The Unfit Heiress by Audrey Clare Farley

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Title: The Unfit Heiress: The Tragic Life and Scandalous Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt  
Author: Audrey Clare Farley
Release Date: 4.20.21
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publisher's Summary 
At the turn of the twentieth century, American women began to reject Victorian propriety in favor of passion and livelihood outside the home. This alarmed authorities, who feared certain "over-sexed" women could destroy civilization if allowed to reproduce and pass on their defects. Set against this backdrop, The Unfit Heiress chronicles the fight for inheritance, both genetic and monetary, between Ann Cooper Hewitt and her mother Maryon.

In 1934, aided by a California eugenics law, the socialite Maryon Cooper Hewitt had her "promiscuous" daughter declared feebleminded and sterilized without her knowledge. She did this to deprive Ann of millions of dollars from her father's estate, which contained a child-bearing stipulation. When a sensational court case ensued, the American public was captivated. So were eugenicists, who saw an opportunity to restrict reproductive rights in America for decades to come.

My Review

Are you pissed about Britney not having reproductive freedom? 

Are you pissed that her parent is controlling that aspect of her life in order to continually profit?

Then you need to meet Ann Cooper Hewitt and her mother Maryon. 

As you can see from the summary above, there are some striking similarities. In addition to learning the continually scandalous details of these women's lives (Maryon's much more so than her daughter's,) I also learned so much about the shocking history of American eugenics. I think #1 for me was that California's sterilization practices were held as models for the Nazi regime. Here are a few more statistics and points of note (there are so many that I could go on and on, but I feel like these really show a timeline.) It is estimated that over 60,000 people (most of them women) were sterilized against their will following the 1927 Buck v Bell Supreme Court ruling (a legal precedent allowing states to sterilize inmates of public institutions.) Between 1997 and 2010 more than 1,400 women were sterilized in California prisons and as recent as last year, unnecessary hysterectomies were being performed on immigrants in custody at an ICE detention center in Georgia.

This is one of the best nonfiction books I've read this year and is now at the top of my all-time best list, too. A necessary read for anyone interested in reproductive freedoms and/or 1930's American tabloid backstories. 

**note: while this book did not delve into the full scope of those affected by forcible/coerced sterilizations, it is important to note that Latina, Black, and Native American women have been disproportionately affected.