BookDragon Blog

Every mother and daughter needs to share this book. Actually, every woman should have a copy of it. Given the incredible success of Eve Ensler‘s revolutionary play, The Vagina Monologues, “the menstruation monologues” are the natural next step!

Of course, this funny, touching, memorable collection could only be the brainchild of an almost-child herself. Who else would be so free of societal dictates? Even in our exhibitionist reality TV culture, periods still remain somewhat of a cloistered, taboo topic. Still a teenager, young Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, who’s headed to Yale this fall, spent five years compiling women’s memories of their first dot. She includes a wide representation of women of multiple generations from all over the world, famous and not, willing to tell their stories – including her own mother and younger sister! If I had one complaint, I might say it’s a wee bit Connecticut-heavy, but that’s just a quibble.

Of the title, Nalebuff writes in her tell-all introduction, “I wanted to evoke Mao’s Little Red Book, the manifesto distributed to all Chinese citizens during the Cultural Revolution.My Little Red Bookshares the revolutionary spirit of its Chinese namesake – minus the communist propaganda. It is a call to literary arms to reclaim our rightful history. It also makes for a nice beside companion.” Indeed, no bedside should feel complete without it!

Here’s a priceless sneak peek: Gloria Steinem updates her original 1978 iconic essay, “If Men Could Menstruate,” just for Little Red. It could not be funnier: “… Tiger Woods Tampons, Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator Pads, Michael Phelps Jock Shields ….Godfather III: Menopause.” ROTFLMAO [Luddite me learned that from our very young, very hip media specialist; click here for translation.]

And in case you needed another amazing reason to buy the book soonest: “Royalties from the sales of the book are being donated to charities promoting women’s health and education.” From the mouth of babes! Now start ordering!

Readers: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult

Published: 2009