Tomboy : The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different

Based on the author’s viral New York Times op-ed, this heartfelt book is a celebration and exploration of the tomboy phenomenon and the future of girlhood. We are in the middle of a cultural revolution, where the spectrum of gender and sexual identities is seemingly unlimited. So when author and journalist Lisa Selin Davis's six-year-old daughter first called herself a "tomboy," Davis was hesitant. Her child favored sweatpants and T-shirts over anything pink or princess-themed, just like the sporty, skinned-kneed girls Davis had played with as a kid. But "tomboy" seemed like an outdated word—why use a word with "boy" in it for such girls at all? So was it outdated? In an era where some are throwing elaborate gender reveal parties and others are embracing they/them pronouns, Davis set out to answer that question, and to find out where tomboys fit into our changing understandings of gender. In Tomboy, Davis explores the evolution of tomboyism from a Victorian ideal to a twentyfirst century fashion statement, honoring the girls and women—and those who identify otherwise—who stomp all over archaic gender norms. She highlights the forces that have shifted what we think of as masculine and feminine, delving into everything from clothing to psychology, history to neuroscience, and the connection between tomboyism, gender identity, and sexuality. Above all else, Davis's comprehensive deep-dive inspires us to better appreciate those who defy traditional gender boundaries, and the incredible people they become. Whether you're a grown-up tomboy or raising a gender-rebel of your own, Tomboy is the perfect companion for navigating our cultural shift. It is a celebration of both diversity and those who dare to be different, ultimately revealing how gender nonconformity is a gift. "Is the tomboy--Scout Finch, Pippi Longstocking, Harriet The Spy, Juno--an endangered species? Based on a provocative op-ed that journalist Lisa Selin Davis wrote for the New York Times, TOMBOY provides a comprehensive look, and celebration, of tomboys--girls who defy expectations based on their gender. Davis traces the trajectory of tomboys from a Victorian ideal to a twenty-first-century fashion statement, from an American childhood phase to a vibrant sexuality and gender identity. It's a thought-provoking investigation of the evolution of girls who resist the feminine expectations hoisted upon them by society, and a revealing look at how internalized sexism and outdated marketing have narrowed our ideas of what's normal based on gender and sex. Davis illuminates the debates about what is masculine and feminine, boy and girl, cis and trans, and tomboy. She includes interviews with everyone from designers to Shakespearean scholars, to nonconforming tomboys of all sorts from ages 8-80, and peppers her prose with the latest findings from psychologists and scientists who study the biological bases for gender-bending behavior. In TOMBOY, Davis celebrates the strength of girls who resisted the pressure of gender norms. Women who learned not to care about others' approval, and summoned their own courage to love as their true selves, despite the intense pressure to look and behave like everyone else. Davis reinvents the word and in TOMBOY, she tackles an intellectual and emotional makeover of what you think of gender. Ultimately, Davis learns that gender nonconformity can be--and often is--a true gift"-- Provided by publisher We are in the middle of a cultural revolution, where the spectrum of gender and sexual identities is seemingly unlimited. So when author and journalist Lisa Selin Davis's six-year-old daughter first called herself a 'tomboy,' Davis was hesitant. Her child favored sweatpants and T-shirts over anything pink or princess-themed, just like the sporty, skinned-kneed girls Davis had played with as a kid. But 'tomboy' seemed like an outdated word-why use a word with 'boy' in it for such girls at all? So was it outdated? In an era where some are throwing elaborate gender reveal parties and others are embracing they/them pronouns, Davis set out to answer that question, and to find out where tomboys fit into our changing understandings of gender. In Tomboy, Davis explores the evolution of tomboyism from a Victorian ideal to a twenty-first century fashion statement, honoring the girls and women-and those who identify otherwise- who stomp all over archaic gender norms. She highlights the forces that have shifted what we think of as masculine and feminine, delving into everything from clothing to psychology, history to neuroscience, and the connection between tomboyism, gender identity, and sexuality. Above all else, Davis's comprehensive deep-dive inspires us to better appreciate those who defy traditional gender boundaries, and the incredible people they become. Whether you're a grown-up tomboy or raising a gender-rebel of your own, Tomboy is the perfect companion for navigating our cultural shift. It is a celebration of both diversity and those who dare to be different, ultimately revealing how gender nonconformity is a gift A heartfelt celebration and exploration of the tomboy phenomenon and the future of girlhood, based on the author's viral New York Times op-ed. We are in the middle of a cultural revolution, where the spectrum of gender and sexual identities is seemingly unlimited. So when author and journalist Lisa Selin Davis's six-year-old daughter first called herself a "tomboy," Davis was hesitant. Her child favored sweatpants and T-shirts over anything pink or princess-themed, just like the sporty, skinned-kneed girls Davis had played with as a kid. But "tomboy" seemed like an outdated word—why use a word with "boy" in it for such girls at all? So was it outdated? In an era where some are throwing elaborate gender reveal parties and others are embracing they/them pronouns, Davis set out to answer that question, and to find out where tomboys fit into our changing understandings of gender. In Tomboy , Davis explores the evolution of tomboyism from a...