Helen Andelin and the fascinating womanhood movement
Julie Debra Neuffer
190 pages | ~5 hrs
Helen Andelin and the fascinating womanhood movement
By Julie Debra Neuffer
This compelling biographical study explores how one woman's spiritual quest transformed her personal life and sparked a nationwide movement that influenced millions of American women during a pivotal era of social change.
In 1961, Helen Andelin found herself trapped in a stagnant marriage, raising eight children while feeling disconnected from her husband of twenty years. As a woman of deep faith, she turned to prayer and fasting, seeking divine guidance to heal her relationship. Her breakthrough came through an unexpected source: vintage advice booklets from the 1920s that offered principles for marriage and womanhood.
When Andelin applied these forgotten teachings to her own life, the results were remarkable. Her distant husband became attentive and loving, their connection was restored, and their marriage flourished. Convinced that this transformation was divinely inspired, she began sharing these principles with other women through church classes, witnessing similarly dramatic results.
This led to the 1963 publication of "Fascinating Womanhood," a book that sold hundreds of thousands of copies and established a network of volunteer teachers conducting classes nationwide. Author Julie Debra Neuffer presents a balanced examination of Andelin's philosophy, which emphasized traditional gender roles and family values during the turbulent 1960s when feminism was reshaping American society.
The book offers valuable insight into how spiritual conviction, combined with practical relationship principles, created a movement that provided guidance and community for women navigating uncertain times and changing social expectations.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore SOCIAL SCIENCE
- ✓ Explore RELIGION / Christianity / Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
- ✓ Explore Women
- ✓ Explore Sex role
- ✓ Explore Women's Studies
- ✓ Explore Women, united states, social conditions
- ✓ Explore Social conditions
- ✓ Explore Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
Topics
Details
- Published
- 2014
- Publisher
- University of Utah Press
- ISBN-13
- 9781607813279
- ISBN-10
- 1607813270
- Pages
- 190
- Language
- EN
