A glimpse into a bygone era, ‘A Woman’s Place‘ presents a collection of sometimes adorable, sometimes outrageous, often thought-provoking snippets from the media of the 1940s, 50s and 60s in New Zealand. It is essentially a collection of popular thinking in these decades, presented through advertisements, ‘agony aunt’ columns and the like.
I’m liking
This is one of those books that you just have to snortle over and read chunks aloud from. Addressing such essential topics as: the gayness of one’s apron, women controversially breaking out of work at home and into the business sphere, which cigarette filters one’s husband should buy if he really loves his wife… and on and on… this book is pretty entertaining. It’s not something to read cover to cover – it’s more a coffee-table style read.
The pages are laid out in a very cute way, with pink pages of varied designs, and the ads are actual reproductions of originals so you do get a feeling of stepping back in time as you flick through the pages.
Things that made me go hmmmm
The organisation of the book (though somewhat irrelevant if you’re not reading it cover to cover) is a little bit odd.
The conclusion
I picture this book as being perfect for sitting in the waiting room of a day spa. It would also be an entertaining gift to give for a bridal shower as guests would have a hilarious time reading pieces aloud to each other.
‘A Woman’s Place’ is published by Penguin and retails for around $24.99.
