Perfect Wives in Ideal Homes: The Story of Women in the 1950s

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She demonstrates kindness through thoughtful gestures, provides emotional support during challenges, and dedicates quality time to nurture the connection. She treats the opposition to Princess Margaret’s relationship with Townsend as something specific to her time and gender. I also gained some hope for our current environmental situation from the (relative) success and impact of the story of the founding of CND. And I was determined, because now I could see that this was my ticket out of the environment that I was in. Take your pearls off,” he said – and confiscated her treasured necklace, telling her she could have it back when she’d learned not to swear.

A good helper is a thoughtful student of her husband, and learns where she can be most effective: it could be where he has limited time, where she is particularly gifted, or where he has areas of weakness.

First appearing in the late 1800s, the four-character phrase "Good Wife, Wise Mother" (also Wise Wife, Good Mother ( Japanese: 良妻賢母, Hepburn: ryōsai kenbo, Chinese: 賢妻良母/賢母良妻; pinyin: xián qī liáng mǔ/xián mǔ liáng qī)) was coined by Nakamura Masanao in 1875. It's hard to single out stories from this rich, entwined narrative, which moves in and out of the lives of an absorbing cast of characters. Is there really any one coherent story to be told, about all the women in the UK in one decade, set apart from the story of the whole population? The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and the relationship between father and son is more important than the relationship between husband and wife. In Perfect Wives in Ideal Homes, Virginia Nicholson tells the story of women in the 1950s: a time before the Pill, when divorce spelled scandal and two-piece swimsuits caused mass alarm.

Turn the page back to the mid-twentieth century, and discover a world peopled by women with radiant smiles, clean pinafores and gleaming coiffures; a promised land of batch-baking, maraschino cherries and brightly-hued plastic. Regardless of gender, these qualities transcend stereotypes, offering insights into what it takes to create a strong and loving marital connection.Striking a balance between personal aspirations and marital responsibilities can be challenging, demanding thoughtful consideration. Reading this book and remembering with a certain amount of nostalgia how it was then, I also thanked my lucky stars I had enlightened parents who took it for granted that I would have a career and not just a job and that even though I would probably marry I would always be able to support myself financially. I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone who has an interest in this period or in social history in general. A long, more fleshed-out look at this book can be found at my online reading journal here -- otherwise, carry on.