5 comments about Unbowed: A Memoir (Vintage).

1. Reviewed by Charles Shea LeMone [...]
   
   Nobel laureate, Wangari Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya, in 1940. Her earliest memories of the highland country are of a paradise of fertile soil, lush forests and abundant crops. The land was rich with rivers and streams. However, returning home from college in America, one of the first things she noticed was how deforestation and the mass cultivation of cash crops had devastated the countryside, causing severe top soil erosion and many creeks and streams to dry up. Furthermore, the people in her region were no longer as robust and strong as she recalled. Instead, having changed their diets to eat like Europeans, they now appeared weak and undernourished. She found the same to be true of the animals that her people raised.
   
   As a professor, a biologist, and a Kikuyu woman, she turned to the women of her country to help restore the decimated forest. Launching the Green Belt Movement to plant trees--more than 30 million since 1977--she was subjected to beatings, arrest and death threats. Nevertheless, she and her women followers remained unbowed. In fact, the discrimination she faced for merely being a woman, led Maathai to question all human rights abuses that the corrupt government was guilty of perpetrating.
   
   She also fought for free elections, which further alienated her in the eyes of the local leaders. Despite all of their efforts to discredit her, though, in 2002, she was elected to Kenya's Parliament. A year later, she was appointed assistant minister for the environment; and in 2004, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She continues to live and work in Nairobi.
   
   On the back cover of "Unbowed a Memoir" there is a quote from former president Bill Clinton. "Wangari Maathai's memoir is direct, honest, and beautifully written--a gripping account of modern Africa's trials and triumphs, a universal story of courage, persistence, and success against great odds in a noble cause."



2. I agree with the other reviewers about this being an amazing memoir of a brilliant, undaunted woman, and I highly recommend it. I found it intriguing and instructive for other reasons as well: it's an eye opener into Kenya from British colonial times - when the author was a child in an indigenous society close to the land and animals. Her village seems very much like a Native American village surviving (or trying to survive) through missionaries, reservations, racism and harsh, coerced cultural assimilation, etc. Many of her memories are strikingly parallel to my own, growing up in the Arctic in Inupiaq culture colonized by whites but maintaining much of its old collective ways and animistic ties with the land.
   
   The effects of this colonial legacy are still with Kenyans today, for better or worse. Maathai does not romanticize her indigenous, tribal roots. She admits her father beat his wives and Kenyan women had somehow lost their ancient role of authority, but she evenhandedly points out beneficial aspects of polygamy - for example, children were well taken care of and loved with multiple mothers, so she grew up with a powerful sense of security and groundedness. She describes British farmers who were kind and friends with the locals they used as serfs. Life is full of moral ambiguity and she does not deny the good aspect of missionary boarding school where they beat her for speaking her native tongue: it launched her into her a western education and knowledge of the greater world, which she put to such good use.
   The memoir continues through the Mau Mau uprising (which was a rebellion against the cruelty of British taking all the good farmland and forcing thousands into far off impoverished reservations, and pitting the many tribes against one another). Maatthai proceeds into current times, always with keen insights into the increasing degradation of the ecosystem with climate change, the introduction of foreign species to turn Kenya into plantations, and the destruction of the old native wisdom/stewardship which helped keep things in balance.
   "Unbound" was published before the current conflict that is spiraling into full civil war, with ethnic cleansing and the use of mass rape as a terror instrument. I am sure that Maathai would have plenty to add about this in her memoir if she updates it, with equally keen insights. She would point out that the conflict has its roots in colonial rule and the destruction of a sustainable ecosystem and native life ways, as we see in so many parts of the world now. She would surely have some advice on how to stop the violence.
   I really admire this woman, and hope a lot more will read her book. It seems very important!



3. Maathai is the first African woman and the first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize-in 2004.
   
   Masthai's life is inspiring-from her humble beginnings as a child laborer on the plantation of a white English colonial farm with her family, to her early education in the primitive Ihithe primary school at age 8, to further education at St. Cecilia's at the Mathari Catholic Mission, to college in the United States. She taught at the University in Kenya, and was active in the National Council of Women in Kenya (NCWK) for many years.
   
   Many failures are scattered throughout her life: she was divorced by her husband; she lost her job at the University when she tried to run for office, and she was arrested many times for her work in promoting democracy in Kenya. One of the projects she worked on was to stop the construction of a huge 60-story skyscraper in the middle of Uhuru Park in Nairobi; another was to obtain the release of over 50 men who had been imprisoned for agitating for a multi-party system. She held a hunger strike with their mothers, in Uhuru Park, and then they all retreated to a nearby Anglican cathedral to continue to protest after being routed from the park by armed police (Along with many others, Maathai was beaten and taken to hospital). Eventually the men were released.
   
   Maathai started the Green Belt Movement in 1977. In 2002 Kenya finally held free and democratic open elections and Maathai won a seat in the Parliament. See the Green Belt web site for extensive details of her grassroots tree-planting program. The act of planting a tree is helping women throughout Africa help the environment. The GBM has planted more than 40 million trees across Africa, resulting in reduced soil erosion has affecting the critical watersheds
   
   Everyone can make a difference. Just today I watched a report on the news about the devastating drought in the Southeast United States. Hard times are coming. We need to learn about climate change and what we can do to manage it.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: One woman helping other women and her country.



4. This memoir is an inspiring example of what one woman can do, bit by bit, and eventually have an internationally positive influence. The author's story resonates with anyone who wants to make a difference in her/his own molecule of the world.



5. When Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, questions were raised regarding her choice by the Nobel Committee. Why should an environmentalist receive a prize that was identified with peace and human rights, voiced the critics. Reading Maathai's memoir sets the record straight, and justifying her selection for the award. In this fascinating and very personal account, she paints a vivid picture of her life, embedded in the realities of Kenya before and since independence. Her experiences during the Moi regime, in particular, demonstrate the challenges a young educated woman confronted in the face of traditional prejudice as well as political oppression.
   
   Raised in rural Kenya, Wangari Maathai never lost the deep connection with the land and its the natural beauty. Over the years, she noticed the changes and the increasing fragility of the environment. Trees for her became a symbol and a tool for protecting the vulnerable ecosystem and assisting rural population to stem the growing poverty.
   
   Thanks to the intervention of her older brother and the support of her mother, she was able to attend school beyond the primary level, which was all girls at the time could reach for. As luck had it and, being a bright student, her convent school was one of those selected to send graduates to the US under what became known as the Kennedy Airlift: a program to send young Africans to American colleges for further education. These young people were being primed to become future leaders of their societies in the soon to be independent African states. Maathai returned to Kenya with a Master's degree in biology, a subject that for her combined her scientific interests with her deep love for her natural environment. She was encouraged in her research and added a PhD in veterinary medicine to her record. Life should have been easy after that with a good husband, a blossoming academic career and three wonderful kids. But women in Kenya were not supposed to be independent and strong. Her fight for women's equal rights broadened her environmental commitments. Eventually she lost her academic position, her husband divorced her and she ended up as poor as she was a child. Not deterred by the adversities she was facing, she continued fighting on several fronts. She started the Greenbelt Movement to plant trees to reclaim the land as a campaign for and with rural women. Over time it gained such prominence that it was perceived as a threat by the authorities. Public show of opposition, such as the demonstrations to save Uhuru Park in Nairobi from President-friendly developers, increasingly identified Maathai and the Greenbelt Movement as a focus for opposition forces. They fought for human rights and dignity, anti-tribalism and democracy. The details of these struggles, the friendships and solidarity that Maathai experienced, both in Kenya in internationally, supported her morally and probably saved her life more than once.
   
   Maathai's memoir is very personal and written from the heart. We get to know her thinking and feelings as well as a detailed description of the difficult life women and men who opposed the Moi regime faced. Her easygoing and conversational style softens the impact of her description of the arduous and sometimes even brutal experiences that she relays. At the same time, her story is a stirring example of how one person's strength and perseverance can make a difference to a people and the world. The Greenbelt Movement is now a motor for tree planting around Africa and beyond. This is an inspirational book as well as a historical record. Reading it will make you feel enriched. [Friederike Knabe]

5 comments about The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School.

1. I bought this book based on the glowing reviews it received on this site. After all, it combined two of my great loves -- cooking and France - as subject matter. Unfortunately, I am still struggling to finish it. There is nothing compelling or terribly interesting in this story which is prosaically written. It doesn't come to Bill Buford's "Heat" or any of the Michael Ruhlman books. Eh...



2. The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry is a riveting memoir of one woman's journey through the hallowed kitchens of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Fresh from a corporate layoff in her London office, Kathleen Flinn chases her childhood dream to attend Le Cordon Bleu, encouraged by then-boyfriend Mike. Kathleen's love for cooking came as a result of necessity: after her father's early death from cancer when Kathleen was a teenager, she took over cooking for her family, eventually exploring the works of Julia Child and other cuisines. As an adult, her job in journalism allowed her to dabble in food writing and to indulge her love of restaurants, cooking, and food around the globe (including a brush with food poisoning from undercooked pig kidneys in China).
   
