Turner explores why middle-class women expanded their activities from the private to the public sphere and began, just before World War I, an unprecedented period of women's activism. Using Galveston as a case study, the author examines how the ubiquitous community organizations provided a nurturing environment for budding reformers. "Scholars of many disciplines will find this work a valuable tool. It is thought-provoking, scholarly, and informative, and the summaries at the end of each chapter prove invaluable....Turner is to be commended for the depth of her research and her significant contribution to the field of history."--Catholic Southwest