The Plough Woman

Book excerpt: "The Plough Woman reveals a fascinating chapter in the history of pioneer Palestine. First published in 1932 ... this ... edition throws light on the complex arena of Palestine and Zionism as well as the intersection between the early Jewish nationalist movement and radical feminists at the turn of the 19th and 20h centuries. The voices, prose, memoirs, and literature of young Zionist women who emigrated to Palestine in these decades offer an intimate look at life on a veritable frontier. Memoirists discuss tensions in communal living, unsentimentally disclosing the hardships of working and raising families in underserved and isolated agricultural colonies. But as their narratives indicate, these pioneer women were keenly motivated by the vision of a creating a future Jewish homeland, an egalitarian society that would foster and celebrate individual growth, sustain family life, and provide a secure future for all"--From publisher's description (a later edition).