   Kathleen's witty observations of Cordon Bleu demonstrations and classes are culled from 600 pages of personal notes, 120 hours of audio recordings, and selections from the 300-plus recipes in the Cordon Bleu curriculum, so readers are instantly immersed into the grueling world of elite chefdom, including less appetizing ventures such as gutting fish, removing tendons and glands from chickens and guinea fowl, beheading rabbits, and chopping live lobsters in half (this book is definitely NOT for the squeamish). However, such visions are tempered by sweeter notes, including puff pastry and delicate sauces described in detail.
   
   Kathleen describes her new friends and classmates in detail, along with her continuing explorations of Paris and her struggles to improve her rusty French. One of the book's most touching moments involves a visit from her sister, who had planned on studying at the Sorbonne but gave up her place (and her dreams of studying in France) when their father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Small moments of everyday Parisian life provide a pleasant counterpart to break up the monotony of daily classes. Other domestic affairs include Kathleen's marriage to Mike, a visit from annoying houseguests, and several medical emergencies.
   
   The Sharper Your Knife includes many of the recipes alluded to in the text, and the back of the book thoughtfully includes a recipe index for faster retrieval. Traditional selections include Beef Braised in Red Wine, Chicken Cordon Bleu (which has no affiliation with the school), Rabbit or Chicken with Mustard Sauce, Chocolate Souffle, and Duck With Orange Sauce. Some of the author's personal favorites include Minestrone Soup, Gumbo from Paris, and Banana and Nutella Crepes.



3. Since the mega-success of Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat Pray Love", there has been a corresponding uptick in the number of autobiolgraphical books about people (mostly all women in their 30s) chucking it all, and finding soul-fulfilling contentedness in SOMETHING (anything) besides ordinary life. I suppose it is a natural reaction to all the books of the 80s and 90s, in which people (again, mostly women) found hitherto unforeseen joy in having kick-ass corporate jobs....in the new economy of the 21st century, what with downsizing and layoff and the technology bust, there isn't a lot of joy in corporate America (or Europe) and it suddenly sounds wonderful to be doing something else....something more aimless and wild...heck, actually what it sounds like are all those books of the SEVENTIES that suggested you chuck it all, and hitchhike around the world and "find yourself".
   
   I guess my mom was right when she said "everything comes around again". Well, here it is.
   
   In this, her first book, Kathleen Flinn is a highly paid internet mucketymuck for Microsoft (*a TEENSY detail she um, forgets to mention but which is highly critical to her actions) who gets laid off, undoubtedly with the kind of severance pay and benefits that equal more than an average person earns in a lifetime. No, Ms. Flinn doesn't mention who she worked for, but amazingly she loses her job in London, and doesn't have to A. move back to the US or B. get another job FOR OVER A YEAR and C. she has enough cash to live in Paris, in luxury apartments, for over a year and D. attend an expensive, legendary cooking school ... oh, and sorry I nearly forgot -- she also got have a very cool wedding on a private island in Florida.
   
   Inbetween, we get to read of her experiences at Le Cordon Bleu, the most famous cooking school in the world. They have official "branch" schools all over the world, including the US and Canada, but Ms. Flinn only wants to attend the Paris school, despite her grade-school level French. Much of the book is centered on her difficulties in communicating at school, and in every activity (from renting an apartment to ordering pizza), but we are never told why she choose to attend classes in a language she is not fluent in when, for example, there is a respected Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas and another one in Ottawa, Canada....and it can't be the many charms of Paris, because very little of the book shows us Paris, or any part of France. No wonder, because the school is very demanding, and poor Ms. Flinn has to move her fiance overseas (he quits his lucrative job to do so, and "somehow" there is enough money for both of them to spend the year not working, in a luxury apartment, and eating out all the time) and also plan her wedding. Mike, her fiance, is an incredible stand-up guy -- the perfect boyfriend/fiance/husband who will do anything for his woman, plus he's handsome, successful (a pilot, an executive, etc.), very romantic, and he never argues or quarrels or leaves wet towels in the bathroom, or hates being in a country where he doesn't speak the language. 'Cuz he's perfect.
   
   Actually, the blurb on the cover says "the author discovers the love of her life right in front of her", which had me thinking way until the halfway point of the book, that "perfect Mike" would reveal himself to be a creep, and that Ms. Flinn would fall in love with one of her Chef instructors! that's how one-dimensional poor Mike is portrayed. But it turned out just to be confusing book-jacket blurb kerfluffle.
   
