Quotes
"An entertaining look at Victorian-era parenting advice...Oneill's
irreverent guide is a reality check for those who might romanticize the era of
strict self-discipline and unchallenged parental authority."—The Washington Post
"While acknowledging the grim conditions of Victorian youth, Oneill offers a lighthearted romp through the more absurd side of the parenting books and trending childhood advice literature of the time. Ungovernable would make a good gift for a mom with a sense of humor."—Bust
"This wild ride through 19th-century
child-rearing is an exploration of anal worms, strange tinctures, inappropriate
education, child labor, and questionable food stuffs. Readers will learn the altogether shocking
practices of Victorian parenthood-and be reminded that people did live to tell
the tale...The author's breezy style strikes an amusing and marked contrast with
the subject matter, which hopefully keeps readers focused on their successes as
modern, enlightened parents-which the Victorians also considered themselves, a
fact that is slyly related in delicious irony. While Oneill will likely not supplant
Spock and Brazelton, she may well set parents at ease in her own hilarious way."—Booklist
"One part sauciness, one part frankness, and one part sweet
relief that readers live in the present, Oneill's book provides readers with a
liberal dose of medical and women's history that's well worth taking."—Publishers Weekly
PRAISE FOR UNMENTIONABLE:
"This book is full of awesome."—Jenny Lawson, #1 New YorkTimes bestselling author of FuriouslyHappy
"It's hard to imagine a
woman - or a teenage girl - who won't love this book."—Washington Post
"Unmentionable transports us back to the world of middle-class 19th-century women, with special emphasis on the messy details that costume dramas airbrush out. . . . With a 4-year-old's scatological glee, Oneill details the logistics of old-time peeing, pooping, gestating, menstruating and mating . . . Oneill has dug up some lovely tidbits from the dustbin of history."—New York Times
"Flat-out hysterical (and occasionally alarming)...Read it and
be very, very glad you're a woman of modern times."—Good Housekeeping
"This book will banish your silly romantic notions of life
in the nineteenth century and make you laugh out loud while doing it."—BookRiot
"Both fascinating and hilarious,
Oneill has created a book so excellently informative about the Victorian
period, it should be shelved right next to Dickens for reference. Your
stomach will hurt so much from laughing, you'll be thankful you're not wearing
a corset."—Bustle