Daughters of Eve- Book Summary

The book Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan is about a school club called the Daughters of Eve. The sponsor of the club and the art teacher at the school is Irene Stark. In a way, Irene brainwashes the girl into hating all men. Irene’s hate for men started when her parents divorced, and continued when she was engaged to a man who received the job she wanted, because he was a man. In this way, she tries to show the girls how women are discriminated against.

Ruth Grange, one of the newcomers to the Daughters of Eve, has 3 brothers. Ruth’s parents didn’t want her to join the club, because Ruth has to baby-sit and clean, which one of her brothers could do. Other members of the club have different stories. Like Bambi Ellis, who dates Ruth’s older brother, Peter, and dreams of becoming a model. Bambi refuses to let anything get in the way of her dream. Ann Whitten, another member, is in love with a teenage boy named Dave Brewer, and they are engaged.

At the first meeting, one of the girls, Tammy Carncross, daughter of the science teacher, has a vision and runs from the room. She quits, but then returns to the club. Ruth begins to stand up to her parents, and continues going to the meetings.

Bambi and Peter break up, because Bambi refuses to “put out.” Peter starts messing with Laura Snow, a member of the Daughters of Eve, who is over-weight, very self conscious, and whose parents are divorced. Laura begins to see Peter in secret, because she doesn’t want to hurt her Sisters, but Peter is really only playing with her.

Jane Rheardon, a quiet girl, reveals the other members of the Daughters of Eve, reveals to the group that her father beats her mother, her mother defends him, and she, Jane, is tired of it. The girls sympathize with her.

When the homecoming dance is approaching, the girls sell raffle tickets for it, and do the raffle during the homecoming dance. Usually, the money raised goes to the boys’ teams, but the Daughters of Eve decide to do something different.

Pete attends the homecoming dance with Bambi, while Laura waits at home for him. Bambi becomes homecoming queen, and announces that the Daughters of Eve will be giving the money raised to start a girls’ soccer team. The principal think they are joking.

Two hours after Pete was supposed to be at Laura’s house, and her mom has left for a bridge game, Niles, Pete’s younger brother, knocks on the door. He tells her that Pete went to the dance with Bambi, and that Pete and Bambi are back together. Then Niles tries to make a move on Laura, but she rejects him. So Niles tells Laura “Pete was using you. That’s all any guy’s ever going to do with you.” She makes Niles leave, and then she take’s all of her mom’s sleeping pills.

Irene, the sponsor, finds out that Laura is living with her stepmom and dad, because she can’t face returning to the school. Ruth tells the Daughters of Eve that she overheard her brothers talking about Laura and what happened. The Daughters of Eve decide to get revenge. So, Ruth tells Peter that there’s a letter on the bureau, right before Ruth leaves the house. The letter is from Bambi, and tells Peter to meet her at the creek. Peter goes to the creek, and is held down, while the Daughters of Eve shave his head, although he doesn’t know it was them.

Pete refuses to go to school, and when his mom asks him who did it, he says it was a group of guys, to save his pride. Ruth tells the Daughters of Eve what he said, and they all laugh.

Fran Schneider, the president, has been working on a science project for over a year, so she can represent the school. The science teacher, Tammy’s dad, dismisses her project, because Fran used animals in a way that the judges won’t like. So, a boy gets to represent the school. He apologizes to Fran, and makes her less upset. Fran skips the Daughters of Eve meeting, but the girls still learn what happen, and decide to do something about it. Tammy quits the club, when she realizes what’s happening;. The Daughters of Eve destroy the science room, and the boy’s project. When
Fran finds out, she is very upset.

Ann tells Irene that she’s pregnat, and that her and Dave decided to get married at Christmas. Irene proposes an abortion, so that Ann can go to art college. Ann’s father finds out, and tells her to do whatever she feels is best. Jane’s mom is in the hospital, so she stays with Irene.

Tammy talks to Irene, telling her that what they are doing is wrong. Irene threatens Tammy, and she realizes that her vision was about Irene. After this, they get a letter from the principal, telling them that he’s using the raffle ticket money for uniforms for the boys. The Daughters of Eve mess up his office. Jane goes home, and tells her father she knows what he did. In a fit of rage, Jane then tells her father everything she did. He tells her she has to stay home, and to start idnner. She picks up a skillet, and hits him in the head, as hard as she can.

Three years later, Fran Schneider is a first semester senior, working toward a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry. Ann Whitten Brewer didn’t get an abortion, and became a housewife, as well as Ruth Brumwell, and Laura Keller. Jane Rheandon became a patient at the State Mental Hospital. Bambi became a model, and Irene is still the sponsor, and also the assistant principal.