It’s one of the few books I’ve found that provides an overview of lesbians in the US in the 20th century (but as Riese points out, Faderman acknowledges that the documentary record often limits her to more elite, white women). However, Faderman also jumps to conclusions that aren’t fully justified by her footnotes, especially when she’s trying to make the case that that a person or goups of people liked women or identified as lesbians. While on a personal level I’m pleased to read that someone preferred being with women or identified as a lesbian, as a history buff I’m always a little concerned when queer historians don’t hold themselves to the documentary standards of other writers, since this ultimately undermines their credibility in the larger academic world.

But fwiw, if you like early 20th century women’s history, Blanche Wiesen Cook’s two-volume series on Eleanor Roosevelt is fantastic. Cook created a stir when these books came out because she suggested that Eleanor had a long-term relationship with Lorena Hickock, an AP reporter, and that many of Eleanor’s closest friends were also lesbians. Critics had a harder time with this than with Faderman’s books (even though Cook is also an out lesbian) because Cook’s research and conclusions are so well documented.

http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/07/04/specials/cook.html

Anyways, just my 2 cents worth…

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