AFTER WORK A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time

The authors explore changes that have taken place in the home. American narrator Marisa Calin's accent was influenced by growing up in England. In a British-sounding voice she moves through the basics, slowing down to deliver more emotional words with intimacy. The topics, such as cooking, cleaning, and caregiving, lean toward discussions of gender roles, as well as technological and cultural change. Calin cheerfully rattles off the development of the stove, for example, taking listeners from the days of coal stoves to present-day ranges as she tells how modern conveniences have replaced domestic help. The authors look to a future that might bring such phenomena as guaranteed day care, financial incentives for friends to act as caregivers, and the shaping of tech development in a more female-friendly way. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]