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The Home Stretch: Why the Gender Revolution Stalled at the Kitchen Sink
Forty years of feminism and still women do the majority of the housework. Why? In fact, while women are making slow but steady gains on gender disparities in the workplace, at home the gap is widening - young American men are now twice as likely as their fathers to think a woman's place is in the home, while in the UK, the average heterosexual British woman puts in 12 more days of household labor per year than her male companion. And when 'having it all' so often means hiring a nanny or cleaner, is it something to aspire to? Sally Howard joins up with a cohort of feminist separatists, undertakes a day's shift with her Lithuanian cleaner, lives in a futuristic model home designed to anticipate our needs and meets latte papas and one-percent parents in this lively examination which combines history and fieldwork with her personal story. The Home Stretch is a fascinating investigation into how we got here and what the future could look like for feminism's final the domestic labor gap.
- GenresNonfictionFeminismAdult
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 22, 2020
Įdomus istorinis ir kartu šiuolaikinis žvilgsnis į moterų atliekamo nematomo darbo (mental labour, emotional labour ir domestic labour) temą. Ji ilgą laiką atrodė neproblemiška, neturėjo savo vardo, savo istorijos, nebuvo atpažįstama kaip tai, apie ką būtų metas pakalbėti, nes namų ruoša nebuvo prilyginama darbui, juk tradiciškai tai - moterų priedermė. Knygoje autorė atlieka tą sunkų įrodinėjimo darbą, vis grįždama prie minties, kad namų ruoša yra svarbi ekonomikos dalis, kuri vis dar (panašu, kad ir vis labiau!) krenta ant moterų pečių. Būtent to paradokso analizė ir yra svarbiausia - kaip čia taip atsitinka, kad moterys darbo rinkoje dalyvauja kaip niekad anksčiau, gyvena kaip niekad emancipuotai, o namų ribose lygybės vis dar nė kvapo. P.S. Faina, kad knygoje derinami žurnalistinio tyrimo, eseistikos ir akademinės analizės žanrai.
March 13, 2020
The Home Stretch is an informative, enlightening and often fascinating insight into the division of labour within the household in a patriarchal capitalist society.
The discussion centres around the history and politics of feminism with factual information peppered with anecdotal evidence which lightens the tone in what is otherwise quite a weighty complex subject. It’s very well researched with the author collating evidence from countries other than the UK which provides a basis for comparisons to be made.
I couldn’t help but think about my own circumstances when reading this, with much of the anecdotal evidence resonating with me and reaffirming my belief that whilst progress has been made over the years, it’s like two steps forward one step back!! Everybody’s experiences are always going to be slightly different and what constitutes a household today is very fluid compared to my own childhood experiences but it would appear even in the more progressive situations and countries there is still plenty of work to be done if we wish to move towards a more equal division of labour. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how views of housework (or shitwork ) have evolved from pink and blue jobs through to the double shift for woman who work outside of the home and how we value (or undervalue) the contribution domestic labour makes to a capitalist patriarchal society. Advances in technology to alleviate the domestic burden are debated alongside the sexualisation of this type of work and how social media is influencing our perceptions of it. This is an important debate that transcends class, gender and race and is immensely thought provoking. Well worth a read; I definitely learned a lot.Probably best read in bite size chunks but a must for all members of your household! My thanks to pigeonhole for giving me the opportunity to read and I will now visit what was formerly the Geffrye museum when it reopens summer 2020.
The discussion centres around the history and politics of feminism with factual information peppered with anecdotal evidence which lightens the tone in what is otherwise quite a weighty complex subject. It’s very well researched with the author collating evidence from countries other than the UK which provides a basis for comparisons to be made.
I couldn’t help but think about my own circumstances when reading this, with much of the anecdotal evidence resonating with me and reaffirming my belief that whilst progress has been made over the years, it’s like two steps forward one step back!! Everybody’s experiences are always going to be slightly different and what constitutes a household today is very fluid compared to my own childhood experiences but it would appear even in the more progressive situations and countries there is still plenty of work to be done if we wish to move towards a more equal division of labour. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how views of housework (or shitwork ) have evolved from pink and blue jobs through to the double shift for woman who work outside of the home and how we value (or undervalue) the contribution domestic labour makes to a capitalist patriarchal society. Advances in technology to alleviate the domestic burden are debated alongside the sexualisation of this type of work and how social media is influencing our perceptions of it. This is an important debate that transcends class, gender and race and is immensely thought provoking. Well worth a read; I definitely learned a lot.Probably best read in bite size chunks but a must for all members of your household! My thanks to pigeonhole for giving me the opportunity to read and I will now visit what was formerly the Geffrye museum when it reopens summer 2020.
