Big Sister

"This book does an excellent job of showing how groups on the far right, at least since the early Cold War, have been linked by a common countersubversive ideology. This is really creative and original work."--Kathryn S. Olmsted, author of Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11 

"Big Sister is a compelling history of feminism and anti-feminism in the American Midwest that delves into the curious realm of conspiracy theories, demonstrating their significant and relentless impact on Heartland conservatism. Erin Kempker's book does the important work of linking Cold War era and New Right conservatism, showing how the steady drumbeat of anti-internationalism, conspiricism, and anti-elitism ignited rightwing activists from the early 1950s through the 1980s. Big Sister also documents the 'low-key' Hoosier feminism that developed amidst the challenges posed by conservative backlash and Midwestern reserve, where feminists deliberately abstained from radical, audacious political actions that would work against their interests in promoting the Equal Rights Amendment."--Michelle Nickerson, author of Mothers of Conservatism: Women and the Postwar Right