Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism

Atavist editor-in-chief Darby describes women as a “sustaining feature” of white nationalism in her revelatory and harrowing debut focused on three women with ties to the “alt-right” movement. While one of her subjects, Corinna Olsen, has since disavowed her “racist lies,” Ayla Stewart and Lana Lokteff continue to garner thousands of followers online. Tweeting under the name “Wife with a Purpose,” Stewart, a Mormon mother of six, challenged “Americans of original pioneer stock” to have as many white babies as possible in 2017. Lokteff, part of the husband-and-wife team behind the multimedia company Red Ice, hosts her own program where she profiles fellow white nationalist women. Before becoming an FBI informant and converting to Islam, Olsen cohosted a white nationalist radio show under the moniker “Axis Sally.” Darby delves into the history of white women “on the front lines” of misogynistic and racist movements, and finds commonalities in the upbringings, personalities, and indoctrinations of her three profile subjects, including social anxiety and “an outlook defined by binary thinking and perceived victimization.” With their social media prowess and “#tradlife” values, Darby contends, these women are integral to the resurgence of white supremacy across America. Darby writes with a clear sense of purpose and makes a concerted effort to understand why women would “fight against their own interests.” The result is a disturbing and informative must-read. (July)