An ingenious book: original, inventive, resourceful, and exciting. . . . This book adds immeasurably to the current work on sentimental culture and American cultural history and brings to its task an inquisitive, fresh, and intelligent perspective.-Dianne F. Sadoff, American Quarterly

Karen Halttunen draws a vivid picture of the social and cultural development of the upwardly mobile middle class in mid-nineteenth-century America, basing her study on a survey of the conduct manuals and fashion magazines of the times. A compelling and beautifully developed study. ... Halttunen provides us with a subtle book that gently unfolds from her mastery of the subject and intelligent prose.-Paula S. Fass, Journal of Social History
Halttunen has done her homework-the research has been tremendous, the notes and bibliography are impressive, and the text is peppered with hundreds of quotes-and gives some real insight into an area of American culture and history where we might have never bothered to look.-John Hopkins, Times Literary Supplement
The kind of imaginative history that opens up new questions, that challenges conventional historical understanding, and demonstrates how provocative and exciting cultural history can be.-William R. Leach, The New England Quarterly
A stunning contribution to American cultural history.-Alan Trachtenberg