Choice 评论
Sessions's diary inevitably brings to mind Laurel Ulrich's classic, A Midwife's Tale (1990). The topics Ulrich explored may be found in Sessions's laconic entries as well: parturition, pharmacology, theories of medicine, relations with physicians, women's networks, gendered economics, domestic work, marital relations (in this case complicated by plural marriage) and religiosity. Introduction, bibliography, and photographs provide context. But editor Smart is not Ulrich, nor did she intend to be. She presents readers with the usually terse text still awaiting the historian and interpretation. Editorial annotations are conscientious, the layout is readable, and the price is reasonable. The text is accessible to talented undergraduates and could be a boon to imaginative teachers. Recommended for libraries with strong collections in women's history, history of medicine, and western and Mormon history. A. Graebner; College of St. Catherine