5 comments about You'll Never Make Love in This Town Again.

1. This book can't decide if it is Celebrity Gossip or anti-prostitution.
   
   While starting out with a blurb from someone writing about the terrible world of women being dragged down into prostitution, the girls go on talking about their jobs with the calmness of a fast-food worker talking about his job. The women ramble on for pages and pages about the gifts they got and the free shopping sprees, and they would even talk about the sex in a non-committal way. For some of them, it only seems like they felt like they were wronged when they were spurned by their "boyfriends".
   
   Don't get me wrong, that world really does chew up women and spit them out. It's just this book does a really inconsistent job of pointing that out to readers.



2. Despite the promise of "honest reflection" and that "this is the book from which Hollywood will never recover" (from the front flap) it is nothing but trash. I never would have bought it (it was a library book) and strongly discourage anyone else from doing so. (Money talks.) Sadly, this book is yet another way that these women have disrespected themselves.



3. A very entertaining book, but not very thought-provoking and extremely biased. I've lived in Hollywood and I can tell you that not every little girl is a victim. None of these ho's would complain if Brad Pitt offered them a million dollars to sleep with them. But instead they hook up with socially inept, awkward and immature power players whose only crime is not having the time or the skills to romance a lady properly whether or not those biatches deserves it. And most of the no-talent gold-diggers who publish tell all novels don't.
   
   T. L. Young



4. I walked away from this book with conflicting views about it and its contents.
   On one hand, I felt very sorry for the girls about some of the experiences they had, but one of the girls still seemed somewhat smug about the sexual experiences she had with certain celebrities and considering the fact that she said she had suffered so much , that kind of dampened the effect of the horrific things she went through.
   Another thing is that 3 of the girls kept going on in their sections about how sexy and beautiful they were or how hot their bodies were or how hot and sexy they looked at any given moment.
   
   I'm sure that they are all beautiful girls-I think its a given that prostitutes to the stars would have to be very attractive-it got kind of grating hearing it repeated over and over again.
   
   I think its sad the way they allowed themselves to be used and degraded for so long , but I do admire them for writing this book as a cautionary tale for young women though.
   
   Although every girls story was a sad one,Liza stirred my sympathy the most.
   I hope they are all doing well now.



5. I didn't buy this book, but read it quickly at the local thrift shop. I felt sorry for these girls when I started reading this book, but the feeling mostly left me near the end of it. These girls wanted to be famous,rich and successful in Hollywood. I believe one should follow his or her dreams, but do so wisely. The key word here is wisely. To make it in Hollywood or anywhere else you need talent, hard work and persistence. Hollywood is a buisness and they are not going to hire people who will not make them money. Thats the bottom line truth. You dont make it in Hollywood or anywhere else by offering sexual favors and being used. All you end up with is a loss of dignity, anger and mental scars. What is telling about this account is how these girls seemed to enjoy what they were doing. They endured some traumatic situations but they never left doing sexual favors. This is what makes me think it was written more for sex appeal than truth. No one is stopping these girls from getting out of this nightmare. They could have packed up and left town, gone to school, gotten help from drug rehabs in L.A. and other alternatives. Instead they go from one rotten experience to the other. I dont buy their claim they couldnt get out because they were feeding their drug habit. They eventually got out. So why not sooner than later? Their stories come out as mostly self indulgent. That is, I can't get what I want, so I'm going to turn to prostitution and drugs. Its only after a lot of horrible experiences that they decide to lead a normal life. This implies they would do anything to make it in Hollywood and when all else fails, they stoop to lead a normal life. This is why it comes off as sounding mostly pathetic. What stunned me somewhat is the arrogance of these "celebrities." Its ironic that these celebrities are used by groupies and the media among others for their own ends. Groupies sleep with them for example, to get bragging rights. They couldn't care less about them. Thats why they're one night stands. I know about Hollywood, having been involved with it in one way or another. I won't say more than that. If you can't make it in hollywood then do the smart thing and GET OUT! At least you will save your dignity and sanity. You won't waste your time in dealing with bottom feeders and sharks.

5 comments about Riding in Cars with Boys: Confessions of a Bad Girl Who Makes Good.

1. I agree with a previous reviewer. This book -- like many books these days -- could have used a few more drafts. I expected more from Beverly D'Onofrio ... and I really wanted to like this book. I grew up near D'Onofrio around the same time. So, I enjoyed reading about that time and place. But Ms. D'Onofrio could have gone deeper. She wrote about all her wildness, drinking, drug abuse. But what got her out of all that? Just going to college? Just growing up? I wanted more. Plus, I didn't think the writing was very good.
   
   I think part of the problem with a lot of books these days is that publishing houses don't have the staff they used to. So, writers really do not get edited like they used to. Books are being released when really they could use two or three (or more) drafts.



