The Making of Home

“The heart of Ms. Flanders’s book traces the physical alteration of houses over the past five centuries . . . A useful synthesis for those interested in architectural history and material culture”—The Wall Street Journal

"Flanders, a historian best known for her works on Victorian culture, has a knack for finding surprising, alternative perspectives on the familiar. In her new book, she takes an unconventional look at how our modern idea of home came to be."—The Washington Post

“[Flanders] provides illuminating discussions about evolving home life as impacted by societal and economic changes. Some segments, for their value in understanding home traditions from the past, beg to be broken off and expanded into their own books . . . Flanders has written a book that is chock-full of absorbing information that will change how readers think about and understand their own homes—whether they are squeezed into a city apartment or lost in a multi-room manor.”—The Christian Science Monitor

“Flanders is at her riveting best when she gets right down to the housework. Flanders demonstrates how nakedly the measure of our social worth is laid out in domestic consumables. She is an efficient debunker of myths about poverty, family and the past. In her search for meaning she wipes the dust, clears the cobwebs and pulls the stuffing out of the cushions. It is in the down and dirty of the home that our hopes and delusions are revealed.”—Financial Times (UK)

“Extensively researched and eminently readable . . . Flanders’ treatise is an encyclopedic examination of how humans have redefined what it takes to survive.”—Booklist

“The content is scholarly and well researched but is presented in a manner accessible to the general reader . . . Recommended for social historians as well as fans of HGTV and design blogs who are interested in learning more about the history of the home.”—Library Journal

“Covering all aspects of home life, Flanders even delves into modern architecture, popular in the house countries, which creates designs for ostentation rather than usefulness. The author's extensive knowledge of lifestyles and simple, concise writing combine for an enjoyable book showing how families have joined, separated, and rejoined over the last 500 years.”—Kirkus Reviews