Why read American Child Bride?

Book cover of American Child Bride: A History of Minors and Marriage in the United States

Book description

Most in the United States likely associate the concept of the child bride with the mores and practices of the distant past. But Nicholas L. Syrett challenges this assumption in his sweeping and sometimes shocking history of youthful marriage in America. Focusing on young women and girls-the most common underage…

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Why read it?

1 author picked American Child Bride as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Marcia A. Zug

Author

When American’s think of marriage, they tend to view it approvingly, as a good, wholesome institution that forms the foundation of American society. However, marriage has also been a back door to otherwise forbidden and harmful behavior. In American Child Bride, Nicolas Syrett explores the history of minor marriage in America as well as the shockingly high rates of underage marriages that continue today. The book highlights the complexity of these relationships, demonstrating that they could be dangerously exploitative but also, that the legal and social importance attached to marriage could make it an attractive option, even for children,…

From Marcia's list on The best books on the history of love and marriage.