The book summed up many of the frustrations that middle-class women had experienced, especially if they had set aside ambitions and careers to become suburban housewives and mothers. From the day it was published, it sparked criticism from many quarters (and continues to do so today), but it struck a chord with many women and became a phenomenal best-seller over the following two years.
Tags: Betty Friedan, Maxine Wayman, National Organization for Women, Point Spread, Smith College, The Feminine Mystique, women's movement of the 1960s