Reprint of the original, first published in 1856.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A raucous, whip-smart collection of stories featuring retro-feminist ladies who lunch.” —Elle Meet the women of American Housewife. They wear lipstick, pearls, and sunscreen, even when it’s cloudy. They casserole. They pinwheel. And then they kill a party crasher, carefully stepping around the body to pull cookies from the oven. Taking us from a haunted pre-war Manhattan apartment building to the unique initiation ritual of a book club, these twelve delightfully demented stories are a refreshing and wicked answer to the question: “What do housewives do all day?”

Desperate Housewife? Not after this course in perfecting the art of lazy lunches and bawdy brunches. What's much more fun than going to work? Not going to work. That's not to say you don't contribute. In fact, your mere presence is your contribution. You can't cook, of course, but you sure look cute in an apron. You can't always hold your dirty martinis (they usually get a good hold on you), but you throw a fabulous cocktail party. Throughout, you'll discover decadent tips to get you what is rightly yours to enjoy: Invest in an air freshener. If you didn't clean today, then why does it smell so damn good in here? Wear lingerie-It will be far more difficult for him to stay mad! Consider tricking a more domestically inclined friend into cooking for you; thank her by sharing martinis. Always carry a fabulous designer handbag: Borrow, rent, or steal as necessary. Jam-packed with ingenious tips and how-tos, this little book makes a great bridal shower gift! Any woman can learn how to live lavishly, pampering herself in every way-while keeping her man wrapped around her finger.

Women who want God to be more than superficially in their lives can rise above the world's expectations by becoming housewife theologians finding true meaning and true worship everyday. Great for journaling and for group discussion.

Housewives constitute a large section of the population, yet they have received very little attention, let alone respect. Glenna Matthews, who herself spent many years as "just a housewife" before becoming a scholar of American history, sets out to redress this imbalance. While the male world of work has always received the most respect, Matthews maintains that widespread reverence for the home prevailed in the nineteenth century. The early stages of industrialization made possible a strong tradition of cooking, baking, and sewing that gave women great satisfaction and a place in the world. Viewed as the center of republican virtue, the home also played an important religious role. Examining novels, letters, popular magazines, and cookbooks, Matthews seeks to depict what women had and what they have lost in modern times. She argues that the culture of professionalism in the late nineteenth century and the culture of consumption that came to fruition in the 1920s combined to kill off the "cult of domesticity." This important, challenging book sheds new light on a central aspect of human experience: the essential task of providing a society's nurture and daily maintenance.