Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us

by Anna Malaika Tubbs

The new book from the New York Times bestselling author of The Three Mothers.

In Erased, Anna Malaika Tubbs recovers all that American patriarchy has tried to destroy.

Across the world, patriarchy has oppressed women and denied their contributions, but every nation has its own unique gendered hierarchy. Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs applies her signature approachable yet rigorous analysis to define American patriarchy in this definitive and groundbreaking history. Humanity in the United States is determined by gender in a limited and flawed binary logic that is also always tied to whiteness. Tubbs shows how a fabricated hierarchy became so deeply ingrained in the country over time that it now goes unnoticed, along with everything it intentionally conceals.

From the founding fathers to the current Supreme Court justices, from the treatment of enslaved women to the American maternal health crisis, from the exclusion of women in the Constitution to the continued lack of an Equal Rights Amendment, Tubbs brings together academic research, the stories of freedom fighters both past and present, and her own experiences to reveal what is erased in the wake of American patriarchy. The system has survived by hiding the tools that are necessary to dismantle it. But Tubbs beautifully reminds us that those tools, including our intuition, courage, ancient wisdom, and power, are still well within our reach.

Erased is the story of the United States from a new one where the people who shaped this country—who have been oppressed and whose contributions have been denied—are at the center, reminding us that we can restore what has been strategically kept from us. Once again, Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs has written a book that will be a touchstone for conversations on gender, race, and equity for years to come.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Feminism, Politics, Audiobook, Womens, Race

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2025

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very difficult read for me. I am a product of the 50's., with a working career from the 70's and beyond. I delt with the patriarchy most of my life. I fought and kicked my way to the "glass ceiling" only to be held back by my fellow white male worker with less education and experience. This book brought back some very harsh memories, made me feel sad. I also understand the authors push for people of color but felt quite overwhelmed by being reminded in every chapter. I felt where she was coming from, just way too much overload. The author did disclose some very interesting statistics and historical events. Some were new to me, others not. Chapter 25, Our Vision of New Possibilities was exceptional, it gave me some hope for future generations. it explains what's wrong with American Patriarchy - Fear! I feel the information in this book is for a very specific group of readers, certainly not male, white, anglo's because they are the main grippes of who we are trying to complain about. As a retired female I could have used this information to my benefit many years ago, but it's too late for me. As for the comment "things do not have to be this way," I agree, however the "Man" has the control and I do not ever foresee that changing in the near future by looking at how the typical males act in society today. I'm glad I read this book but half way through I got so depressed that I could only read a little at a time to be able to finish it. Anna Malaika Tubbs writes it as it is, wish I had known her years ago! Thanks Book Browse for sending this book!

[Ann Herrold · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this book is fantastic. It does a great job of being an introduction to the various impacts of patriarchy. However, I was concerned by the section on transphobia. Tubbs uses what I would consider a very harmful narrative for why people are transphobic. This is the same narrative that is pressed by the poet/comedian Alok which posits that people are transphobic because they envy not being able to be their full selves and that they are in pain. This is incredibly myopic and dangerous because it simplifies bigotry. While there are probably a few cases where this is true, bigotry overall is more complicated. Hate is not a one size fits all. This narrative leaves out an important aspect of hate, namely disgust. It is also confusing because no other form of bigotry is described this way. Racism is not framed as white people being envious of black people. Abelism is not framed as able bodied people being envious of disabled people. It also turns the focus away from the harm being done to gender nonconforming people. Trans people are literally being murdered. I was also alarmed that Tubbs brought up divine feminine and masculine because this, no matter how you spin it, reinforces the gender binary. As a queer disabled person, I was also alarmed that Tubbs praised "The Body Keeps the Score" since it is widely known in the trauma community to be written by a man who does not care for traumatized people and is sexist. Overall, while I think much of what Erased discusses is valuable I disagree with a few sections and the overall premise that American patriarchy is somehow noticeably different from other countries, given that patriarchy has been around for so long and the Founding Fathers brought it with them from Europe (especially England). I disagree that it is patriarchy that is the root problem and instead would argue it is capitalism and greed that requires the reinforcing of patriarchy, racism, transphobia, abelism etc because accumulating wealth requires exploitation.

[Dusty Shell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. So much of this book is critical information. General society doesn’t often think about how enmeshed patriarchy is with every aspect of our lives, especially if you are a woman or POC. How even things that seem mundane can have originated from a need from the majority to dominate.

