No comments about Lawrence Olivier.

No comments about Running in the Family (Library Edition).

5 comments about Every Mother Is a Daughter: The Neverending Quest for Success, Inner Peace, and a Really Clean Kitchen (Library Edition).

1. This book is so well written and so, so personal. I found myself, with Sheila (Perri's mother), going back to my growing-up years. My own mother was far kinder than Sheila's, but I could see how childhood experiences carry forward. . .forever. These are two strong, accomplished women that I admire very much. The book is just a small taste of their lives, but so, so worth your time. I recommend it very highly.



2. Beautifully written, beautifully read, I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I actually listened to but then bought the book for my mom to enjoy which, in time, I'll borrow back and re-gift to my daughters. Dr Klass and I are both pediatricians, both of our dear fathers have died and we are both the eldest daughters of smart, literate mothers. We somehow did not get the genetic code for applying make-up, but I do like to knit and children literacy is close to our hearts!



3. It's a beautiful book. I love the format - daughter writes a section, mother replies, mother writes a section, daughter replies. It brings about a wonderful comedic banter that isn't at all forced. I so envy that Perri and Sheila now has this wonderful memoir to pass on. It's a quick and easy read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys their own mother or daughter immensly.



4. This was a great book all around about motherhood, mother/daughter relationship, women at the work place/career, fatherhood, wife/husband and how society's expectations change over generations. I love how the authors (Mother and Daughter) took turns writing her perspective and seeing how the Mother's behavior/upbringing influences her daugher forever, and influences how she decides to bring up her own children. It made me think a lot about my mother and how her mother brought her up; and how all of our choices/decisions/outcomes are heavily influenced by circumstances of the time.



5. Surprisingly interesting book. Was fast reading and was enjoyed by our book club of "ladies of a certain age" and my 33 year old daughter.

No comments about The Grass Window and Her Cow (Reminiscence).

5 comments about Eva Peron: A Biography.

1. In English, this book often reads more like a romance novel than like a serious biography; I do not know whether it reads that way in the original language. It seems more like a work of poetry than a work of prose- not as many cold hard facts as I would have expected from a biography, but some vivid character portraits. Eva Peron comes across as a kind of overgrown child, alternatively desperate to be somebody, do good, and fulfill her whimsical desires for elegance and ego gratification. Her husband comes across as a cold fish, someone who would never have risen to the top in a bigger country with a larger talent pool.



2. Alicia Dujovne Ortiz's major biography of Eva Peron is an interesting book chronicling the rise and fall of Argentina's most famous First-Lady.
   
   Out of the many biographies written about Eva Peron, this is one of the better-researched interpretations so I definitely recommend it over the many other more sensationalized accounts. However, this is far from being the best of the lot. In my opinion, Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarro's book "Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron" is the best written in the English language even though it's over 20 years old. Julie M Taylor's "Eva Peron: The Myths of a Woman" is also excellent and insightful, especially in getting a better understanding of the many myths this legendary woman inspired. Robert Crassweller's "Peron and the Enigmas of Argentina" also deserves mention because it is an excellent book, not just about Eva but of Peron and Peronism in general.
   
   Ortiz's book is well researched but sometimes her personal opinion of Eva gets in the way. I guess it's to be expected when you have a woman analyze another woman who is renowned for her glamour and personal style. Ortiz does a good job laying out Eva's life from her humble beginnings to her amazing transformation into "Evita", the imposing and elegant blonde crusader of the less-fortunate. Ortiz uses a lot of witness testimony and she goes into detail when covering Eva's charitable work and Social Aid Foundation however it's nowhere near as detailed or as enlightening as the Spanish edition of her book which is disappointing and I will get into it a little later. Like Fraser/Navarro, Taylor, Crassweller and the several other historians/scholars who have researched Eva Peron and have written well-documented accounts, Ortiz also tries to separate myth from fact. Although at times, she is a bit rough towards the legend she is writing about, the author treats her sympathetically and portrays the mysterious Eva as a flawed but exceptional woman.
   
   Eva's detractor's, on the other hand, have portrayed her as a one-dimensional caricature devoid of any human emotion and morals. Evita, in the eyes of Anti-Peronist biographers such as Mary Main, WA Harbinson, Paul L Montgomery etc, was a beautiful, murderous monster who was smarter than every single person alive in Argentina at the time and anyone who crossed her path fell victim to her dark, sinister charms. These writers dissect and bring to light every single negative character flaw, real or imagined, this woman may have possessed. They choose to ignore the 1000+ schools, 100+ hospitals and the thousands of other establishments such as homes, hostels and orphanages that Eva through her foundation built between 1948-1952. They hardly pay any attention to the food, medicine and money Eva personally handed out from her desk at the Evita Foundation or when she traveled to shanty-towns or remote, country villages. They may mention that through Eva's foundation several malnourished children finally received health care and food; they may hint at the fact that because of her several thousand impoverished country folk finally received running water and electricity; they may mention as a footnote that Eva sent First-Aid and food to countries outside of Argentina's borders such as Colombia, Ecuador, Turkey, Israel and the US but they will cite exploitation and self-aggrandizement as Eva's principal motive. But no matter how much they try to condemn her, the result is always the same, unintentional glorification. They loathe this bejeweled beauty but can't help love her all the same. The musical "Evita" is a perfect example of this. No matter how much it tries to discredit her, Eva's poetic image is what hovers in most people's mind long after the curtain descends. Most will remember an impeccably dressed blonde clutching a microphone and the famous taglines such as "She Seduced a Nation" or "EVITA IS IMMORTAL" or "EVITA will stir you to your very soul". These are hardly ways to represent such an amoral, corrupt megalomaniac who slept her way to fame.
   
   This major biography of Eva Duarte de Peron was released around the same time as the film in 1996 (at least the English version was). It was originally written in French and later translated into several languages. It is very detailed and it held my interest throughout but having read the Spanish translation, this English version is a poor imitation. I'm not sure how close to the original the Spanish translation is but in comparing it to this, I noticed that the English edition is heavily edited and in some instances, very poorly translated. For those of you who can read Spanish, I recommend that version instead as it is far more complete. Having said that, Alicia Dujovne Ortiz treats Eva Duarte Peron as a flawed but extraordinary human being. After all that's exactly what Evita was, flawed but extraordinary? I guess that's how she should be remembered.



3. The dark myth of the white Santa Evita whose legacy as the patron saint of Argentina's poor. Ortiz paints a raw, compelling, and ruthless drive of one woman whose innate desire to rise above her shameful beginnings is riveting and profoundly sorrowful despite Eva's scliptic rise to power.



4. I have yet to find an entirely satisfactory biography of Argentina's controversial first lady once widely revered as a saintly Madonna. This book is written chronologically, from the subject's birth in an unremarkable Argentinean provincial town, to her death and the return of her body to Argentina in 1974. It strives to be balanced and to summarize the evidence around various controversial points regarding the life of Eva Peron.

   Unfortunately, this book, written by a Paris-based Argentinean-born journalist, while thoroughly entertaining, can hardly qualify as a serious historical or political analysis of Eva Peron and her times. Having only read the English version, it is hard to judge whether the translation is awkward is some places, or whether the original prose also lapses into a saccharine style of romantic best sellers. Even as a journalistic book on this subject, you might find a better, more articulate, and shorter account (which does draw from this book by Ortiz) in Looking for History: Dispatches from Latin America, by Alma Guillermoprieto (which I have also reviewed of this website).

   There are some interesting photos in this book, but if it is photos of Evita and her times which interest you, I would recommend Evita: An Intimate Portrait of Eva Peron, by Tomas De Elia, which I have also reviewed on this site.




5. EVA PERON by Alicia Dujovne Ortiz is not a good book. It is not helped by the fact that, as others have noted, it was originally written in another language. As is often the case, something was lost in the translation. In addition to being overly dramatic, at times tabloid-ishly so, it is plagued with historical inaccuracies: it uses the terms "dictator" and "fascist" to refer to Peron. Such accusations are by now passe to the serious biographer of Peron and Evita. As Robert D. Crassweller points out in PERON AND THE ENIGMAS OF ARGENTINA, "Peronism was not fascism ... (it was) an authoritarian populist movement, strongly colored by Catholic social thought (and) by nationalism [pp. 220-223]."

   After reading EVA PERON by Alicia Dujovne Ortiz, I was left wondering what the point of it was. Why was this book published? It really has nothing of substance to offer. Obviously, it was published to coincide with the release of Madonna's movie EVITA and to capitalize on the renewed interest in the historical Eva Peron.

   For a serious biography of Evita, I recommend EVITA: THE REAL LIFE OF EVA PERON. For an interesting anthropological study of Evita's importance to Argentine society, I would recommend EVA PERON: THE MYTHS OF A WOMAN.

5 comments about My Lives.

1. The best thing about Roseanne's book, "My Lives" is the picture on the cover!
   
   I have always loved Roseanne because she is/was such a talented and courageous entertainer. Through her groundbreaking sitcom, Roseanne she showed the American family as it really was meant to be seen. But I also think there's a part of her that's really not all there. And, sadly she started to unravel around the time this book came out.
   
   "My Lives" was published 14 years ago, 5 years after Roseanne's first autobiography; the considerably less in-your-face "My Life As A Woman." But in her latest editorial debacle Roseanne lets it all hang out so to speak.
   
   Roseanne is intent on painting a very ugly picture of her life through this book. She was the victim of incest and sexual abuse by both her mother and father. She was forced to become a hooker because her and her first husband were living on skid row. She gave up a child that she had as a teenager. She never learned to trust men. She ate like there was no tomorrow and when gained success she became incredibly inebriated on her own fame.
   
