Erased What American patriarchy has hidden from us

In her second book, Tubbs (The Three Mothers, 2021) offers a historical and cultural analysis of American patriarchy with a scope both broad and robust. From the misogynistic legal doctrines that influenced America's Founding Fathers to the social media platforms monetizing girls' low self-esteem, Tubbs aims to reveal patriarchy in all its forms. Rigorous and grounded by years of academic research, it's an engaging read owing to the plain language and interwoven memoir elements. Tubbs draws a clear path from her lived experience to systemic patriarchy, illuminating how the abstract manifests in everyday life. Her focus on American patriarchy, however, inadvertently portrays it as a uniquely American phenomenon rather than placing it within a global context of economic, political, and cultural factors. This limits her ability to point to the anti-patriarchal struggle in other nations and also limits readers' ability to see what tactics have worked elsewhere--or to question the unique obstacles presented by the American system. Nevertheless, the work succeeds as a popular history and starting point for deeper inquiry.

A scholar posits that patriarchy is the organizing concept behind the multiple oppressions built into the fabric of the United States. Tubbs decided to pursue a doctorate in sociology because she believes that patriarchy is the controlling force behind many American systems of oppression. She writes, "Despite the debated origins of patriarchy it was clear to me that it dictated our society, our behavior, and social relationships in the United States and that, vice versa, these things then continued to reinforce patriarchy." In her book, she expounds on this theory, using historical and modern examples of how "putting white men at the top of the hierarchy and keeping power out of the hands of everyone else unless it serves the dominant group to include them" reverberates through all aspects of our lives. The author traces how the intersections of gender and race permeate the way girls and women in particular experience the world. She cites Mary Todd Lincoln's refusal to bow to gendered expectations of her role as first lady, white male gynecologists' usurpation of reproductive medicine from BIPOC midwives, and social media's erosion of the mental health of girls and women. Throughout, Tubbs includes glimpses into her personal history, including a description of her white mother's upbringing and her own experience of giving birth with the help of a doula to emphasize the personal effects of patriarchy's iron grip. The book is a deeply researched, analytical, and convincing condemnation of white male patriarchy. The author's conversational tone renders complex concepts a pleasure to read. Although the book's scope is impressive, it covers so much ground that it can often feel disjointed, particularly when the author strays from personal experiences that ground her ideas. A trenchant treatise on the damaging reach of American patriarchy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.