Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love,
Kids, and Life in a Half-Changed
World by Peggy Orenstein
Thought Provolking For Both Men And Women
After the release of her bestselling title, Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self-
Esteem, and the Confidence Gap, Peggy Orenstein toured the country
talking to groups of parents, teachers, and girls. It was after one of these
teen town hall meetings that she decided to write about the crucible of
postfeminist socialization at which todays women--not girls--find
themselves: the reconciliation of motherhood and personal aspirations. Its
a subject shes intimately familiar with. Orenstein began researching Flux
when she was in her mid-30s and agonizing over whether to have a child:
I wanted the richness of motherhood in my life but worried over its costs. I
could almost hear the traditionalist in me clucking, You cant have it all,
and it infuriated me. Why couldnt I? Why couldnt any of us? To help
her answer these questions, she interviewed about 250 women between
1996 and 1999, and their varied responses serve as a kind of public
consciousness-raising tool. She also interviewed their friends, lovers, and

partners to get to the root of the expectations, joys, and frustrations of
these women living in a half-changed world. Though most of the women
she interviewed come from similar backgrounds (college educated, white,
middle class, and heterosexual), their combined experiences provide
readers with plenty of different viewpoints to consider. A portrait of a
generational Everywoman emerges from these snapshots in a way that
furthers the stated purpose of the book: to inspire readers in the search
for a more satisfied life. -- J.R.
Personal Review: Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love, Kids, and
Life in a Half-Changed World by Peggy Orenstein
After the last year of telling all of my friends about Cathi Hanauer's The
Bitch in the House, I'm now delighted to have discovered yet another
provocative book (albeit a little late) about the current generation of women
and the difficult choices we are making regarding work and family. What
an emotional ride! I couldn't put it down.
Orenstein managed to touch upon all the contradictions that highly-
educated career women face in this "postfeminist" moment without
oversimplifying our decisionmaking. Like some of the other reviewers, I
did recommend this book to my husband as it is a testament to the
struggles we face. But if you are looking for easy answers, this isn't the
book. If you are looking for a narrative that will give you some insight as to
how other women are carving out lifestyles that, although less than perfect,
are fulfilling and even joyful then this book is for you.
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