Homeward Bound: Why Women Are Embracing the New Domesticity

Emily Matchar

May 2013 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Emily Matchar offers a smart, measured investigation into the cultural, social, and economic implications of a return to domesticity in this fascinating book “chock-full of historical context, strong research and compelling personal stories” (Christian Science Montor).

Amid today’s rising anxieties—the economy, the scary state of the environment, the growing sense that the American Dream hasn’t turned out to be so dreamy after all—a groundswell of women (and more than a few men) are choosing to embrace an unusual rebellion: domesticity. A generation of smart, highly educated young people are spending their time knitting, canning jam, baking cupcakes, gardening, and more (and blogging about it, of course), embracing the labor-intensive domestic tasks their mothers and grandmothers eagerly shrugged off. They’re questioning whether regular jobs are truly fulfilling and whether it’s okay to turn away from the ambitions of their parents’ generation.

How did this happen? And what does it all mean? In Homeward Bound, acclaimed journalist Emily Matchar takes a long, hard look at both the inspiring appeal and the potential dangers of this trend she calls the New Domesticity, exploring how it could be reshaping the role of women in society and what the consequences may be for all of us.

This groundbreaking reporting on the New Domesticity is guaranteed to transform our notions of women in today’s society and add a new layer to the ongoing discussion of whether women can—or should—have it all.

Ratings and reviews

Very interesting profile of the New Domesticity phenomenon from a variety of perspectives. But it seemed to go in circles, with the same themes, interviewees and occasionally even quotes coming up again and again. The book could also have benefited from a wider variety of interview subjects - for example, more people outside the upper-middle-class population that the author admits make up a troubling majority of the movement's adherents.

This book is well thought out and, in my opinion, approaches the subject honestly and from different viewpoints. Definitely recommend this to anyone interested in feminism.

About the author

Emily Matchar writes about culture, women's issues, work, food and more for places such as The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Salon, The Hairpin, Gourmet, Men's Journal, Outside, and many others. She lives in Hong Kong and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband.