Description
This Is My Blood
Book Summary
A silent and peaceful revolution is underway: the menstrual revolution. In this entertaining and provocative essay, French journalist and feminist Élise Thiébaut explores the political and personal history of menstruation. The book dismantles the taboos and superstitions that have surrounded the female cycle for centuries, from ancient myths to the subversive representations of contemporary art. Through a cultural, social, and scientific journey, the author invites readers to reclaim their bodies and speak openly about their periods as an act of empowerment in the struggle for public space.
What is it about?
This Is My Blood approaches menstruation from a dual perspective: personal and political. The work analyzes how different cultures have constructed imaginaries around menstrual blood, linking it to taboo, impurity, and superstition. At the same time, it examines how contemporary feminist art has subverted these representations to turn the period into a symbol of protest. The book also reflects on the social control of the female body, the medicalization of the cycle, and current struggles for equality, offering a critical and lighthearted look at a biological process that affects half the population.
Main themes
- Cultural and social history of menstruation and its taboos.
- Feminism and the reclamation of the female body.
- Representations of menstrual blood in contemporary art.
- Relationship between menstruation, health, and medicalization.
- Menstrual activism and the fight for visibility in the public sphere.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in feminism, gender studies, and women's history. It is also an essential read for those seeking to understand how biological processes have been shaped by social and cultural control. It is particularly useful for menstruating people who wish to question the taboos surrounding their own bodies, as well as for any reader who wants to explore a critical and accessible perspective on a traditionally silenced topic.
What this book offers
- Dismantles historical myths and superstitions about menstruation.
- Offers a political and feminist vision that empowers readers.
- Provides tools to understand the relationship between body, culture, and power.
- Incorporates artistic and cultural references that enrich the reflection.
- Invites an open and necessary debate about health and female identity.
Technical data
- Author: Thiébaut, Élise
- Publisher: Hoja de Lata Editorial
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: LITERARY ESSAYS, SOCIAL ISSUES AND PROCESSES, FEMINISM AND FEMINIST THEORY, WOMEN'S HEALTH
- Collection: MECANOCLASTIA
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: May 2018
- Number of pages: 280
- Weight: 530 g
Editorial review
This Is My Blood is an essay that combines documentary rigor with an accessible and lighthearted tone, making it an attractive read for both specialists and a general audience. Its interdisciplinary approach—covering history, art, and sociology—allows for a comprehensive look at menstruation. The work stands out for its ability to transform a traditionally taboo subject into a field of political and personal reflection, making it especially relevant in the current context of feminist movements and bodily reclamation. It is, without a doubt, an essential title for those seeking to understand how the personal becomes political.