Bound by a Mighty Vow: Sisterhood and Women's Fraternities, 1870-1920

Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource
Review: I am currently a doctoral candidate in the field of education and picked up this book more out of curiosity than anything else. I was really gripped from the beginning and what was originally going to be a hasty perusal became a deep and rich resource. Turk pushes preconceptions and notions of sororities by uncovering layers of meaning that these early fraternities had for the women involved in them. She is able to convey through a wide use of fascinating primary documents the ways these groups supported and encouraged women in early co-educational colleges. She also is able to create a convincing narrative of how they evolved from their original goals and purposes in response to changing situations for women and the historical context they reflect.
Overall I found this personally fascinating and professionally enlightening. It did much to alter my understanding of sororities and early college experiences for women in this country.