The Plough Woman: Records of the Pioneer Women of Palestine ― A Critical Edition

The Plough Woman reveals a fascinating chapter in the history of pioneer Palestine. First published in 1932―and long out of print―this new 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. Designed for course use, this fully-annotated new edition includes useful biographies of the book’s original contributors, photographs, glossary of terms, and a map of pre-state Israeli society. The editors’ new introductory essays establish the literary and historical context for these narratives, discuss women in Zionist history, and focus on the work and family issues vexing these early pioneers.