February 28, 2020
Anyone sharing a house with anyone of any gender should read this. Particularly enlightening were the feminist arguments against having a cleaner, and how domestic labour is divided up in non - binary households. Great read.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
May 28, 2025
I was in two minds about reading this one as I wasn't sure how much you could say about the fact women do more housework, and I thought it would probably be one of those books that should have just been an essay. But it was more interesting than I thought, diving into the history of different movements, communes and policies as well as differences between hetero households and same-sex households. It also covers some of the social pressures men face when they do step up and try to do more. It is very Anglosphere/northern Europe focused, so would have been good to get some more comparisons with other parts of the world, however that's where her data comes from so I can understand why.
June 22, 2022
Interesting, humbling and informative. Particularly interesting discussions on hiring domestic cleaners and divisions of household chores in different countries/cultures.
March 20, 2020
This is a fascinating read that studies why women are still doing the lions share of the housework even after our 1970s feminist forerunners worked so hard for us “have it all”. But unfortunately it looks like having it all means still having to do all the housework, all the cooking, having to arrange all the childcare and, more importantly, still having all the guilt!
Sally Howard uses her own story for us to follow as investigates the domestic labour gap before putting it into practise within her own family’s household. She throws herself into her search for answers by talking to couples living within different social groups and examining what works (or more importantly, what doesn’t!) for them and how they manage their relationships and attitude towards parenting and household chores. I found these personal insights absolutely fascinating and very often took something away from their stories to apply to my own situation.
How many times has your partner said “I did the dishes for you” or similar? I have worked very hard over the years for our domestic situation to be seen as a partnership but it has been a struggle and most of it my own fault for accepting the situation and falling for the old “if I do it badly I won’t have to do it again” routine. There is still a huge gap for most families in how many more hours women put into their household but who’s fault is that and how can we hope to change things when we often perpetuate this issue with our own reactions to the problem?
This is an book packed full of facts with an intriguing insight into the domestic lives of our predecessors and how they handled their life/housework balance with their partner. It also looks at the figures for how different families react nowadays and how they split the housework between them. I’m sorry to say that these percentages didn’t surprise me at all and I think you’ll understand why if you read this.
An absorbing and thought provoking read.
Sally Howard uses her own story for us to follow as investigates the domestic labour gap before putting it into practise within her own family’s household. She throws herself into her search for answers by talking to couples living within different social groups and examining what works (or more importantly, what doesn’t!) for them and how they manage their relationships and attitude towards parenting and household chores. I found these personal insights absolutely fascinating and very often took something away from their stories to apply to my own situation.
How many times has your partner said “I did the dishes for you” or similar? I have worked very hard over the years for our domestic situation to be seen as a partnership but it has been a struggle and most of it my own fault for accepting the situation and falling for the old “if I do it badly I won’t have to do it again” routine. There is still a huge gap for most families in how many more hours women put into their household but who’s fault is that and how can we hope to change things when we often perpetuate this issue with our own reactions to the problem?
This is an book packed full of facts with an intriguing insight into the domestic lives of our predecessors and how they handled their life/housework balance with their partner. It also looks at the figures for how different families react nowadays and how they split the housework between them. I’m sorry to say that these percentages didn’t surprise me at all and I think you’ll understand why if you read this.
An absorbing and thought provoking read.
March 18, 2020
In The Home Stretch, Sally Howard investigates the hidden labour of housework.
Despite the advances made towards equality, in most households across the world the vast majority of housework is done by women. Even in homes where both partners work full-time, women put in more hours towards domestic chores. And once children come along, the disparity of effort made between the sexes gets worse, with many women effectively putting in a double shift. Even outsourcing this work by employing a cleaner is reinforcing gender roles as most are women - and often low paid immigrant workers. Then there is also the mental and emotional work which is truly hidden and underappreciated - knowing what needs doing and when, remembering birthdays (not to mention writing the cards and wrapping the gifts), knowing what's in the store cupboard and any number of other unseen chores.