2. Riding in Cars with Boys is a great, easy and fun read. Beverly Donofrio really captures what its like to be in a "bad" situation. Her teen pregnancy, teen marriage, and teen divorce really make you think about your life and how tough it actually could be. What was thought to be her worst mistake (her son), ended up being the best. This book really touches you with humor, sadness, and reality. The ending really gives you hope that you can do whatever you want in life, and there really is nothing that can stop you! This really is a great book!



3. Let me first say that I think the author has a compelling story and potential as a writer, but she does not do her own story justice. Since Ms Donofrio has an MFA in creative writing from a top school, I expected a more polished book, instead I found myself wishing that she had slowed down and written a few more drafts and added a round or two of copyediting before releasing this book.
   
   Aside from the many technical missteps, what bothered me the most was the author's apparent lack of insight about her own actions and motivation, which is an important part of autobiography. She portrays herself as an anti-authoritarian pleasure-seeker with no deep or complex feelings for anyone, including herself. We never get to see her learn from her mistakes or grow emotionally.
   
   Apparently trying to place some blame for her many troubles, the author takes a couple vague and random potshots at her family (especially her brother and father) but is unconvincing because her characterizations of her family are too shallow (father - cop; brother - cop; mother - housewife; sisters - who knows?) Taking some time to show more of the interaction between the family members would have helped to reveal the deep family dynamics and add weight to her story.
   
   I was particularly bothered by her depiction of her relationship with her son, which in the first several years bordered on neglectful, and later seemed overly codependent. She says at one point that this is because she was so young when she gave birth (although 18 is not that young) and that they were "children" together. It doesn't seem as though she had any perspective on her role as a mother.
   
   Instead, what I read was the chaotic story of an angry, rebellious teenager and promiscuous, irresponsible young mother who gets a chance to attend two prestigious universities, but continues to have self-destructive tendencies and no understanding of herself. At the end of this litany of troubles, she congratulates herself on the fact that she obtained two college degrees and managed to get her son off to college. End of story.
   
   At least, that's all her book tells us. Did she ever find peace within herself? Does she understand who she is and why her life turned out the way it did? Does she have hopes and plans for the future? I would like to have known more and I'm sure there IS more to her story. The author was unafraid of revealing her youthful excesses and calamities; but it takes more than raw bravado to tell the more revealing story that unfolds in the heart. Who knows, maybe a few years down the road, Ms Donofrio, having honed her writing skills and learned to understand herself better, will come out with a sequel that will be more developed and insightful, and thus more satisfying to read.



4. This is a great book! An easy, entertaining read. My mistake was reading in bed at night, ending up staying up way too late!
   
   The author puts her readers in the "cars" with her as she tell about her life.
   
   It is a terrific read!



5. This was probably one of the best stories for women, I have ever read. I don't think there is a woman out there who couldn't relate to what this girl/woman went through in her life. The way this woman pursued her dreams no matter what life dished out to her. How she came to realize the things she was doing wrong without someone constantly telling her, even though they did, and how she took credit for the things she did right. Fantastic read!

5 comments about Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy.

1. I was really torn between a two or a three on this one. I stuck with the two. I will start with the good side. Lindsay has a refreshing writing style. Her wit makes it a fun read. But this is not the biography of an intelligence insider. Moreover, such a person would never write a book like this. With the exception of some descriptive details about the CIA bootcamp (which appears to be about as challenging as the boot camp phase of any of our nation's military academies), there was not a whole lot of new information to be found. And much like the rookie cadet who may have gotten more than she bargained for, Lindsay finds herself out of her element but manages to pull through. My sympathy level is low. While she complains about being sleep deprived, as occurs in many real military training scenarios, she and her buddies prefer to make prank calls rather than grab a cat nap in the corner. She comes across as a debutante in boot camp. I would recommend this book as a primer to anyone who is considering (seriously or not) applying to the CIA. But anyone who is looking for inside information on the workings, procedures, or techniques of the Agency should look elsewhere. In fact, they may not even be available in any unclassified form.



2. Quirky autobiography of Ivy League overachiever's venture into the CIA sometimes borders on pretentious and annoying, but the writer's self-deprecating sense of humor and humility keeps it grounded.
   
   As a case officer, she recruits foreigners to provide information, not actually spying herself, a distinction which erases Moran's fiction-driven misconceptions while raising ethical dilemmas about providing money and other inducement to convince desperate people to rat on their own countries.
   
   In the end, the failure of the CIA to detect, predict, or prevent September 11, and the unwillingness of the CIA to redirect its activities in the aftermath, drive Moran to realize the purposelessness of the dislocation of her whole life for this career. Hence, her leaving, and this book, the second I have read recently which tell a similar story from different gender and personality standpoints (see review of Overworld: The Life and Times of A Reluctant Spy by Larry J. Kolb). In fact, in retrospect, Moran's more matter-of-fact telling confirms the essential truth of Larry Kolb's overwrought story.



