Readers looking for information on important periods in American history will find a good starting point within the American Eras: Defining Moments series (8 titles). This volume takes readers to an optimistic America, one recovering from a war and pandemic and turning to party celebrations, new household innovations, and various forms of entertainment. On the flip side of this liveliness and high spending comes the sobering emergence of Prohibition. Readers will learn about its causes and effects, an increased reliance on credit and loans as Americans lived beyond their means, and the new freedoms and rights obtained by women, including the right to vote. Large black-and-white period photographs accompany the text, and a time line, glossary, and suggested books and websites are included. A good introductory overview of important events in the 1920s.