1 comments about Twenty Thousand Roads: Women, Movement, and the West.

1. Though it's not clear why these essays together make a book, each one is a well-researched piece about an interesting woman. While the author throws in a few theories that aren't particularly well researched or supported, she has a real gift for writing that makes many of the pieces a joy to read. Her essay on Grace Hebard is superb, and is probably the best short piece written about this remarkable woman.

5 comments about Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood.

1. Too bad Wood's story-book career is overshadowed by the many unanswered questions surrounding her death. How ironic, I suppose, that the high-profile, high-pressure industry she so excelled at also had a lot to do with many of those questions going unanswered. The sorry fact is that LA's biggest industry has long influenced police investigation when scandal threatens the Hollywood image, all the way back to the murder of William Desmond Taylor.
   
   In fact, the book's best part is what I take to be the author's no-punches-pulled, eye-witness testimony surrounding that fateful November night. Two particularly damaging aspects of the investigation emerge-- no sheriff's effort at putting together a time-line surrounding Wood's sudden disappearance (p.441), and the sheriff's refusal to even contact credible witnesses overhearing cries for help during that time frame (pps. 431- 432). Couple that with Frank Sinatra's effort to get respected county coroner Thomas Noguchi removed from the case (p.435), and a classic instance of industry string-pulling takes shape.
   
   This is not to insinuate that criminal behavior was necessarily involved in the drowning. Neither the book nor I am implying that. However, there is a clear implication of botched procedures that remained remarkably incurious about conflicting accounts and details surrounding the death. Efforts to spare family feelings are understandable. But such factors should not impede justice from being done. Then too, I wonder if family feelings would be such a factor were the deceased from poverty-ridden East LA. In my view, this is another instance of investigation being boxed-in by big money, big reputations, and big industry. After all, as the fan mags liked to brag, Natalie and RJ were Hollywood "royalty". Nonetheless, the little girl many of us grew up with deserved better, royalty or not.
   
   Natalie Wood had what amounts to an amazing Hollywood career. Unlike the great majority of child stars, her career remained uninterrupted from childhood through mature adulthood. This was a testament both to her talent and her ability to stay employed through life's inevitable changes. Author Finstad pinpoints the central conflict in her life-- the tension between the person herself (Natasha) and her carefully crafted show-biz persona ("Natalie Wood"). After all, she was a professional actress from age six, so it's not surprising that the real person had little chance to develop and that what there was remained submerged under the movie star creation. Mom comes across as the real culprit behind this split and something of a dark Rasputin-like force in Wood's life.
   
   Curiously, little mention is made of the turbulent Vietnam period when old Hollywood was eclipsed by the new, so-called counter-culture. A glance at Wood's movie credits shows a sharp drop-off after 1966, the first big year of the war. Yet, there's not a single mention of Vietnam nor (I believe) of the war itself. This seems odd given the cultural and commercial impact on the movie industry of social and political forces then on the march. It would be interesting to know her reaction since the movement rejected the whole glamor factory concept. I don't know if the absence of material means Natalie and her circle simply floated above the national trauma or what. Anyway, I find this a curious silence in what is otherwise a pretty exhaustive text.
   
   All in all, Finstad's biography is a close account of Wood's personal life. I wish there had been more on the business side, but probably sources there were hard to find since insiders play the business dealings pretty close to the vest. Also, the text could have used tighter editing since the detail at times gets somewhat repetitious. Nonetheless, the book is an insightful look into America's great game of celebrity worship and the ups and the downs of a fairy-tale life. I'm just sorry that if a body had to be pulled from the water, it wasn't Natasha's-- it was Natalie Wood's. And from that moment on the interests of the Hollywood glamor factory took over. Even in death, Natasha was suppressed.



2. Natasha: The biography of Natalie Wood was written by Suzanne Finstad. She claims to be a die-hard fan of Wood and that part is probably true but the way she writes about her favorite star is calculated and contrived. We know Natalie drowned, which was her biggest phobia and she married three times, twice to the same man. This book is a real page turner but you can't help but wonder what is fiction and what is real, even Wood's eldest daughter called this book trash, decide for yourself.



3. If you are over the age of 25 in America, you have heard of Natalie Wood. The tragically deceased movie star is akin to an icon in our nation's past. This thoroughly researched biography gives insight into her early life and behind the scenes information about her movies. With quotes from original sources, such as Wood's family members and staff, and second hand sources, such as magazine articles, the details of Natalie's life are spread before us.
   I was only semi-knowledgeable about this actress prior to reading the book. I had only ever seen her three most famous movies, Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, and Miracle on 34th Street. Since this book, I have been compelled to familiarize myself with more of her work.
   The author is, I believe, I first-time biographer, and although I haven't read terribly many biographies, I found her style somewhat heavy-handed. She also needs to familiarize herself better with the concepts of "foreshadowing" and "irony." One thing I found very annoying about the writing was that the author felt the need to remind us, over and over, of who people were. For example, she introduces us to Debbie Reynolds "who was originally considered for the part of Judy." Then, a paragraph later, she quotes Reynolds again, identifying her as "the actress who almost got [Natalie's] part." Scarcely a paragraph later, Reynolds "who almost played Judy" is quoted again. I did not need these reminders, as I (and I would imagine most other reasonably intelligent readers) can remember what was written from paragraph to paragraph. Also, I am quite unfamiliar with movie stars and directors from this period, so I would imagine people who were alive during this time or more well-versed on in this subject might be even more frustrated than I was.
   Finstad also kept pushing the idea that "Natalie Wood" was a "composite" of Natalie herself and her mother, Maria. I was willing to accept the assertion at first, as Maria pushed Natalie into stardom, but later, as Natalie grew up, it seemed Finstad was massaging the facts to support her claim.
   In conclusion, I learned a lot from Finstad's thorough research and interviews with close friends and family members of Ms. Wood, but I would not read a book by her again. I have wish-listed another biography of Natalie Wood, and would be interested to see whether this concept of the "composite" Natalie Wood is more pervasive.



4. This book read more like fiction than fact.I was horrified at the things Natalie went through to become and remain a star. I was thrilled by her ability to overcome all and become one of the most respected actors of her time.I wanted to lash out at someone about the way she died and I wanted someone charged with a crime.With that said, I thought too much time was spent describing her early years and her background but that is a minor complaint.Natalie was a favorite of mine so I enjoyed the book.Natalie: A Memoir by Her Sister



5. This is one of the very few biographies where i was left feeling i knew the subject intimately and deeply. I have always felt that Natalie Woods life was a highly fascinating and karmically complex one.
   The author certainly confirmed that and i didnt find the prose to be overly dramatic at all.
   She is a talented writer as well as a biographer and for me, that makes a huge difference.
   I like depth, insight, and good writing,
   a wonderful subject is of course important and this book had it all.

5 comments about Passing On The Comfort.

1. Excellent book . . .very meaningful . . .hard to put down!



2. Not all that interesting. I thought there would be more to the story



3. Quiltmakers will enjoy this bit of quilting history. Pictures of quilts are very "washed out" colorwise, but I suppose I'd be a little washed out if I'd been around since the 1940s also.



4. This heartwarming book is primarily set in the Netherlands during and immediately following WWII. It is well written and easy to read the emotional and historical story of An. An, now 82, was a devoted anti-war protestor in today's terms. At that time she was part of the resistance movement who helped the refugees and Jewish people during the terrible years of World War II in Holland. An married a Mennonite minister, Herman, in order to help these survivors as much as humanly possible. She and Herman helped thousands of women, children and men trying to escape by housing them secretly in their attic for months at a time when necessary. They provided food, clothes, bathing, and bedding.
   
   The stories An writes are personal experiences of hers that could not be found anywhere else. I was crying and touched and on the edge of my seat much of the time. It was suspenseful as she talked about her daily work. I learned a great deal more about the European's War experience and I am left humbled by this book. it was so enriching to my life, I highly recommend this book to you. It would be a wonderful gift, especially to older people that may have been more intricately involved with WWII due to their age.
   