   All of this comes off as so cliche and rather sloppy. It reads like a perverse National Enquirer article. But all of that cannot compare to Roseanne's most "startling revelation." She claims that she is the victim of Disassociate Identity Disorder (in 1994 when this book was published the "disease" was called "multiple identity disorder.") Yes, that's right Roseanne claims to have hundreds of personalities living within her one body.
   
   I can remember an interview that Roseanne once did with Arsenio. He was talking about La Toya and all of her hairball stories and Roseanne defended her saying: "I would rather believe a liar than a molester." Well I suppose anyone would. But that does not give her the right, just because she has a public voice, to go on national TV and trash people, the people who were the closest to her simply because she forgot to take her Prozac. And, when Roseanne finally got her head on straight there was never a big press conference or any media appearances to dispel these malicious lies. It's sad that truth isn't as appealing as dishonesty is.
   
   As you probably do not know (because it was rarely reported in the MSM,) A few years after this book was published, a newly divorced (and re-married again Roseanne) has "regained her sanity." This "new" Roseanne now recants all of those hateful statements in this book. But even to call those statements hateful would be doing an injustice. What would you call someone who makes up false allegations of sexual abuse towards her parents?
   
   Some would call this person a monster.
   
   Some would call this person an a-ni-mal.
   
   Some would call this person a conniving money-hungry crook.
   
   I just think Roseanne has made some very poor decisions as far as her personal life and her professional life are concerned. She laid her life out for the entire world to see and somewhere along the way she forgot who she really was and she forgot what the truth was. I suppose it doesn't help matters that she's always been as crazy as a loon.
   
   Geraldine Barr (Roseanne's sister,) wrote a rebuttal to this effluent, My Sister Roseanne. Unfortunately, through her many contacts and with all of the power and clout that comes with having the number one coast-to-coast television show in the Country, Roseanne was able to get the book collectively blackballed. Critics panned that book as a cry for money. These same critics didn't bat an eye when Roseanne publishes an autobiography only 5 years after her first one.
   
   If you're interested in learning about the real Roseanne, I recommend watching her TV show and some of her movies. I also recommend reading her first autobiography and Geraldine's book, as well as any magazine interviews that Roseanne has done over the last 7 to 8 years (anything between 1991 and 1998 are riddled with statements that Roseanne herself now states are "untrue.") But skip this book, unless you enjoy reading about trainwrecks.
   
   I do feel bad for Roseanne but from what I have read about her now, she is enjoying lucidity and is at peace. But more than that, I feel awful for her poor parents. I cannot think of anything worse than to have a child make up such false statements for the pure purposes of selling a book.
   
   Where is Roseanne today?
   
   Now going by "Roseanne Barr" once again, after marrying Ben Thomas twice and divorcing him twice Roseanne's now living happily single with her teenage son. She is currently performing in Las Vegas at the Sahara and when she's in LA or New York Roseanne enjoys stand-up from time to time. However, she has no plans of going back to series TV nor does she have any plans of writing another book. She just wants to put the past behind her and focus on the future. Roseanne is also a very proud grandmother and is very involved in her childrens' and grandchildrens' lives. In April, Roseanne and the cast from her show were reuinted for a TV Land Award; "Roseanne" was given the pop-culture award. In this latest persona, Roseanne appeared very subdued and even wore a fashionable gray forelock in her hair. Perhaps it's a sign that she really has changed. Or, maybe one of her personalities has an aversion to Lady Revlon?



2. I read Roseanne's first book. It was so awful, it was almost torture. This book is an improvement. Roseanne writes more lucidly the second time around. It is more biography than rambling mess, as the first book was. She covers her personal life as well as tid bits regarding her sit com. The sit com is one area where I do believe her. She had to fight (and it wasn't pretty) for control of her own show.
   
   I can see where many ideas for the show came from after reading her books. The problem is that the show was funny and Roseanne's life anything but funny. Roseanne Barr is nothing like Roseanne Conner. Not surprisingly, Roseanne Barr swears like a trucker. She has no filter and says anything and I mean ANYTHING that comes to mind. (I wish I could do this too, but ya just can't!). She was heavily into drugs, alcohol and even has sex with multiple guys for money. This is all while she was married with three kids. She talks about loving her kids, but was barely there to raise them. What a mess.
   
   She also covers the fact that she had suppressed memories of her parents abusing her, mentally and sexually. She states that this is what made her act out so badly all her life and she dealt with it through multiple personalities. She provides a list of each personality's name at the end of the book.
   
   Because her behavior has been so incredibly bizarre and over the top, it is hard to know what to believe or not. It's hard to see someone's pain as enjoyable. Like lots of people, she needed to write the book, but I'm not sure we need to read it.



