I thoroughly enjoyed this short story collection, and I'm really glad I came across it on NetGalley. Swanson takes women from American history and spins entertaining stories about them, bringing their varied experiences into the spotlight. I learned a lot, although don't worry that the stories are pedantic or preachy or anything like that; in fact, I was really impressed with how Swanwon uses historical research as a jumping off point, ultimately crafting diverse captivating stories that bring the history to life. Yes, there is a political message that things have not changed all that much when it comes to women's rights. These smart, enjoyable stories are a terrific vehicle to carry the (much-needed) message.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

This Isn’t New by Cynthia Swanson

This Isn’t New is a collection of short stories (fiction) about women and their experiences, taking place from the late 1880’s to the present day. As the title states, the experiences of these women aren’t very different from today's women. Whether the struggles are internal - a reflection of the social mores of the time - for example, women are meant to be married - or external - violence, discrimination and other societal and legal constraints - things haven’t changed much. And when or where women have made strides (higher education, abortion rights, careers, voting and so on), some of those rights have been walked backwards (the overturning of Roe v. Wade) or are currently at risk (voting w/a different birth name).

I read this selection of short stories in March 2026, Women’s History Month, so it was a timely read in terms of women’s history and the current political atmosphere. While the stories are fictional, it is easy to believe they are true.

This book would make a great book club read - especially for a March Women’s History Month selection - or addition to a women’s studies course.

Thank you to Cynthia Swanson, Columbine York and NetGalley for an advanced copy of This Isn’t New.

I really enjoyed these short stories, but they tore my heart apart. They were so vivid and visceral, the characters were *every* woman, or a woman everyone knows… Thank you for telling them!