3. I've read a few non fiction spy novels, and this by far, had to be the worst one; I kept on waiting for the action to occur, but it never did; probably the most interesting part of the book is towards the end, when the author talks about how she and colleagues felt about 9/11. Normally I can read a book in a day or a week, but this one took me over a month as the story was not captivating enough for me; as far as being a funny book, I did laugh a couple of times about the eastern european lifestyle, as it brought me back a few memories of the homeland living. I must admit that at least the author is honest enough to admit that taxpayer money is being wasted in following dead leads.



4. I am fascinated by the split reviews here. They read like a David Brooks column on what is dividing America.
   
   I am on the "fan" side of this book. Mainly because the book is honest, and what else counts? She could have easily have written a book that tries to make herself look better, or read like a scholarly assessment of the CIA, but there are plenty such books and such scholarship. Perhaps that is what some of the readers were expecting, but you have to, in my mind, judge a book by what it was trying to do. She was trying to give an honest account of her life in the CIA, and that's what you get. If she was thinking about who she wanted to date - well, people do actually spend time thinking about that kind of thing.
   
   The people who think they are better prose stylists that Lindsay Moran are free to have their preferences but are obviously over their heads. She may not be Nabakov but the prose has a light flow and gentle honesty. As most readers remarked, they read the book in a single sitting. Writing that kind of prose is actually alot harder than it looks. Try it sometime.
   
   My criticism, if that is what it is, is that the book really is a bit too light, a CIA croissant of sorts. I suspect the publishers and the editors had a role in this - they have too much a tendency to shove books into categories, and here Devil Wears Prada and similar books were probably in mind. Like some, I would have liked a little more analysis or insight into actually reforming the CIA -- it all is shoved in at the end, and far too quickly.
   
   But then again roughly its all there for you to figure out: too much spending on wasteful projects, too much of the means replacing the ends (like the number of agents being taken as more important that quality), and too much ease of manipulation by the Administration.
   
   Finally as for those who this Lindsay was disloyal or unappreciative, she is honest: she could easily have made more money and had much more freedom in various other careers. Since when is wanting to go to fun parties in your 20s unnatural or a sign that you're a bad person? Last time I checked James Bond made it to plenty of parties --
   
   In fact from this book it seems to me obvious the CIA will have trouble recruiting independent thinkers and some of the most talented people in the U.S. given how unattractive the job is, comparatively.



5. Oh lordy. That book was bad. Really, really bad. It's taken me a week to stop gnashing my teeth over the fact that anyone can get a book deal if they have a semblance of a story in which the mouth-breathing masses will be interested.
   
   She's a *horrible* writer! No amount of repeating that her Harvard professor told her she'd be doing public service by writing will change that. Nuggets of gold that just drove me nuts include lines such as "The singing, dancing, and hugging multicolored creatures were incongruous, not to mention distracting" or "I half expected to find a flask of Jack Daniels in my own butt crack when I went to bed that night." I'd like to point out the use of the word "incongruous" is incongruous in that sentence! (She was talking about Teletubbies.)
   
   But worse than the bad prose was the terrible structure. Granted, memoirs are difficult to write. And I can only guess that writing them about an something that you need to be somewhat circumspect about can be tricky. But there were gaping flaws in the actual structure. Take, for example, the "nemesis" in the book, Jin Suk. "...I became JS's unwilling nemesis, our polar personalities simultaneously drawing us together and pushing us apart."
   
   Ah ha! I thought when I read this sentence. Now, finally, the conflict will begin. There will be some interesting dialog. Some descriptive language about the psyche of other people. A give and take between two characters. However, the payout never comes. In order for the author to be the unwilling nemesis, she must be someone who cannot be bested or overcome. That would assume that JS is trying to overcome the author. I expect to see fierce competition, hand-to-hand combat, girl fights in the middle of the night in the bathroom. But JS isn't like this. And the relationship, if there even is one, isn't such that even a nasty comment is made.
   
   The author reference's JS driving off the road into a ditch, but not trying to drive the author off the road. She describes JS as going into a meditative state under a tree, another time. Doesn't seem too awful to me. In the end, the author doesn't best JS--she finishes second to her. And later, JS sends a friendly letter to the author, who treats it with sarcasm and disdain.
   
   In the end, the author can only describe JS as "sitting as though she has a teacup on her head." I misread it, however, and thought she said that JS *HAD* a teacup on her head. "Now that's just going too far!" I thought to myself, "It's ridiculous that this perfectly normal person would have a teacup on her head!"
   
   The author sets us up to believe she's going to be someone who can't help excelling beyond her classmate, and that the classmate will be nasty and snarly about it. In all truth, JS is the author's unwilling nemesis. JS seems not to notice the author's jealousy--or, if she does, she doesn't respond to it.
   