   It turns out that what you learn at Le Cordon Bleu is how to cook very elaborate, very caloric old-fashioned "French restaurant food" -- everything pureed and covered in creamy sauces. (If your parents ever took you out to eat at a 'fancy' restaurant with a French name, you know what I mean.) They seem insulated from anything that has happened in culinary history since around 1961. I'm not a professional cook, but it seems to me that this kind of "training" would be of minimal use to anybody hoping to work in or run a modern restaurant -- and tellingly, Ms. Flinn's classes are entirely attended by non-French students -- not one is native French. In the entire 3-part, year long program, all her fellow students are either Asian, non-French European, Canadian, or American. Quite a few, including Flinn herself, are spending about $30,000 grand in tutition, plus living expenses in one of the world's most expensive cities PLUS a year lost at a paying profession -- to attend cooking school and then HAVE NO INTENTION TO COOK PROFESSIONALLY or work in a restaurant.
   
   Now -- this strikes me as awful peculiar. I don't think the same would be true for students attending the Culinary Institute of America, for example. I appreciate people wanting to make a 180 degree career shift, in mid-life, but I admit that I am baffled by anyone wanting to make a huge investment in schooling, living overseas, etc., and yet "has no idea" why.
   
   It's certainly not to "live and work in Paris", because with the demands of the school, Ms. Flinn doesn't get around Paris all that much -- she's on the buses and trains a lot -- and she never really hones her French beyond simple words.
   
   There are places she goes -- like the giant food market, Rungis -- that I would have loved to have heard more about, or even seen some pictures (why is it that these new "find yourself" travelogues never seem to have any photos, when digital cameras are so tiny and easy to carry along?), but they are of less interest to the author than blow-by-blow descriptions of sauces she has made or puff pastry she practices on or the occasional small kitchen snafu (a duck falls to the floor!).
   
   Actually, what I carried away was the strong feeling that, though she never admits to this, Ms. Flinn planned all along to write an "expose" about Le Cordon Bleu, and sell the manuscript, and that the cooking school and year-off in Paris, was all upfront costs to the eventual bestseller she was hoping for....investing her "Microsoft millions" into something even more lucrative. If so, then the subject is deceiving, because this is not about wannabe chef finally daring to live her dream -- it's an investment scheme. Not nearly as charming.
   
   I did learn one genuinely interesting (though never fully explained) thing in the course of this book -- the famous cooking school trains its chefs to cook on OLD ELECTRIC RANGES...yup, the kind of stove your mom probably cooked on. Yet, any restaurant in the world of any quality would use a very different kind of large, commercial gas range that is much hotter and fussier to work on. From my personal experience, I know it is very difficult to go back and forth from electric to gas, just on a home stove for home cooking -- I can't imagine how hard it would be to translate very complex, elaborate "gourmet" cooking styles and recipes this way! My guess is, it would be awful, and it would at the least badly confuse a new chef and retard their intial progress at a real job. It suggests something never discussed in the book -- that maybe a very expensive French cooking school with unreliable electric ranges, and whose students are all foreign and not French, is maybe....MAYBE...sort of a tourist scam and not the place that real French chefs go to train.
   
   I can't prove this, but prior to reading this book, the idea would have never entered my head -- like anyone else who likes cookbooks and cooking tv shows, I figured "Le Cordon Bleu" was the best of the best. Now, I seriously gotta wonder. Just like with Ms. Flinn -- after several hundred pages of her life experience, I actually know less about her than I did on page one.



4. Certainly a very interesting read. Our daughter was a 2001 Grand Diplome graduate, and so many of the author's experiences 'rang true' to her description of the difficulties encountered, working with the mercurial chefs and the French people whose outlook is so very different from the Canadian take on things.
   She worked 'sous-sol' [in the prep kitchens] and translated for one term, learning even more about the organization from within. We had fun trying to guess who the chefs were, as described in the book, from her encounters related to us during the training and work 'stages'.
   The author's training experiences are very well described, enjoyable reading for foodies, and fun for cooking 'wannabes'. [Think of armchair gardeners who read seed catalogs in the winter]. Her personal life crises and wedding planning are an additional plus in a well told tale. Consider reading Ruhlman's book on training in the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) if you enjoy this shared experience.
   Definitely a book that you will enjoy and recommend to friends.



5. Quick note...I am only halfway through reading this wonderful book and I can't express to you how much I have enjoyed reading every page. I instantly feel my serotonin levels rise every moment I stop to spend a moment in Paris with Kathleen and Mike. I so adore their story and how their adventure began. I admire how Kathleen exposes herself and I find my own spirit gaining courage and confidence as I move toward my own culinary dreams.
   
   Kathleen has a gift for both storytelling and teaching. I have learned quite a bit about the history of the Le Cordon Bleu, Paris and Julia Child. I have in some ways given my soul permission to heal on many of these pages. I use to kick myself for not taking the leap of faith sooner. And then, then I learned more about the great Julia Child. With sigh filled joy, I realize I am normal. It is never too late to be happy.
   
