“All the Single Ladies” readalong: Chapter three

It’s time for chapter three of our read-along of  “All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation” by Rebecca Traister. This chapter of the book examines how single women flock to cities. The city becomes their “spouse and, sometimes, true love.”

Cities offer not just more jobs, but adventure. Cities are “chock-full of single people,” and they made up more than 40 percent of the population in big cities in the late 2010s (when the book was written).

The city provides infrastructure that towns don’t – from retail stores and restaurants on every corner to romantic prospects and entertainment. The cities also present challenges, such as a higher crime rate and an increased cost of living.

“Cities allow those who might have made restless, dissatisfied, always hungry-for-something-else mates who caused their partners unhappiness to exit the marriage highway, veering instead onto paths that take them to places they they’d rather be,” Traister wrote.

Do you prefer cities or small towns? What opportunities do you find in cities compared to the country? Let us know in the comments.

Here is our reading schedule:

Monday, March 3 - Chapters 1 and 2

Monday, March 10 - Chapter 3

Monday, March 17 - Chapters 4 and 5

Monday, March 24 - Chapters 6 and 7

Monday, March 31 - Chapters 8, 9 and 10