   Throughout the book we see just how immature the author is. "I have a hard job and I miss my private life of boozing and carousing, wah!" she seems to complain throughout. Instead of behaving like a mature adult learning how to seriously work towards securing knowledge, she whines about not being able to do what most kids did during their college years. Seriously--she sounds like I did when I was 22!
   
   Anyway, it was a rotten book. It was only because I was sick in bed that I finished it. I figured if I was throwing up anyway, I might as well read it.

No comments about Sanity and Grace.

4 comments about Spider Eaters: A Memoir.

1. After reading "Spider Eaters" and several books like it ("Son of the revolution", "A Woman's ordeal", "Troublemaker".. ect) I wasn't Sure how to review this one. "Spider Eaters" is a much more complex memoir than the others. "Spider Eaters" does not have the simple emotional punch of other memoirs in it's class yet as a memoir it works well. As a first person acount of mordern China it works well but the book is so much more than just a personal History. Spider Eaters is probably best described as a personal psychologial drama.

   How does a poor little rich girl survive the mental abuse that is the demonicaly inspired communism of mordern day china? How does a girl with dreams and aspirations of any little girl suppress those dreams and thoughts when they conflict with the strict communist party line and exposing them can mean ruin?

   Rae Yang first creates a fantasy hero, an almost Christ like figure who resuces the poor stands up for the wokers even to the point of death. Later when "politicaly correect" she transfers that figure to Chairman Moa and ultimately begins to see herself as that figure. A Savior who is betrayed by those she loved. Later still while living in the US she must find ways to reconcile all the various personalities into one functioning adult. A psychologist could have a field day with this book. Spider Eaters to me is a frighting look at the damage Communism can do to the minds of those it inslaves, and how a person can cope once freed of it's grasp.




2. "Spider Eaters" is an interesting and creative title and well matches the contents. This is a most fascinating and moving memoir. I have read several autobiographies written about the beginnings of Communism in China and the Cultural Revolution, and this is by far one of the best. Many such books these days are advertised as "belonging on the shelf next to Wild Swans". I've always felt such claims are exaggerated as Wild Swans for me was quite exceptional. But Spider Eaters truly does deserve to be in the same category.

   Having just finished "Life and Death in Shanghai" by Nien Cheng prior to "Spider Eaters" I found reading the other side of the coin intriguing. Nien Cheng was imprisoned for six and a half years in solitary confinement, accused of being a British spy as she had worked for Shell company. Her beautiful home and belongings were trashed by the Red Guards. Then I read Rae Yang's account of her experience as a Red Guard. She was responsible for persecuting such bourgeois "Capitalist Roaders" as Nien Cheng. I am sure that both these women would like, admire and respect each other if ever they had met, and yet during these times they were class enemies. How sad.

   If the author should read this review, I would like to thank you so much for your wonderful honesty in relating not just the events of your life, but also your thoughts and dreams. I was reluctant to finish your book as I felt I had come to know you so well. What I read almost felt like a personal letter. Your book is wonderful reading and it has long stayed on my mind. It stirred my emotions deeply. And can I just say, that I am so glad you came to love your pigs. I especially warmed to you when I read of your feelings for them and your sense of betrayal when they were sent to be slaughtered. I would have felt exactly the same. I understood completely and you certainly wouldn't have been a laughing stock to me had I been present.

   I discovered Spider Eaters through Amazon and am disappointed that more have not reviewed it. Spider Eaters is far more than a memoir. It is also a literary delight. Extremely well worth reading!




3. Spider Eaters is a haunting and lyrical memoir of a young girl growing up during China's most violent and provocative days. Rae Yang tells a little told story of the inside view of the Cultural Revolution, Nationalist politics and the ties between men and women in her old country. The mastery of this story, is that Yang concentrates less on the history of China, but the effect of that history on it's people. She write about how the cadre's children were supposed to sympathize completely with the working class, however, how could they do that when at every chance, Yang describes them as being completely isolated from the reality of such poverty. Communism at it's height, anyone accused of speaking, or even thinking, words against the Party, could be imprisoned, tortured and/or killed. Society looked down upon selfishness and the ego. Yang's description gives us the picture of a girl torn between two worlds, between herself and her loyalty to the Party, between her loyalty to the Party and her loyalty to her parents and friends, between respect for authority and contempt for such high-handed practices as "campaigns." When the Cultural Revolution begins, Yang's story of a lost girl continues as she turns on those who had been her peers and mentors, becoming the evil that she had unconsciously fought against all her life. This story is meaningful and eerie, in that it describes fully the effect of political influence on the youth, their power over the rest of the world, and their power to change society itself. However, it better describes what this mistreatment of young people can lead to-a burden of guilt and pain surround Yang's words, a guilt that past practices continue to make her unable to fully describe, although she is not permitted to. Her real thoughts are muddled and unclear throughout the novel, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions--a hardy, but somewhat annoying task. The real interest is in her thoughts, not what we believe about the circumstance. All in all, this book is a beautiful and eloquent novel, highly recommended to anyone interested in Chinese culture.