That being said, I felt the author took too many broad strokes with some conclusions, particularly involving religion. There was an obvious bias against any faith. There were also views she held that were just diametrically opposed to my own Christian beliefs. I’m on the progressive side, so I fully believe we should understand how humans have taken patriarchal models and absolutely ruined them and manipulated them into something ugly, but that doesn’t mean that any and all faith teachings are inherently suppressive.

Her views on being hyper vigilant over children and their influences seemed extreme. Of course, we should be diligent and intentional with how our children interpret the world around them in their formative years, but some of her examples seemed to spread into being neurotically over analytical (we can’t even enjoy The Lion King now??).

Finally, it was just a smidge long winded. I think we could have made the same impact with 100 or so less pages.

Overall, if you are able to dive in with some time to process well and sift through her bullet points, anecdotes, and the history, it’s a good read to add to your TBR.

I received a complimentary copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for sharing my honest thoughts.

[Sharon Gawer chapman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry to say it was not as engaging as I hoped. Some sections were better than others. Her points were certainly valid and some were notable. Maybe it was just the writing style that was tough for me to get into and stay focused. Sentences were often really long. I don’t regret reading it because of the points I needed to stay present with me, just was hoping for something I could not put down. This just was not that.

[Nikki Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book filled with a wealth of information.

[Anne Jisca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot about patriarchy, white evangelicalism, Christian nationalism. This book goes right along with these topics, but specifically the great loss to society from erasing and/or banning women from so much. Patriarch's quest for control over women has come to a great cost for all, including themselves. We are a resurgence of this now in the USA, with the supreme court, with laws being put in place by the President, by removing human rights from women.

This book is important and timely. I hope many read it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to receive this book in the Goodreads giveaway, as I am a political junkie and love reading non-fiction books. There was so much great information in here, if you can call depressing information about the American Patriarchy great (still, very important to learn). There were just way too many 'I' and 'we' statements, though. Just took away from the book.

Besides that, another person brought it up in their review, but people aren't just transphobic because they are jealous of trans people. That's like saying every homophobic person is secretly gay. That type of hate is usually something that is a learned behavior. So ingrained in their psyche, passed down through generations.

[Yari · Rating 4 out of 5]

What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us by Anna Malaika Tubbs (book cover is in image) articulates the impact of how US gendered hierarchy and it's patriarchy has contributed to the masking of women's contributions and impacts to American history. Tubbs describes how a binary view of gender and its to whiteness has become so ingrained in the American psyche that it is not even noticed.

Narrated by the author, this book covers the themes of gender, race and equality. It feels well researched, but takes a dual tone of academic prose and political lecture, which I believe will limit the audience. I believe it would be better received if it was written in a more natural language. Nonetheless it is a great approach to the topic and I highly recommend.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: May 20 2025

#MacmillanAudio
#Erased
#AnnaMalaikaTubbs
#GenderStudies
#History
#GenderPolitics
#yarisbooknook
#NetGalley

[Diane D. Kahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Book Read Over Decades

Cannot say enough about this book, by a young woman one-third my age!

Ms. Tubbs correctly diagnoses the painful symptoms of patriarchy, a patriarchy that I as a nonconforming straight white woman struggled through decade after decade.

Before it was acceptable I chose to remain childless--and paid a steep price.

As a divorced childless woman without children but with a college education I was punished by employers, not rewarded. Being overqualified stunted job growth and promotion. I was a threat to leadership, ridiculous as it seems.

Disgusted, I went to truck driving school, even worse, sweatshops on wheels paired with creepy men.

As a non-reproducing female, was always treated as an outsider--in the family and workplace.

Dating and marriage was abysmal, survived two abusers and a contemptuous husband. One abuser broke my back and got me pregnant (abortion pre-Roe courtesy mother, father never let me forget--for decades). The other abuser almost murdered me and I lost my job and had to flee my home town and then start all over.

Yes, some of this caused by dysfunctional parenting but much caused by PATRIARCHY.

Was a tomboy, ran a lot, identified as a runner before any gender identity. Realize now was running FROM patriarchy!

Always knew intrinsically why I did not fit in with American mainstream life, why my life was such a struggle, but never so clearly as after reading this extraordinary book.

Ms. Tubbs deserves a Pulitzer prize for this incredible work, it is a path out of hell--for all of us!

