Breaking Barriers

This comprehensive, well-organized book chronicles the lives of Susan B. Anthony, Margaret Sanger and Betty Friedan, three women prominent in the ongoing women's rights movement. Archer begins by briefly describing the conditions surrounding women's unequal status and summarizing the women's liberation movement from 1837 to the present. Biographical chapters on Anthony, Sanger and Friedan follow--each begins with a turning point in the woman's career, and then explores her childhood and background. The author smoothly interweaves historical facts with pertinent quotations as he discusses Anthony's fight for women's suffrage, Sanger's determination to educate women about birth control and Friedan's struggle to earn equality for women in the workplace and society in general. He also refers to many other women who played a part in the feminist revolution. The final section weakly addresses current issues relevant to the women's movement, detracting from the biographies' potency. Nevertheless, the historical impact of these women's lives is deftly presented through captivating narrative. Ages 10-up. (May)