4. Spider Eaters is a haunting and lyrical memoir of a young girl growing up during China's most violent and provocative days. Rae Yang tells a little told story of the inside view of the Cultural Revolution, Nationalist politics and the ties between men and women in her old country. The mastery of this story, is that Yang concentrates less on the history of China, but the effect of that history on it's people. She write about how the cadre's children were supposed to sympathize completely with the working class, however, how could they do that when at every chance, Yang describes them as being completely isolated from the reality of such poverty. Communism at it's height, anyone accused of speaking, or even thinking, words against the Party, could be imprisoned, tortured and/or killed. Society looked down upon selfishness and the ego. Yang's description gives us the picture of a girl torn between two worlds, between herself and her loyalty to the Party, between her loyalty to the Party and her loyalty to her parents and friends, between respect for authority and contempt for such high-handed practices as "campaigns." When the Cultural Revolution begins, Yang's story of a lost girl continues as she turns on those who had been her peers and mentors, becoming the evil that she had unconsciously fought against all her life. This story is meaningful and eerie, in that it describes fully the effect of political influence on the youth, their power over the rest of the world, and their power to change society itself. However, it better describes what this mistreatment of young people can lead to-a burden of guilt and pain surround Yang's words, a guilt that past practices continue to make her unable to fully describe, although she is not permitted to. Her real thoughts are muddled and unclear throughout the novel, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions--a hardy, but somewhat annoying task. The real interest is in her thoughts, not what we believe about the circumstance. All in all, this book is a beautiful and eloquent novel, highly recommended to anyone interested in Chinese culture.

5 comments about Joan: The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint.

1. Donald Spoto's Joan of Arc is powerfully written. The book addresses her early life as the daughter of a relatively prosperous farmer, her great piety, and, of course, the voices that she followed. Spoto describes earlier women who were believed to have been on divine missions and medieval beliefs regarding angels.
   
   Spoto chronicles Joan's journey to the Dauphin's court and her successes at Orleans and Reims. He debunks the commonly accepted view that Joan's role was only inspirational: she actively led soldiers in battle (twice wounded) and helped draw up battle plans. Yet, she never personally killed an English soldier and would weep when she learned of English war deaths.
   
   The treachery of Charles VII is well known and is reviewed by Spoto. That Charles did nothing to secure Joan's release remains beyond belief.
   
   The puppet master at the interrogation and trial, Bishop Pierre Cauchon, is brilliantly portrayed, as is the whole sham tribunal. Joan's ability to match wits with the "learned" men who mercilessly interrogated her is, itself, a miracle.
   
   Refreshingly, the author makes clear his own deep religious convictions throughout the carefully researched text.
   
   This is a good, concise biography. Highly recommended for anyone who has any interest in keeping alive Joan's memory.



2. "Joan: The Mysterious Life" provided a chronological descripton of Joan's short life in a way that made her very human and compelling. This book provided great historical perspectives that gave insights into the possible thoughts and motivations of Joan, her supporters and her enemies - I learned a good deal about the French and English situations and ambitions in the early 15th century, and of the Church - enough to especially dislike the betrayal of Charles VII in failing to rescue the very person that gave him the crown and effectively saved France. It was emotionally involving, the things many people will do for money and power -- contrasting so sharply with the self-less, faith filled purity and purpose of Joan. Not that faith makes a differnce here to me (and the book does not take on the debate if Joan's visons were revealtions from God or not - only correctly suggests that Joan believed them them so, and this was enough), but Joan's purpose was decribed in such a way that reveals that her motives were indeed inspired and are inspiring.
   
   To provide more understanding, I also just finished "Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc" which got 5 stars as opposed to this book's 4. "The Mysterious Life" presented Joan with much more personality and insight, "Myth" was more like a flat list of Joans' actions and activities by comparison.



3. Donald Spoto takes a departure from the pop-culture biography and applies his efforts toward the life of a young woman whose name is recognized by practically everyone, but whose life, although very well documented, has been perpetuated with myth and mysticism. There is something about Joan of Arc that that draws affection and devotion from people, something beyond her remarkable exploits--something about Joan herself. As Spoto tells her story, he avoids the mythological and mystical: he does not dwell on the provenance of her sword, her seemingly divine ability to have been able to recognize the dauphin Charles, or the sudden change of wind at Orleans. He focuses instead upon the girl, in language that is often poignant and revealingly endearing.
   