[Reese San Diego · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS!!!!! SOSOSOSOSOS GOOD AND INFORMATIVE AND AWESOME - tickled my gender studies brain like no other

[Alex Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the premise was interesting, unfortunately the book was super repetitive which made it dull to read. Perhaps it’s because the author has a PhD, but the book felt like a thesis paper. In the conclusion, she presents a vision of nirvana that was wholly divorced from the reality of the world we live in, and I wish she would have presented more practical examples of how to dismantle the patriarchal society we live in. Not my favorite.

[Marina Marcello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us was a Macmillan Audio pick, and what I thought I knew about the patriarchy only touched the surface compared to what Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs revealed. I learned that each society or nation has its own form of patriarchy, and in the United States our brand is always tied to whiteness. This book was well-researched, well-explained, and so revealing; I think it is a must read for everyone.

Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs not only has the education, but she also has the particularly unique life experience of being the child of a white mother and Black father who traveled the world and was raised in different cultures while growing up to see through the lens of American patriarchy down to the truth. I really loved how eye-opening this book was. So many aspects of American patriarchy were not previously obvious to me, especially how it is bound to whiteness.

One of the most surprising aspects of this book was the advice on pregnancy, medical care for women, and mothering. These are not things one necessarily thinks of when thinking of patriarchy, but it exposes just how much American patriarchy has usurped the female role in her own anatomy and procreation!

After reading this book, I feel so much better equipped to combat everyday patriarchy, as well as racism. This book was absolutely 5 stars, and I appreciated Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs narrating it herself!

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Using examples from the distant past and very recent history, Tubbs articulates the flow of patriarchy and its various ramifications throughout society. Readers who think about this topic often, consciously experience its consequences and impacts, and engage in regular conversations about it will still find some good info here, especially in some of the modern applications and - on the other hand - some of the apt historical examples that may have been previously missed.

Tubbs uses her own life as a structural mechanism for this narrative, and for me, that was one of several engaging elements. I really appreciated the personal stories, insights, and intersectional connections Tubbs makes throughout. There is a clear personal touch here that makes this feel much more human and relevant than it might if the focus were the information instead of its impacts on specific individuals.

I was skeptical that I'd get much new info because I've done so much reading and teaching on this subject, but I did very much enjoy the listen and recommend the audio version when and where accessible.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Megan Von Fricken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Absorbing

Books on this topic are often difficult to digest — full of complex theory, rhetoric, and philosophical arguments. This book is different. It’s written in a totally accessible way, enabling anyone who has an interest in this topic to pick it up and read it cover to cover without getting “lost in the weeds.”

I love how the author draws on her own personal experiences as well as the experiences of both well-known and little known characters throughout history in order to create a compelling and engaging narrative about the problematic ways patriarchy has been woven through every layer of the U.S.’s evolution, from the initial pilfering of indigenous lands to the active implementation of the Project 2025 playbook.

Highly recommend.

[Marissa Linderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though the scope of this book is a bit broad, it’s still a powerful and necessary work of historical and cultural critique. It would make the perfect first step for someone diving into studying gender, intersectional feminism, and the patriarchy. In this book, Anna Malaika Tubbs takes on a VERY ambitious task: examining how systems of power shape the stories we tell about history and who gets remembered within them. While the book covers a wide range of topics, from law and culture, to media and family structures, Tubbs thoughtfully weaves them together in a way that remains compelling.

This book really hammers home that the absence of women from historical narratives is rarely accidental. Tubbs demonstrates how social systems, institutions, and cultural storytelling have consistently minimized or overlooked women’s contributions, particularly those of Black women. The research is strong, the writing is accessible, and the argument builds in a way that invites readers to reconsider what they thought they knew about American history.

What makes the book especially effective is its balance of scholarship and readability. Tubbs presents complex historical and social ideas in a clear and engaging way, without sacrificing depth. This makes the book feel intellectually grounded and emotionally resonant. This book is not only about correcting the historical record, but about understanding how power shapes memory itself. It’s a thoughtful and important book that encourages readers to question whose stories have been preserved and whose have been pushed aside. 5 stars.

[Trish Franks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great read! Helpful if you need a broad overview of all the ways that gender intersects with other identities to the benefit of some and the detriment of others.

1. She calls out so many other good books, thinkers, poets and more by name! I really appreciate this because it feels so full of gratitude and rejects competition with other great people!

2. She shocked me with her openness and unapologetic telling of her story. I was confused at first, but when discussing with my book club I realized that I was uncomfortable because I am often almost apologizing for my story (which is my strength!)

