Well-written and insightful, this book is a welcome addition to recent literature that internationalizes our understanding of nineteenth-century American social activism. In recounting Rose's highly unusual path into American antislavery, women's rights and freethought, Anderson enriches the traditional narrative of antebellum reform and points out the ways in which transatlantic connections both enhanced and complicated the life of key antebellum ... Read moresocial movements.
Paul E. Teed, History
In this deeply researched, eloquently crafted volume, Bonnie Anderson brings to life one of the most fascinating, yet elusive, figures of the nineteenth century... Anderson restores her subject to the pivotal place she clearly occupied among her peers. And for contemporary readers, Anderson draws inspiration from the past to challenge us to seek a future-feminist, internationalist, anti-racist-that Ernestine Rose worked hard to envision.
Kathi Kern, American Jewish History
Engaging... Bonnie S. Anderson's biography of the remarkable Ernestine Potowska Rose explores a once-famous activist and utilizes her life to offer new insights about the movement for rights in antebellum America and beyond... In her careful exploration of a woman's-rights pioneer, an internationalist, and an atheist, Anderson offers new insights not only into the reform experience but also Rose's individual journey, one occasionally at odds with the communities to which she belonged.
Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz, Journal of the Early Republic
Highly engaging... A wide-ranging and informative biography, The Rabbi's Atheist Daughter provides exceptional insights into the status of Christianity within the major political movements of the nineteenth century. Anderson offers a model life-and-times study of Rose. She also frames a biography, rich in context, that seems surprisingly relevant to readers today. Anderson sagely concludes that Rose's concerns for racial equality, feminism, and free thought, enriched by an international perspective, gain new importance during an era of resurging religious fundamentalism
Mari Jo Buhle, Journal of American History
Anderson has written a carefully researched and engaging biography, which, while sympathetic, is never fawning. Despite the dearth of information about Rose's personal life, Anderson constructs an intimate, honest portrait that captures Rose's immense intellect and wit and her tendency toward self-righteous condescension.
Dawn M. Greeley, English Historical Review
Tapping international research and literature, drawing on her expertise in international women's history and emphasizing the transatlantic nature of Rose's life and work, Anderson creates new context for understanding Ernestine Rose's life, work, and words.
Katherine Durack, American Jewish Archives Journal
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