Scold's Bridle

"Russell's collection of short stories held my attention from the first page to the last. With beautiful prose and vibrant characters, Russell weaves a tale that is not only harrowing, and, at times, disturbing, but relatable. -Amber Garza, author of In a Quiet Town and When I Was You Searing, unflinching, magical: Scold's Bridle is a psychic journey of the body, connecting the dots between the white woman's cruel participation in the making of the United States, cellular memory, and a blush of hope for change. -Anneliese Kamola, author of ""Counter Curses"" Scold's Bridle is highly ingenious in the way it traces the same characters back through the centuries as they play out variations on their relationships and stories. The common thread is how women survive the patriarchy and the church, or, sadly, how they do not survive it...Every chapter is alive with rich detail-it's hard to imagine that Russell was not actually there, and that these events did not unfold before her observant gaze. -Dr. Claire Robson, author of Writing Beyond Recognition: Queer Restorying for Social Change [Russel's]exploration of the limits on women's behavior and their tendency to take both their petty frustrations and need for survival out on other women leads readers to consider their own role in continuing this generational experience. This work is a must read for anyone interested in feminism and gender studies, especially in a post-Dobbs v. Jackson world. -Lindsay J. Starkey, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Kent State University The strengths of the women (Rebecca, Rae Ann, Delfa) and the weaknesses of our species are on intimate display through these main characters as they highlight humanity's capacity for inhumane treatment of one another-all in fulfillment of others' expectations, borne from the restrains of religion in a patriarchal society. -Bob King, Professor of English, Kent State University Descriptions involving all the senses-especially sight but also sound, taste, smell, and touch-create a vivid backdrop for the narratives. Several characters experience events with a sixth sense, and this moves the action forward, backward, and sideways, quickly. -Dr. Linda Spurlock Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology, Kent State University Scold's Bridle announces the auspicious debut of Ronna Russell, whose voice comes to us at an essential time in American feminist literature. The characters in this collection will leave neither one's heart nor one's mind. -Jacinda Townsend, Assistant Professor of Literary Arts, Brown University"