   If you have a passion, be it culinary or being a mogul of some sort. I think you may find this book to be a comforting and uplifting read.

5 comments about Becoming Jane Austen.

1. A well-written, well-researched biography of our beloved, complex spinster. While the book doesn't annoyingly dwell on its far-fetched claim to be the "true love story that inspired the classic novels", it does often try to make some leaps of faith (most notably the weight it places on the character names of novels as evidence). Some of the interpretations of her novels are equally improbable. But this is an engaging, interesting biography woven with Jane's letters and her novels. It is the story not only of her life and her times, but also of the people who surrounded and influenced her. It is a story of how she saw the world, of her complex character, and how the woman in love with marriage chose her novels to be her children. Well worth the read. Grade: B+



2. 
   If you are looking for every detail of Jane Austen's life and works, this is the book for you. For me, there was so much detail that it made for slow reading, but if I was an Austen fanatic (instead of an enthusiast), this would be the book for me.



3. I was skeptical about this book when I got it. But I ended up loving it. The information is presented in a way that makes it very interesting. You get to know more than just Jane, you get to know her family and friends too. I would recommend it to any Jane fan.



4. This is a wonderful book. It also arrived quickly and in perfect condition! Good Work.



5. Very good book---I have read 6 other bios on Jane Austen this book was one
   of the best.

5 comments about Embroideries.

1. I enjoyed this novel, but felt it was more a snack compared to the meaty content of "Persepolis."



2. Funny, heart breaking, insightful look at women in Iran, but could be women anywhere. The author is very good at getting precise meaning and acute issues across with just the right words. My new favorite author.



3. I have read this book several times, it is the funniest Marja Satrapi wrote. If you are a female Middle-Easterner, you will laugh out loud at the stories these ladies share.



4. my purchase of this book was but an afterthought. i only wanted to avail of the free shipping having ordered the two persepolis books. and i was not disappointed. true enough, it gave me a better understanding and appreciation of iranian women. learning a thing or two in the process. yes, their travails are as universal as the other women's. thank you for the endorsement.



5. I was disappointed by Marjane Satrapi's follow up to the fantastic two volume "Persepolis".
   
   In "Embroideries", the setting is an after-dinner tea party between several women of different ages telling their stories abut love and sex. The potential is fantastic to really delve into the beliefs and traditions surrounding these topics. But rather than tell the complete stories with depth, she merely flits over them, so that you get a taste but little substance. She tells the stories of about 7 women in 144 pages, but not narrative pages, comic-book style pages - this, like "Persepolis", is a graphic novel.
   
   While the story left a lot to be desired, the drawings are wonderful. In this book, Satrapi didn't use the panel frames she uses in Persepolis and that are common in graphic novels, the drawings are all over the page, less constrained.
   
   I'll still read her other book about Iran, "Chicken with Plums" and hope that she's returned to her evocative story-telling.
   
   I would recommend the book only to Satrapi fans.

5 comments about A Piece of Cake: A Memoir.

1. Well, Well, Well, What can I say that other reviews haven't. It's a truly inspirational story and it show that if you have the drive the determination you can get whatever it is you want. I thought the line that was most profound for me " I decided the type of seclusion provided by the dumpster would be an ideal place to get high, especially since no one looks for anyone in the trash" This goes to show you the state of mind she was in but once you get to the end of the book you can see how she brought herself up, and she didn't do it alone... She had so many angels that God sent to watch over her and guide her along the way. Cupcake Brown really got it together, the graduation at the end brought me to tears! It just an amazing story that she lived to tell because it's many places in her life that Cupcake could have died. But, God had a plan for her. If you ever think you can't do anything read this book it will give you hope and guidance.



2. I read this book and I was absolutely shocked...I'm still reading it but it is really shocking so far..I recommend this book to everyone!!



3. I read this book over a year ago and highly recommend it.
   
   It is an inspirational story portraying strength, courage and determination.
   
   What irked me throughout this book was how the system failed her and in my opinion was ultimately responsible for the path that she followed. If only she was able to live with her father or uncle even, she may have experienced a normal childhood. After reading about her earlier years and what she endured it is no wonder she followed the path that she did.
   
   Just as she reaches rock bottom she takes a glimpse of her skinny self and realises her life needs to change. Not only does she get clean, she gets an education and is now working as an attorney in a top law firm. She also makes some valuable friendships on the way.
   
   It is good to read stories like this from time to time as it helps to put a different perspective on those living on the streets and not just tar them all with the same brush and assume that they have choices and want to be there.



