Sarah Thornton is a sociologist and writer. Most importantly for this book, she is also a patient of a mastectomy, and all the following breast implants and lift surgeries deemed as a package deal. In undergoing these procedures, she started to wonder more about her breasts, and the socio-cultural stigmas and taboos around it. And thereby started her journey of discovery, research, and writing for this book that beautifully presents the issues with how we view breasts, and the implications of it.

The book is broken down into chapters that focus on breasts in different ways: from the sexualization of them in strip clubs, the mammalian function of lactation, to cutting through the flesh in surgical theaters, designing bras for the right fit, and religious and pagan beliefs about breasts, Thornton covers each research area masterfully. She never judges the subjects of her conversation, and in the odd places where she does have biases and opinions, she mentions them explicitly for the readers. The chapter on the operations of Milk Banks in California, which explains the rise and dangers of formula as an alternative to breast milk was particularly insightful.

I learnt so much from this book, which I think makes for an excellent read especially alongside Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution which I’m currently also reading. Some fascinating, startling, and terrifying quotes and pieces of information were:

1. “In some western African countries like Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau, the presence of breasts makes women so vulnerable to sexual violence that an alarming number of mothers and other family members subject their pubescent girls to a painful process called breast ironing, whereby breasts are cauterized, pounded, and bound over months to try to delay breast development.” https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/breast-ironing-cameroon-harmful-practice-girls/
2. In Mali, ‘she whose breasts have fallen’ is a respectful term for an older woman, not a slur betraying derision or disgust.
3. In Hindu mythology, Sati Mata, an aspect of Shakthi, sacrificed her life in an immolation in a sacred pyre. Her ashes are believed to have been strewn all across India and the Indian subcontinent, and there are temples associated with each of her body parts, including her breasts and vagina, which are all considered sacred. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakta_pithas
4. “I recently asked my niblings, who attended a public high school in an affluent suburb in New York City, what words their friends use for breasts. My nephew, a 16 year old sophomore who socializes with his mates on the soccer team, openly rattled off six terms, starting with “rack” and ending with “tits”. My niece, an 18 year old senior, said that the only word the girls in her grade used regularly was “boobs”. This disparity in vocabulary is symptomatic of the gender inequalities embodied unconsciously by many Americans. It is also indicative of the larger problem of who defines and controls women’s bodies.”

So, what can we do? We can educate ourselves about our bodies, and refuse definitions and depictions from male-dominated society, we can reclaim our words and the power of our vocabulary. We can recommend and promote this book to our friends. We can stand tall, walk with our shoulders back, and walk with purpose and confidence, which we will also henceforth call, ‘Tits Up’.

I’ll end this review by thanking my friend for recommending this book to me, and for letting me borrow her copy of it.