Some time ago I read an article online, now lost to the pits of the internet found it! about libraries weeding books. All through reading P.S. Your Not Listening, I kept coming back to that thought of weeding. Would I weed this book? Or would I let it be, with the understanding that it’s a product of its time? On one side, it’s an sweet, slightly bland, story about a teacher’s first year working with “unteachable” kids. On the other side, it’s from the 1970s, the language is dated (mongoloid, retarded, etc.), and other than a testimony of its own existence, there’s not a lot of depth there. Or, I suppose there is depth there but, it’s not the depth that was put there at the time of writing, but rather reading the book now, from a 2016 perspective, man, being a working woman was awful back in the 1970s. Sure, it’s fine for your husband to go out for drinks in the evening, but if you’ve got a work meeting in the evening, well then, aren’t you just cutting into family time. Aren’t you just a lousy wife and mother, which should always come first.
So yay second wave feminism.
But, yeah, probably not the point of the book.
So weed or not? Clearly, as it’s being republished in 2016, there’s an argument for letting it lie. But, as for a purpose in the larger universe of books, I’m not sure. Short and quick to read (although did she get consent from the kids she’s writing about? How much exactly is fictionalized? I guess that’s another whole issue to consider with this book), interesting from a sociological/historical standpoint, but also dated. Hedge-clippers or not, you be the judge.
P.S. Your Not Listening by Eleanor Craig was re-released on May 13, 2016.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.