4. While reading this book, I found myself fascinated by the obstacles this woman has overcome in her life. By the book's end, I found myself questioning several aspects. I'm not sure how the author was able to recall so vividly the details that this story goes into. With the amount and number of years that the author consumed hard drugs and alcohol, I doubt if these details were actually remembered. However, I am not against a bit of poetic license to ensure the story flows and the meaning gets across.
   
   But...also by the book's end, I found the racial incriminations to be a bit tiresome. It would have been more striking if the author had taken more responsibility for her own actions and behaviors. While those actions are understandable given the circumstances, everyone has choices. To cast blame and set aside personal responsibility in order to play the race card is deplorable. While her race most certainly affected many aspects of her life to some degree, it is still not the main issue. When she shows up late or not at all to work day after day, and when she does show up, she is drunk, high, unbathed, and unable to perform her duties, then that is the reason she is fired, not because of her race.
   
   The book would have been more inspiring if the author had taken complete responsibility instead of elevating minor issues to a priority status. This book only encourages an attitude that we are currently fighting against in the country. That someone else is always to blame.
   
   Most likely, I would not recommend this book. While her achievements are wonderful, there are many other stories that better describe overcoming adversity than this one. By the time I had read 2/3 of this book, it was leaving a bad taste in my eyes!



5. This woman has risen above some terrible circumstances;I agree to this fact 100%, but with that being said her editor should have really taken a red pen to this horrible writing style. Considering Cupcake is now a lawyer I would think she would be a stronger writer? Also, something about her story feels exaggerated, as if they exploited her life even more. Overall there are a few golden moments in the book but many key characters are never fully developed or simply disappear leaving a lot of unanswered questions.

5 comments about A Room of One's Own.

1. I found it tedious to read in spite of the high literary reputation and ability of Virginia Woolf. There must be something lacking in me.
   
   Edward Cook



2. Virginia Woolf in her best form - personal but not self-centred, concentrated and ready to fight for what she believes is right. This long essay gives her views on the position of women in literature but offers also an overview of their role through centuries - from the imaginary Shakespeare's sister to her contemporaries. A must read for all readers regardless of sex!



3. after i ordered this book, the distributors let me know instantly that they no longer had the book on shelf, and instantly refunded my account. speedy service is one thing, but keeping the customer informed is another...thanks



4. A timeless essay not only for women. Good hard binding that will keep. It's a must have if you like English literature.



5. This is a beautifully written and highly enjoyable exploration of the history of women in writing. It is also a plea for the liberation of women, and their full entrance into the world of Literature. Woolf argues that a woman needs financial independence, a room , that is a space of her own, if she is to be able to truly create. She also needs the kind of access to everyday life that women confined to hearth and home were as she sees it, traditionally denied.
   She urges that Woman enter into all fields of writing, and develop in directions they had no opportunity to develop in before.
   She also perhaps reflecting on her own experience and nature argues for the androgynous nature of the creator, seeing in Shakespeare, Keats and certainly Proust a strong feminine element.
   Woolf anticipates and perhaps in some sense helps creates the vast flourishing of Literature written by women which will come in the decades after her.

No comments about Breathing the Fire.

5 comments about A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom From an Unconventional Woman.

1. I first "met" Joan Anderson in her book, A Year By the Sea. I was in awe of this woman who took a hiatus from her marriage, moved to the solitude of a life on Cape Cod and took the time to really get to know herself.
   
   Her second book, An Unfinished Marriage, was a continuation of her journey, as she shared the story of how her husband eventually joined her in Cape Cod.
   
   Not surprisingly, the third book in this trilogy, A Walk On the Beach, was an uncommon delight. I wasn't quite sure what else Ms. Anderson could share about her Cape Cod experience. I was soon to find out there was a lot left to tell.
   
   Her first book in the trilogy will always be my favorite, but "A Walk On the Beach" ranks right up there with it. We are transported back to many of the same scenes we read about in "A Year By the Sea", but we learn of a remarkable friendship that began in an otherwise isolated period of the author's life.
   
   On a foggy day, we walk with Ms. Anderson onto a jetty overlooking the ocean. There we are introduced to Joan Erikson--a writer and the wife of pioneering psychoanalyst Erik Erikson.
   
   In the pages that follow, we are allowed a glimpse into the "Tales of Wisdom From An Unconventional Woman" (the subtitle of the book).
   
   "The beach to me is a sacred zone between the earth and the sea, one of those in-between places where transitions can be experienced--where endings can be mourned and beginnings birthed. A walk along the beach offers the gift of the unexpected. Scan the horizon and glimpse the endelss possibilities. Stroll head down and encounter one natural treasure after another. Tease the tides and feel a sense of adventure. Dive into the surf and experience the rush of risk."
   
