Daughters of the State makes good use of quantitative evidence without losing sight of the individuals who lived at Lancaster. Case histories poignantly describe the desperate existences of families ground down by poverty, who could neither provide for nor govern their children... a valuable addition to the history of social welfare in the United States.
Journal of Social History
What Barbara Brenzel has written is not just a story of an institution. It's a tale about how nineteenth century America saw women's roles and how they dealt with those 'difficult girls' who strayed from the path of True Womanhood. The struggles of these 'daughters' of the state and of the family were moving profiles from our own.
Ellen Goodman, Columnist, The Boston Globe
Daughters of the State is an impressive addition to the literature on the origins of major American social institutions. By blending case histories with administrative records, the book illustrates how gender, class, and ideology combined to influence the shape and consequences of public policy. The book should be of great interest not only to historians but also to anyone concerned with the relation between young people, the state, and the dilemmas of institutionalization today.
Michael B. Katz, Professor of History and Education, Director, Urban Studies Program
Daughters of the State is the best kind of social history. It speaks to the construction of female reality and the social control of adolescence in the context of the transformation of a single penal institution. The result is a crystalline analysis which should be read by anyone interested in women's lives in nineteenth century America.
Alice Kessler-Harris, Professor of History
A fascinating study that illuminates nineteenth century views of female respectability, moral training, and the hopes and fears of an age both optimistic and anxious. Professor Brenzel skillfully blends rich detail about individuals with intellectual and institutional history.
David Tyack, Professor of Education and History
...an exceptional contribution to nineteenth century women's history, as well as to the history of education and social reform...provocative and useful insights into current policies.
Marvin Lazerson, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia
