5 comments about Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier.

1. This was interesting, quick and light. It was informative of the early days and realationships between men and women.



2. Interesting, but a little thin. I expected more, but perhaps this is due to the fact that not more info is available; or is it that this is just a brief compilation of facts gathered from more complete sources? If so, I would rather have read the originals.



3. Chris Enss has done it again! Wonderful look at history. Her books are always a delight to read. Gets you hooked from the beginning. Great gift for a history buff in your life.



4. As a western history buff, I have found few authors that really get to the heart of the matter like this one has. This is a rare historically accurate work that is easy and fun to read. I will be buying more of her books and I highly recommend this one to you.



5. I thought this book would be more non-fiction historical research into the phenomenon of mail-order brides of the old West. It seemed to be a sort of contrived retelling of some primary research, including assertations of how people felt and acted that could not have been known by the author. Entertaining, yes, but serious and thoughtful? I think if you are looking for actual non-fiction work on mail-order brides, skip this book. It could definitely never be listed in a bibliography.

5 comments about The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism.

1. The author attempts to run the three biographies in parallel but what really happens is that she jumps from one place to the other, so none of the biographies unfold properly. I found it utterly unreadable. On top of it to add to my frustration, there are generalities, like Elizabeth fought with her mother "like all adolescent girls do" or romantic creations "like on this day if you didn't watch out a dog might have showered you with water". I wanted to read a proper biography and not a society novel. I had read "Eden's Outcasts" by John Matteson before and came away with a more lively picture of Elizabeth Peabody and her involvment in the Temple School then from this book. If you are interested in the transcendentalist movement, the time, or women I highly recommend "Eden's Outcasts: The story of Louisa May Alcott and her father".



2. The Peabody Sisters is a wonderful book. It was so interesting and fast-paced, it reads like a novel. The women of the Transcendentalist Movement have been so poorly remembered it is possible to learn something new on every page. Megan Marshall's writing style is relaxed and conversational, a good balance to the 19th century melodrama, angst, sentimentality, and lofty philosophies of the sisters and their circle. Although Marshall quotes letters, sermons, poetry, reviews, journals, reports, and literature from many sources, it is done sparingly and logically integrated.
   
   The Peabody sisters were extraordinary women living in extraordinary times. A case can be made that Elizabeth Peabody, the oldest sister, is one of the most important figures in Transcendentalism. Barred from college and commerce by poverty and sex, she still managed to be more educated than many of the men she befriended and promoted. Many of the relationships we take for granted in Boston and Concord of the era can be directly linked to Elizabeth Peabody's tireless efforts to intellectually support interesting, creative individuals, make introductions, even find people jobs and students, housing, mentors - all while she is shut out and struggling to support her parents and five younger siblings while teaching herself Hebrew, Latin, Greek, Italian, Spanish. Also: teaching children and adults, writing articles, editing and publishing, and keeping up a lively correspondence with teachers, philosophers, artists, poets of the era. Her sisters Sophia and Mary are hardly less accomplished.
   
   And yet Megan Marshall always keeps things grounded. The sisters are always real people who display very normal sibling rivalries manifested in jealousy, competition, ambition, despair, frustration and anger. There was also commitment, love, affection, support, delight and generosity.
   
   What is most amazing is the strength of the women in this group. They are creative, adaptable, intelligent, extraordinary in many ways. They are continually held back by the convention of the time that women were somehow frail and that ambition and accomplishment were unseemly in the "fairer sex." Considering what hothouse flowers many of the men in this group proved to be, it's all the more unreasonable that the inequality of the sexes persisted.
   
   Megan Marshall never harangues - the rant is purely my own. Marshall simply gives us the benefit of her prodigious research in the most straightforward and appealing manner. Don't be scared off by the length of the book: the last 100 pages or so are notes and index. The book itself speeds by and the reader is left at the point when the sisters are taking up their own separate lives.



3. Somehow I overlooked this book when it was released, but thank goodness I discovered it later. The author takes readers back in time to share the amazing lives of these sisters. In the process, acquaintances of the Peabody family, that readers already know as historical figures, are brought to life as real, flawed but remarkable people. Readers will identify with these women as they strive to achieve and practice their own talents in a society that shares possibilities and limitations not so different from our own.



4. I only get to read on the train to and from work. This book makes my daily trip a real treat. I'm only half through, but hooked from page one. Not only does Marshall make a fascinating biographical and historical account of the Peabody sisters, but she provides answers as to why strong, ambitious, smart women have been so frustrated for so long. Society supressed gifted women in the 1800's so much so that women either became outcasts because they had to find expression, which in itself was restricted to motherhood, housewife or teacher, or they retreated into themselves in the form of illness or depression. Indeed, the contributions to romanticism by the Peabody sisters came at a very high cost to them. And now I can read about them and think "How strange that society was so close-minded back then!"



5. Megan Marshall has done superb work in this carefully researched account of the amazing Peabody sisters.

5 comments about The Boys of My Youth.

1. I rarely do reviews of books, but Beard's "The Boys of My Youth" has forced me to make an exception; this is a wonderful collection of stories, all of which are beautifully written. She has a style that makes you feel like you're five feet away from the action, and her descriptions of things, even the most inconsequential things, are so well-crafted that it makes one wonder how such a thing like a simple drive can go unnoticed. This is one of the most absorbing books I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and hands-down one of the best written--Jo Ann Beard' s talent is immense, and I can only hope she has more stories to tell.



2. This memoir was highly praised by a book publication or two that I had read a review of the book in..it failed to deliver anything to me but a boring youth.



3. Beard's intimate prose is unselfconscious and unabashedly focused on the moments in relationships which we rarely realize are the most important ones. The one exception is an essay in the middle of her novel which tells the story of a traumatic event in her adult life. Beard lapses into cliche not because she is incapable of better, but perhaps because all the words to describe such an event have been pre-ordained by the reporters and cops whose mouths form the syllables of murder. Even in the midst of cliche, and starkly plain language, she finds ways to remember details that evoke. A wonderful new book... everyone ought to read it.



4. This is what writing means. Gorgeous, pitch-perfect prose. Sensory details that speak for themselves.



5. It was a bit of a let down. I was more interested with the family/friends then with the author as a character. She didn't come through very well on paper.

5 comments about Appetites: Why Women Want.

1. I read this book as part of a feminist psychology class and I LOVED it. It is so enlightening and revealing.
   
   It is about anorexia, but as a reader you often forget this because it-- unlike most books on eating disorders-- focuses on the psychology of women and how society impacts women's desires and sense of entitlement.
   
   I DEFINATELY recommend reading this book... there is no doubt that it will change the way you think about your wants and needs and make you question what society has been telling and teaching you all your life.



2. Overall a great book if you don't want a completely factual account of women and dieting. It can be self-indulgent, ego-centric, and sprawling but the author's personality is likable and sympathetic so I enjoyed learning about the more personal side to this. There are other more factual books I would reccomend, though, like Women and Dieting Culture: Inside a Commercial Weight Loss Group or Hunger: An Unnatural History.
   But good book overall and I'd reccomend it.



3. Alice Walker once wrote, "Art unfailingly reflects its creator's heart. Art . . . comes from a heart open to all the possible paths there might be to a healthier tomorrow." Caroline Knapp's artistry was in writing and publishing her internal dialogues. This book appears to reveal her heart, a heart that was open to considering new and different possible paths to a healthier tomorrow. She may not have had all the solutions to the issues she raised in her excellent book, but I admire her tremendous courage to express her frustrations clearly and to think aloud to try and understand the motivations and causes for her behaviors. She expressed her best estimates of how she might improve her circumstances. This book is an excellent look at one [...] woman's cognitive thought processes about why she thought she was the way she was, and how she thought she might overcome her perceived problems. Whether you agree with her or not as to the causes of her issues and their possible solutions, if you read this book, you will learn something very valuable about the strong, and sometimes controlling, reasoning processes that likely flow through many women.
   
   Throughout this book (and her books 'Pack of Two' and 'The Merry Recluse') she discusses her difficulties with communicating with her mother, her father, her significant others, professors and people in general. She discusses how she did not believe that her parents communicated well with each other in key areas. She watched her mother silently accept roles that she was not certain her mother should accept. She saw her mother accept treatment from her father that she thought her mother should have responded to differently.
   
   When a woman chooses to attach her soul to another person's soul, and also agrees to "be silent to" or condone parts of the other person's philosophies or actions she believes to be in error - that prolonged, and potentially neverending, acquiescence can negatively effect her psyche. That degree of unceasing internal mental contradiction in major areas may manifest itself in either serious mental dysfunctions or physical ailments.
   
   It is more healthy for a woman to express her objections, even if those objections are not addressed and remain outstanding, than to be silent. Women must overcome any discouragement they receive from their family, friends, and significant others, discouraging them from expressing the ideas they think may lead to possible solutions. They should not always defer to the people closest to them because women often have the best access to the most accurate information about themselves. And even when their suggested solutions may not be better than the current course, when they raise their objections, it gives their community notice of issues that likely deserve alternate responses and further reconsideration.
   
   Thank you Ms. Knapp, not because you had all the right answers, but because you set a great example of a woman fighting resiliently to help herself and others, even when that self-examination was revealing and sometimes humbling. Even when she could not find sufficient motivations for herself, she worked toward and wanted other women to pursue their fulfilments and desires, and to become satiated. She wanted to stop the cycle of mothers unknowingly passing on negative patterns to their daughters. Caroline's voice was heard and I will always remember it.



4. I got so much out of Knapp's book on alcoholism, I foolishly assumed this would be enlightening as well. She seems determined to prove that every woman in America has issues. If you diet, for whatever reason, you have issues. If you eat what you like, you have issues. If you're vegetarian. If you eat junk food. If you work out. If you hate how you look in a bikini. If you LIKE how you look in a bikini. For god's sake, food is just one part of life. And there are actually women who do not have body issues!
   
   I'm currently trying to get in shape (note my phrasing there), and I'd thought this would motivate me. What was I thinking. I can just see Knapp, were she alive, questioning me about my diet and exercise, and then her comments afterwards. "She eats a quarter cup of M&M's a day...Yes, she told me that she read the nutritional info on the packate, but SEE? We're all slaves to the FDA and the LIES they cram down our throat! She's AFRAID to go for it and just take a handful of M&Ms and be FREEEEEEE!" Except that eating like that is how I got out of shape, and then it would be, "Oh, she doesn't like her body, because Vogue tells her she has to disappear when she turns sideways!"



5. This book is amazing. I go to a large State College and see this sort of thing everyday. Girls spending money the don't have to buy an identity; girls giving themselves up to men just to feel wanted, girls starving themselves simply because they are so lost. This book says everything; very honestly. I think any female can relate to it. I couldn't put it down. I stayed up and read the whole thing in two days. I particularly rec this book if you are about college age from my generation.

5 comments about The Sorcerer's Crossing: A Woman's Journey (Arkana).

1. I loved this book! The author is descriptive and clear bringing the reader into the story and making them really care about the characters and their feelings. The theories and practices that are described and interesting and easy to follow if one desires to do them. I loved this book and found myself wanting more at the end.



2. This book was my first introdction to the Castenada books. Abelar is one of 16 female members of carlos' clan. Her journey from insecure artist to competant "sorceress" was fascinating and informative. It was easy to get lost in the world of her magic apprenticeship. Great reading!



3. Good book. Talks about the recap as per her experience and an interesting read. Was part of my interests for sometime. Highly recommended.



4. For anyone who has followed the legendary exploits of Carlos Castaneda, whether you judge them to be fact or fiction, the personal account of Taisha Ablelar's induction into Castaneda's realm is an experience not to be missed. If anything, her accounts offer the reader a level of clarity and easy understanding of Castaneda's concepts that surpass even her infamous mentor.
   
   However, in the interest of providing a modicum of balance, the reader may also want to peruse another work by one of her longtime comrades-in-arms. I speak here of "Sorcerer's Apprentice," author, well-known writer Amy Wallace, daughter of the late best selling novelist Irving Wallace. While this work offers little corroboration of either Castaneda's or Abelar's claimed experiences in the realm of sorcery, since the time of the events she describes is well after the period when their relationships with don Juan were alleged to have occurred, it does provide a troubling look inside Castaneda's, Abelar's and Wallace's final years together, a picture of descent into sexual addiction and possibly madness, leaving one to wonder if Castaneda's entire circle may have been just one cup of cool-aid short of a Jonestown.
   
   On a personal note, many have asked me why I put any stock whatsoever in the tall tales of Castaneda and his associates, Abelar included. A story from my own autobiography, "The Vortex" may shed some light. A year before Castaneda published his first book I had an experience that would remain a mystery until Castaneda published "Power of Silence" twenty years later.
   
   For a brief time, in my youth, I became a practicing Muslim, meticulously performing the complex prayer ritual five times a day. Then one night, sitting in my car, frustrated and complaining at not being able to find the address of my next sales appointment, something inside me snapped. It was as if some part of me had disconnected from my body and assumed control, lecturing me about my lack of discipline. A profound calm settled over me, rendering me simultaneously detached and engaged. For two days my sales figures soared. It was as if no one could say no to me. On the evening of the second day I decided to put my new state of being to the acid test by visiting my parents. Their response was cordial beyond anything I had ever experienced from them, and convinced me that I was now living in an altered reality. But by the following morning I had returned to "normal." So distracting had this event been that I had completely forgotten to perform my Muslim prayers, and in fact, never did so again.
   
   Twenty years later, in a chapter of "Power of Silence" entitled "Place of No Pity" Castaneda describes a very similar experience. In the aftermath of the event don Juan explains that humans are like televisions stuck on a channel called "self-preoccupation," lacking the energy to tune into any of the vast array of other channels available to us. To change channels, he explains, we first need to accumulate energy, by practicing rituals that are deliberate, precise and repetitious. Do this long enough and eventually we experience a shift to a channel where self-importance and self pity are no longer possible. Once this happens we connect with the force that controls the entire universe, a force called "intent," and everything can be bent to our will and even more channels can be opened, assuming we remember to keep practicing the rituals that save our energy.
   
   This one realization alone was enough to inspire me to dedicate my autobiography "To Carlos, with gratitude."
   
   Maxwell Austin van Lack, Author of The Vortex: A True Story of Passion and Karma



5. Breathtaking! A journey into, or maybe I should say OUT of this world! We all need to consider Taisha Abelar's story as reality, because who are we to say/judge what is real and what's not?
   Astonishing statements, I was only able to read a chapter at the time, to be able to actually absorb and understand the assertions.

5 comments about Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence.

1. Carol Berkin has written a book so interesting that I can cite the women's names and tell their stories to my friends. An outstanding author who has the ability to bring real women of the past into the present by describing the lives and the actions of these women. I've since ordered Berkin's other books. I've recommended this book to all my friends. The creativity and persistence of women to survive and lead productive, heroine lives out of the most extreme of situations amazes me.



2. I enjoy personal stories of the Revolutionary War. This was a good book, but not as detailed about the women's stories as I thought it might be. It was more detail about the state of American and gender roles with personal stories thrown in. What prompted me to look for more Revolutionary times books about women was Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts. Founding Mothers was a wonderful detail of how these women were raised and their roles in the revolution.
   The book Revolutionary Mothers did cover more than the white upper-crust, it covered Native American roles, African American roles, and both sides of the war, patriot and loyalist. Overall, I am glad I read it.



3. I read this book for a class where the author came to speak. The book gives women a place in history and let's us all know that, YES, we did live and contribute back in the day.



4. This book captured the time period of the American Revolution and the role women played in it like no other book I have ever read. I appreciated the focus on particular individuals which really helped bring it to life for me. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about what part women played during the American Revolution. I'm sure you will be both surprised and delighted at your findings.



5. Never in my history lessons have I heard these stories. The struggles of women during the American Revolution were many. I'm embarrassed that I never considered what they went through; partly because we have always been taught only about the hardships on the battlefield. But, in this book, you will read about the many woman who followed the soldiers (camp followers), women who had no other choice but maintain the farms during their husband's absence, women who volunteered in support of the war (spinners, etc), and general's wives who helped boost the soldiers' moral. There are many interesting facts about Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, and many other "celebrity" wives contributions during the war. A great book that I will talk about for a very long time.

3 comments about Running with the Devil.

1. I generally like books by Lorelei James, but this book fell short for me.
   
   Drake March is a very strong sexy undercover DEA agent trying to bring down a ring of drug dealers. Kenna Jones agrees to be an escort for Drake recommended by her cleint last year, Jerry. Kenna met Jerry a year ago while she was escorting him around Sturgis. The information and details were very well written. The author either did some very detailed research or spent some time in the Sturgis area.
   
   Drake and Kenna have good overall chemistry and good sensual chemistry, but what lowered my rating on this book was Kenna's lack of brains and common sense. I don't enjoy reading about a main character that is so gullible and stupid.



2. A fast paced, erotic adventure straight out of the movies, RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL is an edgy thriller of mistaken impressions and undercover lovers. Drake and Kenna are a perfect match in every way. They are passionate, opinionated, cynical and intelligent. He is a cynical undercover agent who tends to believe the worst of people while she has a serious trust problem as well. It is an action packed journey with numerous twists and turns to solving the murder and finding love. The emotional connection is poignant and the sexual chemistry is volatile. The secondary cast is a well rounded group indicative of a traditional Sturgis Bike Rally. One wonders if author Lorelei James visited there on more than one occasion. All in all, RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL is well worth the time and money invested. If you like suspense and passion, you will love this one.



3. Kenna Jones cannot believe her instant attraction to this man who "claims" to be one of Jerry's friends, but there is absolutely no way that she can deny those feelings. Kenna met Jerry a year ago while she was escorting him around Sturgis. Kenna really is not an escort, but she needs the money to pay for grad school.
   
   Drake March is an undercover DEA agent trying to bring down a ring of drug dealers who go by the name of Diablo. Kenna is the agency's only connection to the group since Jerry ended up dead. Drake wants Kenna, but he does not mix business with pleasure...usually.
   
   Drake "convinces" Kenna to be his escort like she was for Jerry as he attempts to find out exactly what she knows. Kenna is not happy about being forced to be Drake's escort, but he promises to pay her and she needs the money to pay for school. As Drake and Kenna work together their attraction becomes too much to ignore. Drake brings out a side of Kenna that she has never experienced, but she worries he is only attracted to her "Kenna" personality not the real person. Drake cannot believe he has let things go so far between them, but he just wants more and more of Kenna. As the investigation heats up, Kenna's life is put in danger. Will their relationship be strong enough to survive or is it just the circumstances that are making their emotions run so high?
   
   Running with the Devil was a hot, hot, hot read!! Kenna is a sexy woman who seems a little naïve about the world around her. Drake is smoking sexy and pretty much all man who believes in getting the job done at any cost. The sexual tension between these two was great and I really enjoyed the Sturgis backdrop. Lorelei James knows how to write fun, sexy, and hot stories with characters you want to get to know better. I absolutely loved Running with the Devil and I cannot wait to read more Lorelei James!
   
   Gracie
   Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

1 comments about Lost Women of the Bible: The Women We Thought We Knew.

1. The Bible's words in the realm of feminism are not one of strict antagonism; there are positive messages as well. "Lost Women of the Bible: The Women We Thought We Knew" is a look at the iconic women of the Bible and their message to the women of today. A book of solid encouragement for women who still hold their faith dear, "Lost Women of the Bible: The Women We Thought We Knew" is a top pick for both Christian and women's studies community library collections.

5 comments about Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey through Depression.

1. This book touched me tremendously in a very personal way. It brings to light that "Depression" is a true life in the dark. Chondra does enlighten readers that it is okay to admit to the illness and that medications which have a stigma placed on them are sometimes necessary to get through the darkest days. I hope that this brings more light to the world that mental illness is an illness just as with any other organ in the body. Thank you Chondra for sharing your intimate times with us. God Bless you......



2. This book was great! Chonda kept the flow of her experience going and adding her humor with the pain. I too have been in that "gray" room and like her I don't ever want to go back. When I finally relied on God and my meds I got better. The Lord was just waiting for me to say "help" and to listen. I think this book will help many people realize that it's ok to take medication for depression or other mental health issues. We don't seem to have a problem taking medicine for other health issues. I have already shared this book with friends and they are planning to buy copies to give to family/friends who need it.



3. Chonda Pierce has been tops on my list since I saw her perform in the Washington area about a year and a half ago. I've savored many of her books and videos since that time. This particular book is close to home, honest and still demonstrates her wonderful gift of humor. An enjoyable and educational read.



4. The first several chapers were a bit wordy but then settled in to have several good thoughts in the latter part of the book.



5. This book flowed well, and I really appreciated Chonda's candid and honest look at her journey through depression. While the church sometimes implies if you suffer from depression, you must not have enough faith or you are making it up, Chonda is not ashamed to share her story and her faith. Thanks for sharing.

5 comments about Hons and Rebels (New York Review Books Classics).

1. Hons and Rebels, a memoir of the life of the "commie" Mitford sister, Jessica, details the authors life from her childhood in rural England up until the time she lived in Miami in the 1940s. The Mitford clan of six sisters (Nancy wrote The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate) and one brother was an unusual one, prone to playing tricks upon one another and outsiders. Jessica grew up to embrace the ideals of the communist party, while her sister Unity became a Fascist, hobnobbing with Hitler. Jessica then ran away with and married her cousin Edwin Romilly, later moving to the United States.
   
   It's a brilliant memoir, poignant and funny at the same time. Although Jessica's not always the most sympathetic character, she's always witty, touching her story every now and then with a hint of irony. Jessica describes everything in painstaking detail, from the Cotswold countryside to certain conversations she had with various people. The memoir is evocative of the time period in which Jessica lived in.



2. "I'm normal, my wife is normal, but my daughters are each more foolish than the other. What do you say about my daughters? Isn't it very sad?" Mary S Lovell has taken David Mitford's complaint to heart. She has a lot to say about his daughters. But after decades (it seems) of books on those mad, bad and sometimes dangerous-to-know girls, do we want to hear it?
   
   The six Mitford girls pursued lives which are footnotes to 20th-century history: Nancy, the socialist aristocrat, gentle satirist of the society she yet delighted in; Unity, conceived in the Ontario town of Swastika, destined to become Hitler's pet; Diana, whose marriage to Oswald Mosley set her at the fringes of acceptability; Decca, who ended up as a fiery Communist émigré in California; Pam, the country girl who married a scientist and lived quietly in Gloucestershire; and Debo, who declared her intention, and carried out the act, of marrying a duke.
   
   By drawing on new sources, Lovell presents a fresh version of the Mitford story. She fleshes out "Muv" and Farve" - the fictional Uncle Matthew and Aunt Sadie of Nancy's novels - and adds to our understanding of their progeny. David Mitford, "the most handsome man of his generation" according to James Lees-Milne, is as eccentric as his fictional portrait in The Pursuit of Love. He did regard almost all his daughters' suitors as "sewers"; but the word was Tamil, "soor", meaning pig. His wife, Sydney, achieves a Daily Sketch headline, "Peeress Saves Ha'pence", for her economies over home laundry (she used paper napkins).



3. I absolutely loved this book. I had just finished reading the very long and very good "The Sisters" http://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Saga-Mitford-Family/dp/0393324141 about the Mitfords, and wanted more when I was finished. Jessica ("Decca") was the most fascinating of all -- the one who ran away to Spain and America and became widely known for her politics and her book, "The American Way of Death." (and an Oakland resident, like myself, which is always intriguing!)
   
   "Hons and Rebels" is charming, witty, and in its pages is not only an interesting glimpse of life in upper class England between the wars, but a love story as well, as she retells the story the story of her romance with her first husband, Esmond.
   
   I never heard Mitford speak, but her voice comes through strongly in this book -- witty, determined, able to laugh at herself and family, but serious about her politics and trying to get by as a young idealistic couple in America. (And I imagine a very posh British accent...) What I also liked was how she treated the relationship with her closest sister, Unity, who, as a Nazi sympathizer, was the polar political opposite of Decca. What a family.
   
   Highly, highly recommended.



4. I was looking for a Jessica Mitford autobiography and discovered "Hons & Rebels". The original title of this (1960) book is Daughters & Rebels". Is anything other than the title revised/updated? I'm such a fan of Mitford, I'd rather read her memoirs than Mary S. Lovell's "The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family", which is supposedly more detailed.



5. A view into the always fascinating Mitford family written by family member, and best-selling author, Jessica Mitford.
   The personal observations about the totally diverse life choices made made by the sisters boggles the mind and confounds the senses.