Review

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture by Peggy Orenstein


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What a fantastic read! And it's not just for mothers with daughters, but for anyone who wants to be enlightened more on the cultural subtexts we are engulfed in, including but not limited to: girlhood, womanhood, femininity, consumerism and the narcissism epidemic. My favorite chapters (as in, if you want to read some of the book but not all, read these chapters) were the first and last chapters. All the stuff in the middle was good too, but I loved the way Orenstein juxtaposed the two chapters—capturing both the ways in which we fall victim to the “princess culture” and also how to combat it. I also loved how she re-told some of the classic fairytales, showing how they differ with the Disney versions that have now become our cultural subconscious. What a contrast. Really.

The book isn’t perfect. And no, I don’t like all her ideas or even her conclusions, but it was a fascinating read. Orenstein has a great voice--with great word usage and imagery that makes her narrative style easy to comprehend, while also clever, funny and profound. I laughed and gasped on many occasions during my read. And the book offers tons of ideas and stories to discuss amongst family and friends. Highly, highly recommend!






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