“Dreaming of a Mail Order Husband is an engaging, highly readable tour into the lived experience of the so-called transition period of the nineties. As such, it would work well in undergraduate courses on Russian area studies on postsocialism or on gender studies.” - Julie Hemment, H-Net Reviews
“[A] fascinating look at the social and economic problems in present day Russia and the choice of that many women make to escape those problems by offering themselves as mail-order brides. . . [A] compelling and emotional read.” - Victoria Kroeger, feminist review blog
“Well-written, well documented . . . and a pleasure to read. It can be enjoyed by the lay person as it vividly portrays the cultural phenomenon of the Russian mail order husband. It is also appropriate as a text in a college-level course, one in which the themes and issues raised in the book can be expanded, discussed and analysed more thoroughly through use of the extensive bibliography.” - Linda S. Fair, Population, Space and Place
“It is amazing how the author manages to embody theoretical detail in the narrative of the book. Indeed, it is impressive that the author manages to address so many issues in one book and to characterize the phenomenon from different perspectives. . . . [E]njoyable for both scientists and a broader audience.” - Ekaterina Timofeeva, Sociology
“The book, vividly placed within the specific socio-economic and political context of the former Soviet Union, fills a gap in our understanding of these women’s motivations. It challenges underlying presumptions on the international matchmaking industry and the stereotypical images of Russian women (and men) and American men (and women).” - Lorena D. Arocha, Social Anthropology
“The stereotype of the mail-order bride. . . is one where a woman is silent and submissive. . . . Dreaming of a Mail-Order Husband offers a corrective to this traditional image. . . . Johnson’s work is an interesting look into the world of mail-order brides and should be read by anyone interested in women’s studies, transnational feminism, marriage, and cross-cultural communication.” - Sam Rivetza, Women's Studies
“What Johnson is arguing in this carefully researched and beautifully written volume is that the notion of Russian women as victims in the mail-order bride business tells only part of the story. What her own experience has shown is that the women she interviewed were ‘active driven individuals with agency’ (p. 158) who wanted the stability of home and family denied them in their own country. Therein lies the wisdom of the title Dreaming of a Mail-Order Husband. Clearly, the internet works both ways.” - Adele Barker, Russian Review
"[T]he volume is an easy read and will no doubt spark lively discussion, particularly among readers well-acquainted with contemporary Russian culture and society." - Olga Mesropova, Slavic and East European Journal
“Dreaming of a Mail-Order Husband provides a rich and well-researched account of Russian brides, who, because of the lackluster economic conditions in Russia, hope for a better marriage and life by marrying foreign, mostly U. S., men.” - Felicity Schaeffer-Grabiel, University of California, Santa Cruz
“Dreaming of a Mail-Order Husband is a pioneering work of broad interest and significance. It fills an important gap in information about the burgeoning ‘traffic’ in mail-order brides from Russia.” - Jehanne M. Gheith, coeditor of A History of Women’s Writing in Russia