Using a mix of interviews, feminist history, science & psychology Sally Howard explores why the drudgery of household chores is still mostly a woman's work. She meets yummy mummies, latte papas and does a shift with her Lithuanian cleaner. The text is interspersed with anecdotes from her own personal life which add colour and prove that even in the most equal of households it's hard to shake off the gender roles that we've been brainwashed by since childhood.
It's an eye-opening and fascinating read and made me more grateful than ever that in our household the traditional gender roles are more or less reversed. My husband is a fabulous cook, taking care of me and the house and I am the breadwinner.
Thanks to Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this.
Despite the advances made towards equality, in most households across the world the vast majority of housework is done by women. Even in homes where both partners work full-time, women put in more hours towards domestic chores. And once children come along, the disparity of effort made between the sexes gets worse, with many women effectively putting in a double shift. Even outsourcing this work by employing a cleaner is reinforcing gender roles as most are women - and often low paid immigrant workers. Then there is also the mental and emotional work which is truly hidden and underappreciated - knowing what needs doing and when, remembering birthdays (not to mention writing the cards and wrapping the gifts), knowing what's in the store cupboard and any number of other unseen chores.
Using a mix of interviews, feminist history, science & psychology Sally Howard explores why the drudgery of household chores is still mostly a woman's work. She meets yummy mummies, latte papas and does a shift with her Lithuanian cleaner. The text is interspersed with anecdotes from her own personal life which add colour and prove that even in the most equal of households it's hard to shake off the gender roles that we've been brainwashed by since childhood.
It's an eye-opening and fascinating read and made me more grateful than ever that in our household the traditional gender roles are more or less reversed. My husband is a fabulous cook, taking care of me and the house and I am the breadwinner.
Thanks to Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this.
May 22, 2020
“Housework is human work, not women’s work”
This book explores why women end up doing most of the housework, in an interesting and engaging way. It places a big emphasis on letting go of capitalist norms which have left us thinking housework is a way of showing love. Furthermore, it also offers solutions, starting with a big focus on equal parental leave, with fathers taking more paternity leave, but also with governments increasing incentives for fathers to take this. Of course, this doesn’t help in childless households, but this isn’t the only solution offered.
In this heavily evidenced based book, Howard explores how Women’s double shift appears to be routed in a capitalist society, and involves not only housework but also the burden of managing relationships with extended family. Shockingly, she states that British men aren’t on track to do equal amounts of housework until 2150!!!!
It’s written quite anecdotally which makes it easier to read and less dense than a book on this topic could have been. However, it includes so much information and so many statistics, without feeling at all like that’s all it is! I learnt so much, and I’m a big reader about women’s ‘double work shift’. A must read
This book explores why women end up doing most of the housework, in an interesting and engaging way. It places a big emphasis on letting go of capitalist norms which have left us thinking housework is a way of showing love. Furthermore, it also offers solutions, starting with a big focus on equal parental leave, with fathers taking more paternity leave, but also with governments increasing incentives for fathers to take this. Of course, this doesn’t help in childless households, but this isn’t the only solution offered.
In this heavily evidenced based book, Howard explores how Women’s double shift appears to be routed in a capitalist society, and involves not only housework but also the burden of managing relationships with extended family. Shockingly, she states that British men aren’t on track to do equal amounts of housework until 2150!!!!
It’s written quite anecdotally which makes it easier to read and less dense than a book on this topic could have been. However, it includes so much information and so many statistics, without feeling at all like that’s all it is! I learnt so much, and I’m a big reader about women’s ‘double work shift’. A must read
May 4, 2026
Some interesting insights to how women continue to do most of the “s_ _ _ t work” in the home - including those who are paid to come in and clean for those who can now afford to have someone else hoover the carpet and clean the toilet. The broader historical perspective was enlightening - especially the section looking at how women’s status in the UK was transformed during WW2 when they came out of the house to do work ordinarily reserved for men, an initiative quickly lost in the 50s when women went back indoors. However, despite the author’s attempts to shift perspectives, looking at the issue according to different women in different social, ethnic and geographical positions, the same point was essentially being made throughout. In some ways it did help me to reflect on the 'day in/day out' grind I witnessed my mother endure - falling asleep in the chair every night after doing the evening dishes - but I suppose I knew most of what the book was describing from having grown up watching her toil. An easy read and quite engaging, but I struggled to get to the end. (Had to because my daughter recommended it ;-)
March 22, 2020
A book which discusses the inequality between the completion of housework (including childcare) over the years and how, even in more enlightened times, the longer for equality is still missing.