3. This is Roseanne's second autobiography, the one in which she alleges childhood sexual abuse by both her mother and father. She also details how her younger sister fled her parents' house due to abuse (and now denies any abuse) and how Roseanne's daughter was also abused by Roseanne's father. Roseanne claims her weight issues stem from childhood sexual abuse. In a bizarre chapter at the end, Roseanne even alludes to having multiple personality disorder, as a means of surviving abuse.
   
   Roseanne also dishes about the formative years of her sitcom and her desperate struggle for creative control, as well as her romance, marriage, and creative partnership with Tom Arnold. She also describes in detail the infamous National Anthem debacle, from what her intentions were through the aftermath.
   
   I don't know if I find Roseanne 100% credible. She's outrageous and unbalanced and I can't help but feel that she skewers the truth to meet her own needs. If you can get past that, this makes for an interesting read.



4. I must say that I didn't exactly know what to think when I saw a book with Tom and Roseanne on the cover. But seeing as "Roseanne" is one of my favorite shows, I had to pick it up. This is Roseanne Barr-Arnold's second book; I have not yet read the first one. The book discusses everything between the start of her stand-up act through her marriage with Tom Arnold. She has lots of fun bashing all of the people she worked with on her hit sitcom and her ex-husband, Bill Pentland, who she was married to for 16 years and had 3 children with. The thing that is ironic about this book is how Roseanne talks about how much she loves Tom Arnold, when she divorced him the same year that this book was released. The book is actually quite interesting, however. We see that Roseanne Barr and Roseanne Arnold are definetely two different people. This Roseanne is sticking with her story about her father molesting her and her sisters. (The Roseanne Barr of 2004 is now getting along with her family.) I think that this book is a little one-sided, though. Roseanne doesn't seem to think about how her children must feel during this divorce. I do recommend it for those of you intrigued by Roseanne Barr-Pentland-Arnold-Thomas's life story.



5. I found this book in one of those factory second tables at the shopping centre, I thought it was a novel Roseanne had written, some cheesy romance thing but because I am such a huge fan I bought it anyway, God I loved it, So brutally honest and self examining, I loved the people she loved and hated those she hated.
   Great bio, the best I ever read.

No comments about The Road South.

5 comments about Parting the Waters.

1. This book is even better than the glowing reviews suggested. It's simply a masterpiece of intelligent writing. The author respects the reader's intelligence, and has an amazing ability to mix detail and the big picture. I love the way the author combines a highly readable style with both arresting action, minute detail, and yet keeps his balance. He is able to get you excited about the events in Albany, GA as though they are happening now, then backs off to show how the whole campaign kind of died. He has remarkable energy and writing talent, and a wonderful ability to shift gears, weave threads together.



2. As you begin to read chapter one, this book will become a page-turner. The amazingly woven detail gives life to this story of over fifty years ago. Author Taylor Branch documents how M. L. King, Jr. walked into the storm of what was to become the Civil Rights Movement, and was then sucked into its vortex. As a "boomer" I was alive during parts of this, growing up in the Midwest. I remember some headlines and TV scenes, but reading the minutiae of what was behind those headlines was like unto discovering a mother's diary. I thoroughly enjoyed it.



3. The best single book on the civil rights movement I have ever read. Parting the Waters is partly a wonderful, complicated biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. However, it is also a history of the early years of the entire civil rights movement. King, SCLC, and SNCC are described in great detail and their efforts are set against a background of federal reluctance to intervene in the South. Inspiring and detailed.



4. I am about halfway through this book. Even though I have not finished yet I feel compelled to comment on it. I believe it is extremely important for African Americans of my generation to get a more complete understanding of the civil rights movement. So far this book has opening my eyes and changed the way I view our African American experience.
   
   What is best about this read is it flows like a history book. I give much credit to Mr. Branch for simply telling the story and not adding too much of his own commentary and opinion. That is one of my pet peeves with many of our `writers' today. They want to impose their opinions and biased interpretations. We do not need opinions. We need to educate ourselves with facts and draw our own conclusions. Okay, I will get off the soapbox.
   
   Anyway I highly recommend this book. It is a very long read, but if you seek a deeper understanding of the African American experience this is a great start. Many of the issues we face today can be interpreted more accurately by getting a more complete account of our past.



5. By most accounts, Branch's three volume history of the Civil Rights Movement is the authoritative account of Dr. King's life. But beyond the facts and history, this particular volume is an example of masterful storytelling. I read this book during my morning and evening commutes, stuffed between strangers on the train. Branch transported me to another time and place, at times on the brink of tears. Branch devoted decades of his life to crafting this story. His efforts leave us with an honest and beautifully told story - one of our nation's most inspiring and tragic.

No comments about A Very Easy Death.

No comments about Healing Grief: Reclaiming Life After Any Loss.