American Child Bride

By Nicholas L. Syrett ,

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…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

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

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 history of love and marriage.

If you love American Child Bride...

Ad

Book cover of Who Is a Worthy Mother?: An Intimate History of Adoption

Who Is a Worthy Mother? by Rebecca Wellington,

I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places…

Want books like American Child Bride?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like American Child Bride.

Browse books like American Child Bride

Book cover of Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage
Book cover of Shapely Ankle Preferr'd: A History of the Lonely Hearts Ad [1695-2010]
Book cover of Entangling Alliances: Foreign War Brides and American Soldiers in the Twentieth Century

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,354

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like American Child Bride, you might also like...

Book cover of Api's Berlin Diaries: My Quest to Understand My Grandfather's Nazi Past

Api's Berlin Diaries by Gabrielle Robinson,

Gabrielle found her grandfather’s diaries after her mother’s death, only to discover that he had been a Nazi. Born in Berlin in 1942, she and her mother fled the city in 1945, but Api, the one surviving male member of her family, stayed behind to work as a doctor in…

Book cover of Fourteen

Fourteen by Leslie Johansen Nack,

Fourteen is a coming-of-age adventure when, at the age of 14, Leslie and her two sisters have to batten down the hatches on their 45-foot sailboat to navigate the Pacific Ocean and French Polynesia, as well as the stormy temper of their larger-than-life Norwegian father.

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in law, lawyers, and court trials?

Law 187 books
Lawyers 89 books
Court Trials 36 books