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A WORD TO THE WIVES by Dorothy Rodgers

A WORD TO THE WIVES

by Dorothy RodgersMary Rodgers

Pub Date: Oct. 29th, 1970
ISBN: 0394452356
Publisher: Knopf

A mother-and-daughter collaboration—black print for D.R., brown for M.R., with conveniently annotated margins re the soi-disant content as well as illustrations—obviously something for both generations. Dorothy Rodgers' tone is of course terribly gracious; Mary's is a nice change (she doesn't like "mingy blobs of pressed caviar on damp toast") while both more than acknowledge a world in which caviar exists. . . . i.e. if you discuss who gets the color TV and who the b/w, or at a time of austerity, you might scrimp by renting the summer place. The Rodgers' Rules of Order cover houses, decor, appliances, marketing, children, entertaining and finally you. When it comes to running that household, you should do everything (they call it trivia. . . ) although you can ask him to pick up something you might have forgotten at the store. But then this is all predicated on the assumption that "while women are acquiring more and more freedom, it seems unjust to expect men to dry more and more dishes" although what this freedom is seems to be for other people. Some of the incidentals are helpful from getting a babysitter via your local hospital (a student nurse) or maintaining the checkbooks. . . . Once again, it will no doubt be personally promoted, with Her and Her appearances?