   It wasn't until after the War ended that An contacted the Mennonite Relief Organization or Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to provide blankets for the people leaving her church hiding place to re-enter the community and return to their former land. The MCC sent very thin quilts- or rag blankets - as they referred to them, as quilt was not a well known term. They were too thin for sleeping on or under in Holland's climate, so An contacted them again and was sent 50 comforters (tied, not quilted) and quilts. These provided enough for the people with some left over. It is these quilts, utility in description, but graphically beautiful in their visual essence, that are now touring on exhibit and featured in the book.



5. Passing on the Comfort; The War, The Quilts, and the Women Who Made a
   Difference
   By An Keuning-Tichelaar and Lynn Kaplanian-Buller
   
   Just like the quilts pictured throughout this book, this story brings together pieces from two continents, two wars, two generations, and two women from very different backgrounds. An, a Dutch Mennonite woman, who lived through World War II as a pastor's wife, was dedicated to the work of providing shelter, food and strength to the fugitives, children and refugees who came her way. Lynn, whose roots in a Mennonite community in Minnesota shaped her experience of the Vietnam War, eventually immigrated to Amsterdam where she married Avo, a Palestinian man, and began to raise a family. An's stories of everyday resistance are told interspersed with connecting stories from Lynn and prints of the quilts. Both women faced challenging situations for which they at times felt inadequate. Both found strength in their faith.
   
   The relationship between An and Lynn formed out of a connection to the MCC quilts donated to the Dutch Mennonites during the years of World War II. Lynn, with her memories of sewing circles and quilting societies, was surprised to find this same kind of quilt while staying as a guest at a house in the Netherlands. Inspired by these memories, Lynn found the owner of the quilts, An, who had memories of the comfort the quilts brought her and other Dutch people during the war. Together, the two women began the long journey of creating this book and traveling exhibit.
   
   Grief caused by the realities of past and present wars creates places of tender ache that when carried over decades continue to connect us with the pain of military violence on any and every continent. As we work with the history that connects us as women and as Anabaptists, stories such as this help us to understand a shared history with people around the world and invite us as peacemakers to find comfort today and hope for the future.
   
   Abigail and Lois Nafziger
   June 2005

1 comments about For Women and the Nation: FUNMILAYO RANSOME-KUTI OF NIGERIA.

1. This is the first historical narrative about the life and times of late Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. The authors are qualified based on their extensive research about women and nationalist movement in Nigeria. They lucidly show the local beginning of Funmilayo, and her international connections. The radicalization of Funmilayo is explained by British ineptitude and unreceptive posture towards nationalist issues, devolution, and the the transfer of power. To them, Funmilayo was not only a dominant figure during the period, she was a fomidable player in postcolonial politics as well. Whether or not Funmilayo was a communist, a fellow traveler, or someone that exploited ideology to better her aspiration and that of the women folks is left to readers to judge. Well written, readeable and concise; this is a must for all interested in women, nationalist politics in Nigeria, and the emergent gender dominated civil society in colonial and postcolonial Nigeria.

No comments about Women & Dogs: A Personal History from Marilyn to Madonna.

No comments about Daughter of Heaven: The True Story of The Only Woman to Become Emperor of China.

2 comments about When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: 2A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace (Plume).

1. The book follows the first twenty years of Hayslip's life, beginning in the Vietnamese village of Ky La. The United States/Vietnam war begins early in her life, and she discovers that her centrally located village is stuck in the middle. By day the villagers are technically controlled by the U.S./Republican force, and threatened to ensure their loyalty, but by night the Viet Cong attacks and claims the village for their own, a process which is reversed the next day. The villagers try to pacify each side, and many are destroyed by both. Hayslip tells her family's story- they alternatively first for and are attacked by the Viet Cong, depending on the changes in the wind.
   
   Quote: "The least you did- the least any of us did- was our duty. For that we must be proud."
   
   I liked this book very much. Although I sometimes found it difficult to keep abreast of the movements back and forth in time, it generally fit together fairly well. Hayslip does not blame either side for the war- in fact, she is attempting to make both sides understand one another better- despite the fact that she suffered brutally from both. Instead, she tells her story to share the futility of war to get the average person what they really want in life: family around them, lasting love, watching children grow old- peace.



2. Le Ly Hayslip's novel gave a new insight into the Vietnam War that many Americans are reluctant to look at. Because the war was fought on the soil of her homeland, it not only took away her brothers and father, but unthread the basic foundation of her life. Le Ly was forced into the war because of her residence not political affiliations. Le Ly is a strong woman forced into a difficult situation and survives with a message for the world. It is definately worth hearing.

5 comments about Dreaming Me.

1. I've always had the impression that Western/American Buddhism was overwhelmingly white, upper-middle-class and academic - an impression and perhaps a prejudice (or a hang-up); in spite of having read and been influenced by the philosophy and practice through much of my adult life, I've always held any personal endorsement or affiliation at arm's length because of this - I'm not white, upper-middle-class, or an academic, and the (perceived) insularity of that particular world doesn't often seem to be very inviting.
   
   This is why this was such a valuable read for me - Willis belongs to a very, very small demographic - African-American Buddhists, and in DREAMING ME she traces a path from a Baptist upbringing in the segregated (and oft-violent) South to her present life as an academic and Buddhist scholar. Willis' recountings of her childhood were - to me - the most successful part of the book, with the grimness of Jim Crow-era Alabama rendered in cinematic detail. Willis also - with great success - draws parallels between the faith she grew up with and the philosophies she grew to accept as an adult. Beautifully written, she makes it almost seem effortless.
   
   Not a very well-known book, unfortunately - and I fear this may slide into obscurity. I would encourage checking it out.
   
   -David Alston



2. There is something intriguing about a story which chronicles a former Baptist's alteration towards adhering to the teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni. Jan Willis is an African-American Tibetan scholar and translator, a professor of religion at Wesleyan University and teacher of Buddhism for more than 25 years. She starts the book recording her life prior to finding the Buddha's teachings, a life spent as a devout Southern Baptist in a segregation ridden south. The KKK was active in her area of Alabama, and at a very early age they had burned a cross in her parent's front lawn. Later she would go on to march in Martin Luther King's civil rights movement, adhering to the values she so strongly believed in. In 1965, with 7 other African-Americans, she enrolled in Cornell University where during her junior year she sailed off on a trip to India which greatly impacted her life. For a brief period she returned to the states to continue her studies at Cornell, but eventually she felt drawn back unto the East again. She left this time for Nepal and underwent intense study with the Tibetan master Lama Yeshe. She studied with him for more than 15 years, where she faced a problem most predominant in all our practices: sense of self, ego.

   This book is a fascinating look at a very small minority in the world of Buddhism, the role African-Americans have played in it's growth and the teaching of the Dharma. In the west, in my lineage of Zen, African-American's are probably the least represented group of all. While we have male and female teachers, and practitioners of several racial and cultural backgrounds, for some reason or another there is a very small pocket of African-Americans present. This is not due to any sort of discrimination but rather, to be frank, oftentimes the African-American individual can at times have a problem with breaking down ego. Something which has it's roots in the horrendous treatment this group underwent at the hands of a predominantly white America. This work is a fascinating look at practicing the Buddha Dharma in modern times with a voice of honesty, clarity, and incisive wisdom on each and every page. Enjoy this treasure.




3. Books like "Dreaming Me" are gifts or treasures that we rarely have the good fortune to discover. Ms Willis' journey is at times painful yet ultimately joyful. She shares this pain and joy in a compelling writing style that is filled with anecdotes and drama. No matter what your life experiences may be you are quickly drawn into the universal themes that every human being shares. As a white male living in the Northeast during the sixties I was on the other side of the world from a person like Ms Willis. Yet she made her experiences part of me. And like two parts of a greater experience I felt whole after reading this book. I highly recommend it. Thank you Ms Willis for putting your experiences into such a beautifully written book.



4. This book was read in one marathon session that flew by all too quickly. It spoke to the very core of my being. Having this story told in such a personal way deftly teaches the reader at every level. It's well written and one could easily be fooled that they are simply being entertained with a good read. There were many moments where I felt stunned with deep recognition of a life experience that mirrors a good portion of my own. I connected with this book deeply at the heart level. Most touching were the moments with her teacher, Lama Yeshe. His extraordinary heart helped her heal deep societal and personal pains which have traveled across generations influencing and shaping our culture in difficult ways. Thank goodness Dr. Willis chose to develop the good heart, rather than fight the good fight. One does not need to be in a culturally specific group or religion to recognize and feel Dr. Willis' experience. She reached into the depths of spirit and wrote in a way that touches universally. This lady has a heart that totally outsizes her brilliant, immeasurable intellect and her story will benefit countless numbers. I'm one unabashedly grateful reader.



5. Since I have met Jan Willis a few times through my own work at Naropa University, I emailed her after I finished reading Dreaming Me. Here's part of what I wrote to her: "I just wanted to let you know how engrossing I found your book. It was like talking to you, hanging out with you, to read it. I had put it at the bottom of my pile of "books I want to read" but somehow it jumped right up to the top, and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Please take that as a resounding compliment! Thanks so much for writing it, and for revealing so much of your big heart.

No comments about Mujeres Asesinas/ Killer Women (Obras Diversas / Diverse Works).

4 comments about Covered Wagon Women 3: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails 1851 (Covered Wagon Women Vol. 3).

1. More heartfelt, lively accounts from the Oregon Trail during the year 1851.
   Harriet Talcott Buckingham's diary is both poetic and colorful, describing prairies, mountain passes, river crossings, flora, Indians and other travelers met along the way.
   Amelia Hadley's writing style is very sincere. She not only visually describes streams, buffalo, landforms and Indians, but along with counting the number of graves they encounter, she also puts names to these graves (very historical).
   Susan Amelia Cranston talks much about the availability, or lack of, water, fuel and grass.
   Lucia Loraine Williams's party had quite an exciting but also quite dispirited journey. She lost her ten year old son due to a runaway wagon; had an Indian offer to swap her child for Lucia's three year old; thievery surrounding Fort Hall; etc. Her letter is just, truthful and illustrative of life on the trail.
   Esther Lockhart was also in Lucia's wagon train and her reminisces are both vivid and picturesque of the trek.
   The diaries of Elizabeth Wood and Eugenia Zieber are a delight to read.
   The jewel of the book lies in Jean Rio Baker's diary. A Mormon widow with seven children, she leaves England to make the pilgrimage to Salt Lake City. A fascinating read of courage, tenacity and nerve.
   Excellent book.



2. This is a treat to listen to in the car on the way to work. An extraordinary story - women, migration, inner strength. I shared this with four other librarians who all enjoyed the tapes and proclaimed this one of the best audio books they had ever listened to.



3. In COVERED WAGON WOMEN, the diaries & letters of three mature women on the journeys of their lifetime, record their trek west into the sun; across oceans, towns, rivers, farms, forests, prairies & deserts; friendly & hostile Indian territories until, at last they reach their journeys' ends.

   As you listen to actors Georgia Goodwin & Jane Merrifield-Beecher read the thoughts, observations & feelings of these three mother ancestors, you catch glimpses of how we used to live. They take us through springs of ground-level thunderstorms & sudden floods, summers of dust, mosquitos & enervating heat, & autumns of mild beauty & the biggest harvests they've ever seen. We learn of broken wagons, dying companions, days of endless trudging & nights of immense beauty. Over mountains, through rivers & down defiles, these intrepid women take us there with their simple, evocative words.

   COVERED WAGON WOMEN is truly a record of an adventure that shaped our nation & our psyche. The only thing missing are sound effects!




4. The latest release in the "Living Voices of the Past" series, Covered Wagon Women 1851 is drawn from the diaries and letters of women who experienced the travails of the wagon trails west in 1851. Edited and compiled by Kenneth L. Holms and used with the permission of the University of Nebraska Press, we are treated to excerpts from the diary of Lucia Williams and the epilogue of Esther Lockhart (superbly narrated by Jane Merrifield-Beecher) describing their trip from Ohio to Oregon. Also featured are excerpts (dramatically narrated by Georgia Goodwin) from the diary of Jean Rio Baker, a Mormon who traveled from Liverpool by Windjammer and to Salt Lake City by Prairie Schooner. Surviving exposure to attacks from Native Americans, the scourge of cholera and smallpox, and the many hardships and deprivations of a pioneer excursion in a covered wagon, Covered Wagon Women 1851 is an outstanding "living history" audio recording and strongly recommended for personal, school, and community library collections.