   From the Prologue:
   
   "One of the most significant gifts the beach has given me was Joan Erikson, an elderly woman whom I met accidentally on a foggy February day. She was to prod me to find myself again, even when I thought all was lost."
   
   In her prologue, Ms. Anderson tells us that she hopes the readers of this book will be mentored by some of Joan Erikson's wisdom in much the same way she was mentored by the woman who used to say "The important thing is to share what you know. Be generative and pass it on. That is what makes all the difference."
   
   To read this book is to discover validation of the desire to find true wisdom and inner awareness. To savor this book is to be enriched by the uncommon wisdom of a remarkable woman and to experience the sheer joy of a friendship extroidinaire.
   
   by Lee Ambrose
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



2. Scrambling along rocks on a Cape Cod beach, following the sound of a foghorn, Joan Anderson suddenly finds herself almost nose-to-nose with an old woman she doesn't know. The stranger turns out to be Joan Erikson, wife of psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. Feeling an immediate connnection, the two Joans rapidly become close companions.
   
   Joan Anderson has come to the Cape, running away from home, to re-evaluate her marriage and the direction of her life. Always a people-pleaser, she now feels exhausted and confused, no longer fulfilled by family or her career as the author of children's books.
   
   Seeking a small town nursing home where her husband will receive attentive care during his final days, Joan Erikson has relocated to the same town. Her running-away came years ago when she went, a young girl alone, to Europe to dance with Isadora Duncan, at a time when such things simply weren't done.
   
   Anderson's book is the account of the two women's blossoming friendship and the lessons they learn from one another. She recounts a multitude of conversations which took place as they go about their daily activities, walking the beaches, weaving cloth to represent the stages of their lives, sharing meals and ideas.
   
   Erikson urges Anderson to make time for play in her life each day, to get out of her head and into her body. Now in her nineties, she demonstrates the benefits of keeping one's body machinery well-functioning. The friendship reinvigorates her and she excitedly begins to rework and build on the pioneering work on life stages she shared with her husband.
   
   Meanwhile Anderson grows in confidence and clarity of purpose to the point that she can hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, a feat that would have been impossible for her before. She walks back into her marriage but as a changed person, more independent, more aware of who she is and the person she wants to become.
   
   Erikson quotes a Japanese scholar: In order not to fail in the end, you have to be dependent on yourself, and know that you can handle things, and most importantly, bring a little humor into the despair. Lightness, imagination, flexibility-these are the things that go into making a new start.
   
   And so, make a new start they do, each growing from the other, becoming stronger and more vibrant in the process.



3. Overall, the book is worth reading. And although I appreciate the relationship and deep friendship portrayed, it does tend to go overboard and become sappy at times.



4. Joan Anderson captures a woman's heart and soul. This a book for any woman who is searching to find herself and her place in the world. I feel my life has been enriched by reading this lovely story. Joan Erickson is the wise woman we all long to sit at the feet of and perhaps some day become. I have bought copies for all my women friends. Thank you Joan Anderson for sharing your story and Friendship with Joan Erickson with the world!



5. Sure its a "silly" little book about two women trying to get on with their lives with a little joy and self-direction. It is a testament to our "enlightenment" that the steps of re-tooling to the downhill road of life are possible to portray in light, even joyful movements. It might have been "important" for Erik Erikson to come up with the big picture of the 8 stages, but for us old people the stagecoach keeps moving, often in areas not exactly friendly. So Joan Erikson's 9th stage is a real blessing to us, even if the dance in gerotrancendance has overtones of Shakespeare's stages. At least it is not the somber of Shakespeare, and even the 10th stage (that of poor Erik as silent nursing home patient) has a bit of joy in the narrative. As a nursing home chaplain, I wanted to be in the narrative, it was so inviting!

5 comments about Girl, Interrupted.

1. Girl, Interrupted is a pretty basic book. The author did not delve too deeply into her own depression or accompanying emotions. The writing seemed very basic, and it did not force me to think. I think that the author left a lot of things out-too many things out. I loved the movie, though.



2. This memoir, I must admit is quite a boring read. I watched the movie first, which some say is a travesty, but honestly, I believe if I had read the book first, I would not have wanted to watch the movie. The book is dull and lifeless and jumps around too much.
   
   Although, this is a mimick of the illness she faced during her stay, it can be annoying to the reader. There is no indication of how close she was to any of the girls she befriended during her stay, although at the end you witness some closeness between Susanna and one of the girls that managed to get out, there is not a powerful pull here.
   
   This is not a very englightening read. I suggest you skip reading this book and read something like Prozac Nation instead. Or, just watch the movie for this book, it's definitely better even if the events are not true.