   For those who have studied Joan's life, through countless books, films, poems and plays, Spoto's take will read with the freshness of clean mountain air. Those who are just now taking up Joan's life (and especially those who have only seen the movies) will probably benefit more from Spoto's telling than any other available account. He embeds a chronology into the story, sometimes a day-by-day account, which helps the reader to comprehend events. He applies some of his own translations, which helps to clarify some of the fuzzier aspects of Joan's popular interpretation, and he includes some key details that are often overlooked, such as the unrelated deaths of Joan's older brother and sister, that two other brothers joined her during her campaigns, that her mother and father met her at Reims, and that her family was in Rouen during her imprisonment and execution. These are small details, but make for a more thorough story while eliminating the embellishments that have given rise to so much mythology. Spoto shows that Joan's factual life is much more compelling than her mythological life.



4. Spoto's picture of Joan is of a brave, patriotic, spiritual girl who followed what she believed to be God's will.
   
   His descriptions of her months of loneliness, terror and suffering -- chained in a dark dungeon and nearly starving -- and the disgraceful and dishonest onslaught from her tormentors will touch even a Joan skeptic.
   
   Spoto's message: 1) God is against imperialism; and 2) He often sends the least likely person to do the job (in this case, defending the French nation and culture from English invasion).
   
   Spoto's writing is lively, and he doesn't try to hide his admiration for this teenaged girl or his religious sensibilities. It is not a sermon, though, but an enthralling biography that makes a good introduction to Joan of Arc or adds to the understanding of those whom she continues to fascinate nearly six hundred years after her execution.



5. Having seen several films on her life, I wanted to know more.
   The book explains the Englishes motivation to prosecute her, the wisdom of her responses, her belief in her life purpose/mission and expectation of an afterlife.

No comments about Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming.

2 comments about Lost & Found: One Daughter's Story of Amazing Grace.

1. In an opening letter to her readers, Kathryn ("Kitty") Slattery says, "All of us have a story to tell. When we choose to share our stories, extraordinary things can happen." Most memoirs focus on a certain theme --- a thread that runs through the author's life. And here Slattery draws out "the story of my mother and me --- two very different people." In these pages, there is keen insight for daughters who have wished for better mothering. It's not that Kitty had a stereotypically abusive mother, but one with a perfectionist bent, a self-absorbed view.
   
   Kitty's childhood home looked a lot like that of other baby boomers --- a successful corporate father and a devoted wife who tended her family. (Did she really wear pumps as she vacuumed?) Kitty's one sibling was 10 years her senior, which plays into the family dynamics. One day young Kitty discovered a document that implied that her older sister was a step-sister, that her mother had been divorced before marrying Kitty's father. But Kitty's mother wouldn't answer her questions. "Don't be a snoop," she said. And, "This is none of your business... And it's certainly nothing for you to worry about." But Kitty was a worrier. "With the discovery of the birth certificate in the breakfront, my world had been turned upside down and inside out. The fact that things were out of order, and that things might not be as they seemed, scared me to death."
   
   Kitty obviously needed a mother who would listen to her, explain mysteries rather than withhold information, encourage her rather than ridicule. As Kitty saw it, "she was not exactly the kind of mother I wanted and needed." Nor was Kitty the perfect daughter, primed to catch the perfect man. "Oh, Kitty," Mrs. Mother said one day. "You think too much... Boys don't like girls who think too much." A little overweight (having once bought clothes in the "`Chubbette' department at Sears") in high school, Kitty felt parental pressure to take off the extra pounds. Dieting led to self-purging --- and this in the late 1960s, before magazine articles explained the phenomenon, before eating disorders took Karen Carpenter's life. It was Kitty's dark secret --- like her father's chronic drinking.
   
   In college Kitty committed her life to Christ, a turning point in her life, though not the end of her struggle with bulimia. That abated only after she realized it was a not uncommon disease; she no longer felt uniquely dysfunctional and found the inner resources and community support --- principally a secure relationship with the man she married --- to live on an even keel.
   
   In the last third of LOST & FOUND, after Kitty has children of her own, she works on mending her relationship with her mother, even bringing her into a "mother-in-law apartment" in her suburban home. Here she comes to a new understanding of her mother that one can hope for in middle age. She sensed God saying, "I'm giving you this time with her." For what purpose? Kitty wasn't sure, but, looking for grace, she eventually found out.
   
   --- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence



2. Each of us experience times in life when we feel alone and disconnected. The lack of relational intimacy with the people we love can be especially painful. It often contributes to unhealthy behaviors as a means to cope with the pain. In the stories of individuals who break their addiction, you will nearly always find one person or a group of people who helped heal the wounds of the addicted with love and encouragement.
   
   Lost & Found is the poignant story of Kathryn Slattery, a contributing editor of Guideposts magazine and author of several books. In the book, Kitty describes her disconnection with her mother and father, the onset of bulimia, how her husband Tom's love and encouragement helped her overcome bulimia, and finally how Kitty reconnected with her parents.
   
