Nalebuff began collecting stories from women about their first menstrual periods as a high school project. She found that while women had a variety of stories to tell, several themes, taboos, or old wives tales, carried across cultures. The stories collected here are from young women who have just recently started their periods to elderly women long over with menopause. A large number of women mentioned getting their initial, or only information about menstruation from Judy Blume’s children’s book, “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret,” originally published in 1970. Nalebuff brings to our attention that young women in many countries in Africa miss weeks and weeks of school because they have no sanitary supplies, or because there are no private toilets at school.
The royalties from this book are going to support the School Water and Sanitation Project of the Health and Water Foundation in Kenya which will supply private and sanitary supplies, and to Seva Mandir, a health education program in India.
Nalebuff provides information about similar programs, as well as a variety of resources, including a website where girls can track their periods, ask questions, and share stories (www.beinggirl.com); the online menstrual museum (www.mum.org), and more.
This book is recommended to women and girls of all ages, and would make a nice book for mothers to share with daughters as they give “The Talk
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