Women's activism in Latin America and the Caribbean: engendering social justice, democrating citizenship, ed. by Elizabeth Maier and Nathalie Lebon. Rutgers, 2010. 375p index afp; ISBN 9780813547282, $79.00; ISBN 9780813547299 pbk, $29.95. Reviewed in 2010nov CHOICE.
Maier (Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Mexico) and Lebon (Gettysburg College) have assembled an outstanding collection of essays on women's activism in Latin America and the Caribbean. The essays are interdisciplinary in nature and include contributions from political scientists, anthropologists, sociologists, historians, and others. Twenty essays cover a broad range of countries and themes, including descendants of Africans, indigenous peoples, lesbianism, and religion. The focus is on the last 40 years of feminist engagement with issues of social justice, democracy, and citizenship. The editors and authors explicitly engaged politically with their subject matter, accompanying many of the activists and participating in many of the events discussed in the essays. This English-language volume follows a 2006 Spanish edition that was well received in Latin America. More than a direct translation, this new book was significantly revised and updated to include new material, bridge cultural divides, and reach out to a worldwide audience. The result is a refreshing work that will become a landmark study and a comprehensive resource that researchers and students will consult for years to come. Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries. -- M. Becker, Truman State University