   I enjoyed this book. As a writer and speaker about the importance of connection in organizations, I was interested to see that some of the same dynamics that affect relationships in the workplace were also at play in Kitty's story. Lost & Found helped me see several examples of how connections are diminished and how they can be restored. Excessive criticism, lack of transparency, perceived indifference, geographic dislocation and alcohol are the agents of disconnection in Kitty's story. Kitty's husband Tom becomes the primary agent of re-connection and it is his affection, steady optimism and encouragement that help heal her wounds and give her the strength to overcome bulimia. Eventually, with time, healing and self-reflection, Kitty is able to reconnect with her mother and father.
   
   I recommend this book. On one level, this is Kitty's story; on another, it is a study of the powerful effect of relationships and connection in our lives. It will be especially valuable to those who feel disconnected from their parents or other family members. I imagine most of us feel that way with at least some of our family members. It will help you think about what contributed to disconnection in your own life and how to restore it. Lost & Found is an ideal book for a book group. It would stimulate a lot of discussion around the connections and disconnections in our lives. These conversations tend to be healing too.

5 comments about Empty Without You: The Intimate Letters of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok.

1. A woman I knew so little about comes to life in this book. I generally don't like biographies or autobiographies but this one is the exception!! Order from Amazon to get it quick!!



2. This well-edited book definitely preserves the intimacy of the relationship between ER and Hick. Regardless of your personal interpretation of their relationship, the book makes for fascinating reading. There are many "behind the scenes" details of the workings of the New Deal and other social and political events of the time. This book is nothing less than fascinating.



3. If you read the letters and not the "explanations" of Streitmatter, you know that this was a classic love affair of the first order. Passionate, intense, full of high levels of emotion, intermixed with politics and social issues of the day. For anyone to read these letters and deny that these women enjoyed each others bodies as much as their minds is really outside the realm of human experience. The question of course that remains is the unequivocal statement by both John Kerrey and John Edwards in the debates in 2004 when they proclaimed that you are "born" a lesbian as they tried to make political points with the sexual orientation of Dick Cheney's daughter. Did Eleanor have a lesbian relationship with "Hick?" Most certainly. Was she born that way and have a "traditional" marriage with many kids fathered by FDR just as a cover? I doubt it, but who knows; which was Bush's much more honest answer in response to the "lesbian" question.
   Was FDR a liar of the first order? He ran in 1940 for the unprecedented third term on the basis of never "sending American men to fight foreign wars" while planning to do so at the same time. Someone so deceitful was most certainly well practiced in the art while having affairs with women at the same time Eleanor was bearing his children. Did she turn to other women for the love that FDR failed to give her, or did he turn to other women because she was really "born" a lesbian. We will probably never know the truth of their relationship, but the letters between Eleanor and "Hick" are pure honest love. The only reason I don't give this book five stars is that the author gets in the way of the story.



4. As an avid reader of all things Roosevelt, I was rather disappointed in Rodger Streitmatter's Empty Without You: The Intimate Letters of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok. The story of how Eleanor and Lorena (Hick) became such intimate friends (maybe even physically intimate) is a fascinating one. Hick was a hard-nosed AP reporter who had a successful 20 year career in a profession dominated almost exclusively by men. In the course of covering FDR's first campaign, she found a kindred spirit in Eleanor. Both women were needy: they both had tough childhoods, suffered humiliations and tragedies, and were deeply wounded by those they loved. They struck up a lifelong friendship, although the intensity of this relationship waned after the first 3 years. During the course of this friendship, they wrote each other almost every day, and sometimes more than one letter in a day. Hick also lived at the White House for some of this time.

   What I found so disappointing about Empty Without You is that out of the many thousands of letters that Eleanor and Hick exchanged throughout their lifetime, Hick destroyed a good many of them-especially those letters from the beginning of their relationship when it was the most intense. There are not many surprises here, and those few that allow a peak at their level of intimacy have been extensively quoted in other Roosevelt books. Also, I found that the story itself is rather depressing. Hick gave Eleanor the knowledge and power to recast the job of First Lady so that Eleanor could better achieve her own political agenda. She encouraged Eleanor to give weekly news conferences with only women reporters invited. She also prodded Eleanor to start writing newspaper columns-monthly at first, and then her daily My Day column that ran for 27 years. Finally, Hick suggested that Eleanor write her autobiography before FDR's first term was even finished. At first, Eleanor depended on Hick to help her with her writing. But Eleanor was a quick study and soon no longer needed Hick. Unfortunately, in broadening her horizons, Eleanor had less and less time for Hick. To make matters worse, Hick was forced to give up her newspaper job because of conflicts of interest, and took on a job traveling the country on behalf of FERA to report on the progress of relief programs. Hick missed the career that had brought her great success, name recognition, positive reinforcement and financial security. Hick also suffered from depression and mood swings-especially when her time with Eleanor did not go as planned. Unfortunately for Hick, her ugly and frequent outbursts were an embarrassment to Eleanor and had just the opposite effect: instead of bringing them even closer, Eleanor started to pull away. Still, Eleanor never completely abandoned Hick and did much to take care of her (especially financially) as they aged.