3. Finally I love how she does not prescribe a life. She does not absolutely reject hospital births, organized religion or other topics instead she just points out the imprint of American Patriarchy and offers other options.

4. Lastly, Tubbs mentions often that we should not be surprised when American Patriarchy rears its head in the US whether by Donald Trump's election, the supreme court ruling against women or a lack of child care, family leave and health care in the US. But I am surprised because I am filled with optimism for those in power. I don't want to give up optimism, but it's an interesting reminder to be realistic about the lengths people will go to maintain systems that work (or they think work) for them.

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Malaika Tubbs covers a lot of ground here in describing the history and present foundational influence of Patriarchy as a shaping factor in America. Different parts focus on different aspects of the ways women's histories, impacts, contributions, and voices have been erased or minimalised in mainstream history. Many important points here, mostly stories I was familiar with but extra details for example about Sacagawea and other women, particilarly indigenous and non-white women in US history.

she's a great researcher and connector and leads with her deaire for a brighter, better future with less patriarchy.
Some chapters are better than others, and while I found her memoir contributions a plus to learning how she came to her perspectives, particularly through her reflections on her mother's history

The main issue is that the language doesn't invite in those readers who most need to broaden their understanding of US history....
I will continue to follow and read her works, this is different than Three Mothers, with a similar sensitivity to the power, influence and impact of women, and mothers on US history

I'm sold: down with patriarchy!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books that leaves you feeling equal parts enlightened and furious.

Tubbs carefully lays out how patriarchy has shaped American history, laws, and culture—often erasing the contributions and experiences of women and marginalized people along the way. Through historical examples, research, and personal insight, she shows how systems of power were intentionally built to keep authority concentrated among a privileged few. (Barnes & Noble)

Reading this made me angry in the best way. Page after page highlights how much has been hidden, rewritten, or ignored in the stories we’re taught about our country. It’s eye-opening and deeply frustrating to realize how normalized these systems are.

At the same time, the book is empowering. Tubbs doesn’t just expose the problem—she encourages readers to recognize it and start dismantling it. It’s a challenging, thought-provoking read that will likely leave you seeing history, politics, and everyday life a little differently.

If you’re ready for a book that will make you think—and maybe make your blood boil a little—this one is worth picking up.

[Zee Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.37/5

There exists an issue with the word. It's a bad word now. I doesn't mean to be, nor does anyone using the word as a part of their identity mean to cause harm with it. But no matter how you feel about it, being "woke" means being behind the latest state very quickly.
For example, though published in 2025, this book is missing the nuance of using a term like FNMI+ (First Nations, Metis, Inuit, plus) instead of "Indigenous". That's fine, though, because that precedent also changed in Late 2025. What's NOT fine, is when someone who is not a part of a community, uses their angst and frustration to speak on behalf of another. Every time this book mentions women and black culture (and the odd oil-to-water mixture found in the US) it is enlightening, empowering and eye-opening. It's when these moments bleed into speaking about Queer/Trans or FNMI+ communities that the message becomes really painfully misrepresented and under-researched by several years, not just a few months.
Could have made this a short, but massively effective read that instead felt preachy with a prose that goes on a page or two, too long every chapter.

[Amanda Harrison]

I feel weird rating this book. It was really really informative and offered a great mix of stats with storytelling. I think it’s really important that every single person in America reads this novel. As a woman, I was able to identify and come face to face with the reality that a lot of these stories told. And as a white woman, it had me confronting a lot of the systems that I and other of my womenfolk keep in place. I like that the book offered solutions of how to dismantle the patriarchy and that it will need to be a collective change. With all that said, the reality is that I was not made for nonfiction literature.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wonder how to successfully use your sociology or gender studies degree? I loved this book! I found it after listening to an interview with the author on a podcast and Tubbs' audio narration is perfection.

Filled with heavy, yet necessary topics, the few preachy moments didn't bother me. They were partnered with history (past and present), and real life examples. Sure, the patriarchy...but if we don't talk honestly about the systems that are fighting to oppress us, aren't we also part of the problem??

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and researched book about the history of American Patriarchy and its impacts. It would be a better confirmation of beliefs about feminism and anti-racism than to help introduce the ideas. The only reason I deducted a star is that I don’t feel I can hand it to my right leaning friends and family without explanation.

[Teri Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the autobiographical material, but the rest of the book didn’t work for me. Not enough new material or analysis.

