Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent's Guide to Raising Flawless Children

Summary

From the author of the "hysterically funny and unsettlingly fascinating"* New York Times bestseller Unmentionable, a hilarious illustrated guide to the secrets of Victorian child-rearing [*Jenny Lawson]

Feminist historian Therese Oneill is back, to educate you on what to expect when you're expecting . . . a Victorian baby! In Ungovernable, Oneill conducts an unforgettable tour through the backwards, pseudoscientific, downright bizarre parenting fashions of the Victorians, advising us on:

– How to be sure you're not too ugly, sickly, or stupid to breed

– What positions and room decor will help you conceive a son

– How much beer, wine, cyanide and heroin to consume while pregnant

– How to select the best peasant teat for your child

– Which foods won't turn your children into sexual deviants

– And so much more

Endlessly surprising, wickedly funny, and filled with juicy historical tidbits and images, Ungovernable provides much-needed perspective on — and comic relief from — the age-old struggle to bring up baby.