   One thing that I did enjoy about Empty Without You are the reports that Hick wrote for FERA. Although she mostly gave snippets of these in her letters to Eleanor, boss Harry Hopkins was correct when he predicted that Hick's well-written reports would in the future become a window on the Great Depression. But overall, there is not much new or enlightening in this book. If you want to know more about the relationship between Eleanor and Lorena, I'd stick with Doris Faber's Life of Lorena Hickok: E.R.'s Friend.




5. Eleanor Roosevelt has been an inspiration ever since I was a young girl, a terrific role model for political activists, humanitarians, and women and girls of all ages. But she is often portrayed in biographies (excepting Blanche Wiesen Cook's wonderful recent work) as a cold fish in her personal life. This is one of the reasons that any fan of ER should read these letters. ER is passionate, caring, needy, annoyed - real emotions from a real woman. We also get a look at Lorena Hickok - Hick - beyond the stereotypes, as a woman deeply in love and troubled by the lack of an exclusive relationship.

   One problem I have with the book, though, is not letting whole letters speak for themselves, revealing more of the political discussions that seem to have been a big part of both women's lives and their attraction to one another. Were they lovers? They were certainly "in love," and regardless of where they drew the physical line, this book reveals foremothers any woman, lesbians included, should be proud to claim.

5 comments about A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska: The Story of Hannah Breece.

1. Hannah Breece was an amazing woman--strong, independent, and driven by her desire to help the people of Alaska during the early 1900s. This book is well-written, interesting, and informative. If you love reading about early Alaska, you will love this book! You might also check out a new release, When the Water Runs: Growing Up With Alaska.
   
   When the Water Runs: Growing Up with Alaska



2. This book is a great read. I was swept along by this story of a single woman working in the Alaskan back country. She takes a matter-of-fact approach to all sorts of alarming situations (e.g. being buried in a snowdrift and having a bear and her cub wandering about outside her tent).
   
   A great adventure story. Fascinating snapshots of turn of the century Alaska. Many of the most interesting parts of this book are those which talk about Alaska's relationship with Russia, particularly the power of the Czar and the Russian Orthodox church. Reading about this, Alaska seems more like a colony than a part of Russia. Maybe the Alaska America purchased wasn't Russia's to sell.
   
   The book presents attitudes as they were without varnishing or apology. Some are decidedly racist. Hannah definitely saw her job as 'civilizing' the natives (nobody seems to have asked them if they wanted to be civilized). She talks about communities who lived underground - this was dying out as the US government didn't approve - the story of colonization the world over...



3. I fell in love with Alaska as described by Hannah Breece. She told an amazing story of a time that is long gone. She also showed great restraint in not "telling tales" on those who were her contemporaries. Her niece, Jane Jacobs, who compiled and edited her memoirs, fills in the "gaps," after Miss Breece's personal story is complete. I recommend this book to lovers of history, Alaskan history, early American history, education history and those with a romantic notion of how the "good old days," really were.



4. An excellent story with plenty of meat. Hannah Breece is a woman both of her time and ahead of her time. This book, although covering the early 1900's, really tells of a time when the balance and control of Alaska was switching from Russian influenced culture to American influenced culture. It is interesting to see that what was "correct" then is now "incorrect" and reminds the reader that values and judgements are culturally bound.

   The action of the book takes place over most of the major regions of the state including the gulf coast, the interior and the southeast.

   Jane Jacobs the editor did an excellent job of organizing and illuminating Hannah Breece's story. Without her careful introductions the story would have not had quite the same postive impact.

   This book is largely alone in covering the topic of teaching in the early 1900's. For those of you interested in the early history of teaching in English in Alaska then this is your book.




5. In 1904, Hannah Breece (1859-1940), was recruited by the Department of the Interior to teach in Alaska. Alaska at that time was quite different than today. Preferring to work in poorer, more backward areas, she saw a side of Alaska that does not normally appear in the history books. This is Hannah stories, as told by her, and edited by Jane Jacobs.
   
   This is a really great story. I found its depiction of life in 1904+ Alaska to be quite enthralling; Hannah certainly found her way into many fascinating adventures. The book shows life in 1904+ Alaska, as lived by the common people, including dealing with wild animals, sled dogs, fish famines, earthquakes, racism at many levels, and so much more.
   
   All I can say is that Hannah Breece must have been a formidable woman. I have never said this before of a book, but I actually felt honored to be able to look in at Hannah's life. I highly recommend this book!