The Weston sisters : an American abolitionist family /

Chambers (history, Univ. of Colorado) compiles an authoritative biography of the antebellum abolitionist Weston sisters (Maria Weston Chapman along with Caroline and Anne) of Massachusetts. Throughout the work, the Westons' familial bond is shown to be the underpinning enabling the sisters' tireless antislavery endeavors. Chambers demonstrates how these extraordinary women supported one another through the trials of pregnancy, child-rearing, illness, and the day-to-day toil of keeping house in mid-19th-century America. She also provides thought-provoking facets of their lives such as their attitudes on marriage versus singlehood, how their political activism affected their place in society, and the siblings' views on faith and its relationship to slavery. Also fascinating is the fundraising the Westons pursued in order to support their abolitionist activities. From the sale of sewing circle pieces to annual bazaars featuring goods purchased by the sisters in Europe, the author demonstrates the Westons' commercial ingenuity in providing critical dollars for their cause. Works such as Clare Taylor's Women of the Anti-slavery Movement: The Weston Sisters have related the deeds of these amazing women but not fully recounted their personal lives. Verdict Scholars with an interest in the Westons' sororal influence in relation to their antislavery undertakings will find much to consider.-Mary Jennings, Camano Island Lib., WA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.