| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 92.2

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to JAH online. About 197 words from this article are provided below; about 367 words remain.

If you are a individual member of the Organization of American Historians, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a member of the Organization of American Historians, you can:: • Join the OAH and receive many member benefits including print and electronic issues of the Journal of American History.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two-hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the Journal of American History (86.1-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the Journal of American History.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 92.2 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Jane Grey Swisshelm: An Unconventional Life, 1815–1884. By Sylvia D. Hoffert. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2004. 255 pp. $39.95, ISBN 0-8078-2881-5.)
In this unconventional biography of a largely ignored nineteenth-century reformer and journalist, Sylvia D. Hoffert eschews a chronological account to trace factors that shaped, constrained, and embodied her performance of gender in an era of dramatic social change. From Jane Swisshelm's childhood religious roots, Hoffert explores her unsuccessful marriage, traces her career in the man's world of journalism, examines her social reform efforts, and considers Swisshelm's painfully unsuccessful efforts to accommodate to her daughter's genteel social life as the wife of a Chicago businessman.	1
Swisshelm's roots stem from Scottish Covenanter Presbyterians. Acknowledging their inherent sinfulness, these Calvinists pursued good works to keep their covenants with God. In Hoffert's view, Swisshelm's "covenant required that she sacrifice herself in the pursuit of God's work" and gave her "the courage to transgress gender boundaries in pursuit of what she perceived to be God's will" (p. 23). Embracing these roots, Swisshelm refused to convert to Methodism despite pressure from her husband, finally leaving him to pursue her career as a journalist.	. . .

There are about 367 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.