How the Other Half Ate - (California Studies in Food and Culture) by Katherine Leonard Turner

Book Synopsis

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, working-class Americans had eating habits that were distinctly shaped by jobs, families, neighborhoods, and the tools, utilities, and size of their kitchens--along with their cultural heritage. How the Other Half Ate is a deep exploration by historian and lecturer Katherine Turner that delivers an unprecedented and thoroughly researched study of the changing food landscape in American working-class families from industrialization through the 1950s.

Relevant to readers across a range of disciplines--history, economics, sociology, urban studies, women's studies, and food studies--this work fills an important gap in historical literature by illustrating how families experienced food and cooking during the so-called age of abundance. Turner delivers an engaging portrait that shows how America's working class, in a multitude of ways, has shaped the foods we eat today.

From the Back Cover

"A scrupulously researched and masterfully written history of urban working class American foodways. Turner boldly challenges conventional nostalgia for the 'good old days' of home cooking." --Warren Belasco, author of Meals to Come: A History of the Future of Food

"Every page of this book is enlightening. Katherine Leonard Turner has tackled one of the most elusive topics in culinary history--the ordinary food of ordinary people--and placed it in the rich context of their daily lives. Her thoughtful, detailed investigation is certain to become indispensable in the study of turn-of-the-century America." --Laura Shapiro, author of Perfection Salad: Women and Cooking at the Turn of the Century

Review Quotes

"A solid . . . social history; Accessible and informative."--Simone Cinotto "Journal of American History" (12/1/2015 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Katherine Leonard Turner received her doctorate in history from the University of Delaware in 2008. She lives and teaches in the Philadelphia area.