Whilst the historical look into the struggles of women were interesting (for example the struggles of both married and 'surplus' women after WW1 and the different struggles they had or the fact that it had once been legal to require a female employee to get sterilised as a condition of a job offer), I was more interested in today and how, it appears, women are equal culprits in the inequality, for instance, the upsurge in social media, in particular Instagram ("The cult of the domestic feminine has ... proved surprisingly plastic, metamorphosing into the cultural tropes of 'yummy mummys', domestic goddesses and have-it-all mums..."), or the fact that there are statistics that show that girls are paid less pocket money for doing more household chores.
This is an interesting read, with enough humour and interviews with strong women to stop it from being too dry.
Whilst the historical look into the struggles of women were interesting (for example the struggles of both married and 'surplus' women after WW1 and the different struggles they had or the fact that it had once been legal to require a female employee to get sterilised as a condition of a job offer), I was more interested in today and how, it appears, women are equal culprits in the inequality, for instance, the upsurge in social media, in particular Instagram ("The cult of the domestic feminine has ... proved surprisingly plastic, metamorphosing into the cultural tropes of 'yummy mummys', domestic goddesses and have-it-all mums..."), or the fact that there are statistics that show that girls are paid less pocket money for doing more household chores.
This is an interesting read, with enough humour and interviews with strong women to stop it from being too dry.
March 17, 2020
I read this on The Pigeonhole app which delivered the book in 10 daily staves and I have to say it was an easy way to read it. The Home Stretch is very well researched, well written and had some lovely humorous touches. I don’t consider myself a feminist but I found it very informative and thought provoking. It highlighted the army of foreign women who clean for households where both partners work, who because of poor English language skills, are taken advantage of by agencies who pay them less than minimum wage.
The history of the wages for housework movement amongst others was interesting as was the use it or lose it paid paternity leave in Sweden. I think many households where the woman does most of the housework, cooking and planning, especially those with teenagers, would benefit from a housework strike so that the amount of work could be more appreciated!
My only criticism is perhaps the slightly superior tone at times - do I think it is a bad thing that certain household jobs are ‘pink’ or ‘blue’ - yes if it causes resentment but not if the participants are perfectly happy to arrange their household that way.
The history of the wages for housework movement amongst others was interesting as was the use it or lose it paid paternity leave in Sweden. I think many households where the woman does most of the housework, cooking and planning, especially those with teenagers, would benefit from a housework strike so that the amount of work could be more appreciated!
My only criticism is perhaps the slightly superior tone at times - do I think it is a bad thing that certain household jobs are ‘pink’ or ‘blue’ - yes if it causes resentment but not if the participants are perfectly happy to arrange their household that way.
July 5, 2020
Housework is human work, not women's work. We should ALL become capable adults who cook, clean and softly take the arm of a human in need.
Bene geriausiai knygą reziumuojanti citata: "To talk about housework is to talk about power: hierarchical and gendered power, but also as a capillary power that bleeds through political structures and society."
Gražiai surašyta, daug skritingų aspektų ir įvairių kampų paliesta. Labai patiko, kad autorė panagrinėjo naujausios istorijos laikotarpį apie namų priežiūrą kaip moterų darbą, kaip tai buvo pozicionuojama, priimama ir kaip keitėsi skirtingais dešimtmečiais. Labai rekomenduoju visiems, o ypač tiems, kurie visada svajojo apie egalitarinius santykius poroje, o realybė stuktelėjo šiek tiek kitomis spalvomis :)
Bene geriausiai knygą reziumuojanti citata: "To talk about housework is to talk about power: hierarchical and gendered power, but also as a capillary power that bleeds through political structures and society."