[Stephanie’s Libby Antics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consider me basically brain dead for…. Well hopefully not much more than a few months 👍🏼

So writing reviews is obvs beyond me right now

[Marcella Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing, well-worded, anger inducing book. I know I should have a deeper review to apply to this book but I think im just processing alot of what I just read still. damn.

[L C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure who the author considers her audience for this one. Most people I know who exist within the range between neolib/moderate to conservative would DNF this one early on. They'd put it down immediately upon reading the author's emphatic yet unsubstantiated assertions about figures like Jefferson and Lincoln. She did not provide enough evidence within the text for any of her assertions (which are very likely true) and the notes were surprisingly spare as well. To overcome the massive hurdle that is the standard American public school education (or even the standard private/homeschool education for those within the range specified) which has long fought to instill a worshipful kind of reverence for the "founding fathers" in every student, a lot of very strong evidence needs to be presented. That evidence was profoundly absent here.

If that group, to which the overwhelming majority of American women belong, somehow is not the audience she studied in order to be able to reach, then perhaps she addressed her argument to the rest of us, i.e. progressives? Well, there's little reason to think so. Nothing in the book was new information to the educated and progressive book club I read the book with, and the book was presented in a style that presumed its contents surely would be.

Early on the author passionately presented her goal in writing this book. She wanted to finally, once and for all, lay the evidence of American Patriarchy all out in such straightforward, black & white terms, that it could not be disbelieved or hand-waved away any longer. The way she presented this goal reminded me of T. Jefferson's explanation of his goal in penning the Declaration of Independence: "[...] to place before mankind the common sense of the subject; in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent."

It was this mission statement that got me to recommend this book to my book club in the first place. I was actually pumped to read it. Not because I expected to learn anything new, necessarily, but I wanted to enjoy the breath of fresh air that is a highly detailed, yet plainspoken and matter-of-fact accounting of the interconnected whys and hows that create and reinforce immense systems of power. More than that, I wanted this to be a resource to refer back to again and again. I expected I'd be quoting from it, and that I'd want to donate copies to every neighborhood lending library. I anticipated foisting copies of it upon unsuspecting friends and neighbors, in the hopes that its distribution would spread like revolutionaries of history distributed *A Vindication of the Rights of Women*, *Common Sense*, and *The Communist Manifesto.*

So it's fair to say I really hoped she'd accomplish at least some part of her stated goal. I was very disappointed to find that she seemed to have completely forgotten that goal almost immediately.

It didn't help my disappointment that even when she remembered (on occasion) to address Patriarchy first and foremost as a system, she kept undermining that all-important framing by devoting the overwhelming majority of each chapter to anecdotes involving individuals. This is a problem because she presumably did research on her audience in order to be able to reach them. And from that she ought to have known that those folks have been taught, and they believe, that every form of bigotry and oppression is the fault and responsibility of individuals, not systems. But her predominant focus on the actions of individuals did nothing to address that harmful and insidious falsehood.

Not only did the approach of this book fail to address that belief that individuals bear responsibility for Patriarchy. But to a mind that hasn't been taught critical thinking, the "vibe" of the book actually plays right into that belief. This book will seem to such a person to live up to its stated goal, and yet it will have done very little to dismantle one of the most harmful assumptions that they brought with them. Because the only way to dismantle an assumption as broadly reaching as that one is to be meticulous, going piece by piece, leaving no room for any counterproductive ideas to sneak back in. I had every reason to believe at the start that she intended to be that meticulous. She plainly said that that was her intent.

So that's why I've given this review two stars instead of the higher score it might have received otherwise. The same is true of every type of relationship involving any degree of trust, whether it's between a doctor and patient, a plumber and homeowner, teacher and student, or author and reader: The greater *impression* of competence given, the greater disappointment when the one granted trust turns out to be no more worthy of it than any other person who casually makes claims without having already proved their work lives up to them. Too harsh? I don't think so. Not when this very well might be the only book about Patriarchy a lot of people ever pick up, and the stakes are as high as our basic human rights.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, gut wrenching book, one that I am thinking of purchasing for my daughter, daughter in law, and best friend. The author meticulously analyzed her thesis and wrote a book that assesses our history and urgently stresses a call to action and change.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should have to read this.

[hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is always valid to revisit history and question those who accepted injustice.”

[Annette Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read that I think anyone has everyone can learn from. Consistent reference to people of color, historical examples of how the patriarchy hurts EVERYONE. I was also surprised and grateful for the mention of the pressure and taught obligations that men experience as well.