cover image Down from the Pedestal

Down from the Pedestal

Maxine Harris. Doubleday Books, $22.5 (275pp) ISBN 978-0-385-46994-4

Psychologist Harris ( Sisters of the Shadow ) writes about ``the images which trap women and the life themes which can liberate and give meaning to their lives.'' Identifying stereotypes like Eternal Girl, Selfless Mother and Sweet Old Lady, the author shows how women suffer from the expectations of themselves and others that they fit into these roles. Harris proposes alternative ways that a woman can think about her life based on broader, more flexible themes: in the early years, exploring and preparing; in midlife, creating; in the later years, contemplating and measuring. Seventy women of varying backgrounds relate their experiences and a repeated wish that life for subsequent generations will be better than it has been for them. This innovative approach to understanding female psychology offers appealing insight for both sexes. (Jan.)