3. I don't knwo what all the fuss is about this book. I read it as an assignment and forced myself to finish it despite the overwhelming dullness present in this book. Funny parts? One. Cruelty the author is subject to? being forced to take pills. Maybe this book would be more interesting to a psychology student or such, but to an average reader it's a 160 page essay on mental illness. Boring, overinflated and melodramatic was how this book came through to me.



4. You know how people always say the book was better than the movie? White Oleander, Prozac Nation, Catch Me if You Can.... this is the first time that I've ever said the movie was better--- so so so much better--- than the book. It's a quick read: a little bit of text stretched out and the margins increased and the chapters are infantile. I never felt like we got that good of an understanding of anyone though, and through the whole book, it seemed like Susanna Kaysen didn't feel like she even needed to be there, and her writing makes it sound like she still doesn't think she needed to be there. I never understood what was wrong with her. Definitely watch the movie. If you must read the book, borrow it.



5. I tried reading this book three times and each time I disliked something else about it. So, now I have given up for sure.

5 comments about The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn.

1. From all the books I've ready about Anne Boleyn, this is by the far the best in all aspects. Ives really gives the reader an inside glimpse as to who Anne Boleyn was and not just known as the second Queen of England that brought down Katherine of Aragon and was beheaded. I would recommend this book highly to any avid readers of Tudor history. Excellent, factual and well-researched!



2. Eric Ives's book about Anne Boleyn is absolutely the best study of her life and death I have ever read -- and I've read quite a few. Finally, Henry VIII's rejection of his "entirely beloved wife" makes sense, given the whole story of Anne's involvement with the religious reformers; the factions at court; and the loss of power that Thomas Cromwell faced because of her. Ives's depiction of Cromwell's engineering of Anne's arrest reads like a thriller. It was not as simple as Henry's wandering eye and Anne's "miscarriage of her savior". A very complex and moving book.
   
   Caitlin Scott-Turner
   (author, The Queen's Fencer)The Queen's Fencer



3. I think that this book was very infomative. I didn't need to do anymore research to find the answers I was looking for. This book had it all.



4. It has been very tempting for many Boleyn biographers to paint Anne as a feminist icon and victim of male power. It has been equally tempting in other generations to paint her as a conniving, power hungry witch who brought about her own donwfall and whose only value was sex-object and mother of one of England's greatest rulers. The truth one might rightly suspect lies somewhere in the middle. Ives gives us enough information-- at times, too much-- to find that middle ground, exploring not just Anne's family and social roots but the development of her tastes, values and beliefs. There can be no doubt Anne did plenty of scheming and had a thirst for prestige and power, and did not hesitate to wield it once she had it. But she was also a highly educated, engaging and interesting Renaissance woman, bringing the sophistications of the Continental Renaissance to the English court, a court which was in many ways, still Medieval in a world that had long passed into the era of "New Learning" and scientific exploration. There are rather extensive lists of her belongings, friends, writings, but that is what one would expect in a thorough study such as this (the most thorough yet done in all likelihood). Some of these listings might be better suited to an appendix rather than contained in the text but that was for editors to decide and one assumes they made their choices for informed reasons. And throught this dense documentation Anne emerges not as a stock Renaissance Comedia character, colored of one mood or dimension, but as a complex human being with the same appetites as any of us. And like any of us she is by turns infuriating, admirable, pitiable, likeable and annoying. In the end she proves tragic, but brave: after being offered a way out of her death sentence by the king himself, she goes to the scaffold and the swordsman rather than disinherit her blood and admit to any wrongdoing. If you've an interest in this period, and in this Court in particular, this is a biography worth owning.



5. It is impossible for me to ignore the impressive amount of scholarship, reasearch, time, thought, and effort that went into this book. Mr. Ives has no doubt done a service to Anne Boleyn Scholars. HOwever, the book is nearly impossible to read. Mr Ive's introduces many ancedotes into his narratives, which he then proceeds to argue are apocryphal, and then sometimes states they could be true after all. This makes it hard to understand his point, especially when he repeateadly uses words like might, perhaps, and maybe. But the worse thing about this book is that ignores, or dismisses other respectable scholarship on his subject matter as, "nonsene." He sometimes presents things as history, which are as a point of fact a matter of scholarly debate, and the footnotes demonstrate that his arguments are not always as sound as he would make them appear.
   Most specifically he dismisses the work of Harvard scholar Reetha M. Warnicke, who wrote a fascinating biography of the same subject called, "The Life and Death of ANne Boleyn." He needs to tell us when historical ideas are in dispute. His language can also be pretentious at times. (E.g. the repeated use of the word of rusticated.)