Gražiai surašyta, daug skritingų aspektų ir įvairių kampų paliesta. Labai patiko, kad autorė panagrinėjo naujausios istorijos laikotarpį apie namų priežiūrą kaip moterų darbą, kaip tai buvo pozicionuojama, priimama ir kaip keitėsi skirtingais dešimtmečiais. Labai rekomenduoju visiems, o ypač tiems, kurie visada svajojo apie egalitarinius santykius poroje, o realybė stuktelėjo šiek tiek kitomis spalvomis :)
June 15, 2020
I enjoyed this. It has a lot of studies and references to feminism across Europe which is refreshing. It’s nice to hear what is happening across Germany or Japan in terms of protest. I struggled to connect to it entirely as a single lesbian, I felt the mentions of gender non binary and same sex relationships were a bit too few, forced and moulded around the argument when they didn’t need to be.
I liked the reference to the cult of Hinch-ism. All in all, having lost a lot of women I called friends to -‘the motherhood-’ I am relieved to see someone calling bullshit on the insta army of ‘mummy’ where women lose their personality to their babies.
I liked the reference to the cult of Hinch-ism. All in all, having lost a lot of women I called friends to -‘the motherhood-’ I am relieved to see someone calling bullshit on the insta army of ‘mummy’ where women lose their personality to their babies.
April 4, 2020
This book is a fantastic read! So informative and gave me a completely new perspective on many of the daily challenges in my home! It is incredibly well researched and hugely informative without feeling stuffy at all. The author includes many hilarious anecdotes about her own life and is self deprecating and relatable. I particularly enjoyed the historic context she gave through her own families feminine line from her great grandmother on. A really enjoyable and educational book that should essential reading!!
July 1, 2020
It took me a while to get through this one (hence the tardy review), partly because I don't usually read non-fiction (although Howard's style is extremely readable) but mostly because I found myself getting so annoyed! So much of it rang true with my own situation and that of my (female) friends and really forced my to examine what was happening in my own life. A really important book that I will be recommending widely.
October 25, 2020
Interesting discussion on what equality actually could look like inside our homes. I enjoyed how the author’s research spanned multiple countries and didn’t feel like it painted one magical solution or pretend as if perfect partnerships are easy.
Would encourage friends who are parents, especially of boys, to read as they try to raise future men who will pull their equal weight in caring relationships.
Would encourage friends who are parents, especially of boys, to read as they try to raise future men who will pull their equal weight in caring relationships.
March 13, 2020
Really thought provoking work about the division of household labour. It’s well-written, based around qualitative research and the author’s own lived experience. I particularly enjoyed the observations about outsourcing of domestic work, and the thinking about how we might effect social change. Lots of wry humour contained in its pages too. Thanks to The Pigeonhole for the reading opportunity.
July 4, 2021
Interesting discussions on domestic equality and feminism. Maybe a bit long - I lost a bit of steam with it in the middle. I feel like it's the sort of book that women will read and nod their head along to, but really it's men who need educating on these things, so it didn't massively tell me anything I didn't already know or agree with.
March 14, 2020
No really my kind of book
I got bored by the third chapter
I got bored by the third chapter
July 8, 2020
A thoughtful, well researched and argued book which is littered with references as well as good humour.
January 5, 2022
Quite heavy reading but phenomenal insights on how feminism came about and why our gender roles are the way they are today. Really validated a lot of my fears around unequal household jobs.
March 26, 2023
I have read so many books on this topic and this one is my favourite, funny, engaging and hitting all the important points. #domesticspherelastfrontier !
December 8, 2022
An engaging and thought-provoking exploration of housework and gender. There is some interesting historical background and global context, and Howard raises some important issues around intersectionality (albeit from a very white, middle-class perspective).
It's one of those books that really makes you think about how these issues impact your every day life, and how you might be able to make changes for the better.
*Thank you to ThePigeonhole.com for sharing this book!*
It's one of those books that really makes you think about how these issues impact your every day life, and how you might be able to make changes for the better.
*Thank you to ThePigeonhole.com for sharing this book!*
Did Not Finish
March 18, 2026Sorry to say i could not get into this and stopped after a few chapers.
Not my kind of read.
Not my kind of read.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews