women in the Western Hemisphere. This extensive though not exhaustive collection includes items that range from menial (pockets) to mystical (planchettes), yet each essay has eye-opening insight into the roles and rights afforded to women through the centuries. The audiobook’s narrators are as numerous and varied as the objects themselves, with actors such as Jodie Whittaker and Gillian Anderson, authors including Margaret Atwood and Leïla Slimani, politicians, musicians, and more. With a new narrator every few minutes, the in-depth exploration of feminist theory stays fresh, but the audio format sacrifices the full-page images of each object featured in print.