5 comments about The Rabbi's Daughter.

1. If one is familiar with the religious Jewish life the book grabs you until the last page. A few small points are interesting however. If she comes from a orthodox family why does her father as a rabbi use a loudspeaker on sabbath and kiss other woman? sounds a bit strange.... in addition the very specific language describing in full detail the sexual experiences where not needed to make the book a fantastic book. All in all very well written! Looking forward to her next book.



2. I finished this book in a day and found it very hard to put down.
   It reads as the memoir of a woman who grew up in a religious Jewish household, left the fray to lead a lifestyle of sex and "liberation" and returned to join the ultra-religious Hasidic community. The book promised to highlight the struggles a woman faced in choosing between a religious lifestyle and a non-religious one. And that is my biggest issue with the book. The religious lifestyle she describes consists of a joyless virtually loveless existence full of empty rules, stringencies, and empty relationships. The "non-religious" lifestyle she chooses consists of adultery, promiscuous sex, drug use, lesbianism, more drug use, and more promiscuous sex.
   I had truly wanted to relate to the author, as I am a (mostly happy) Orthodox woman myself, but I do question what "life on the other side of the fence" might be like from time to time. I found it impossible to do so for two reasons. First the author's experience of Judaism was skewed, extreme, and not an accurate glimpse of mainstream Orthodoxy. Second, her non-religious lifestyle disgusted me and I have a hard time believing most secular people engage in half the things the author happily did in her pursuit of a "non-religious" way of life.
   Like some other reviewers I found some of the incidents related strained belief. A woman who repeatedly professes to love G-d so much she joins the most extreme and ascetic Orthodox branch happily recounts how she lost her virginity in a synagogue of all places.
   Her emotions just did not ring true to me. Nor did I really get a sense of genuine spirituality coming from the author.
   I hope anyone reading this book realizes the views of this author are extreme and her experiences are not shared by the majority of Orthodox Jewish women. Some of us do live balanced, fulfilling and happy lives, and interact with genuinely caring and loving people.



3. "The Rabbi's Daughter" is a fascinating journey from one woman's perspective. I was interested to see how many peole were completely turned off by this book. I believe that those who were disappointed may have been looking for 'answers' from a Jewish perspective. If the novel is read in that way, I can see why there would be confusion.
   
   However, this well crafted memoir, by a flawed, caring, idealistic woman, is far more in line with Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love" than a work of Jewish philosophy or theology. This isn't a theological work to bring enlightenment. It's a very raw and real story of one woman's search for inner peace. She looked for it in drugs and sex and being a part of the modern world. She looked for it in the most restrictive forms of Hassidic Judaism. What she finds along the way is knowledge and her own sense of self and balance.
   
   I applaud Ms. Mann's bravery for telling her story.



4. Reva puts everything on the line and does not white wash anything. This book was unbelievably cathartic for me. The descriptions of her feelings and locations were incredibly vivid. It brought me back to my years attending a seminary in Jerusalem. I understood her hunger for spirituality, her desire to suppress her blemished past, and her fantasy about wanting to live a pious life. Although I never got married, I have many friends who did and now live in the ultra-orthodox world in Jerusalem. I am still not quite sure how I escaped the grip of marriage. I wish there was a bit more resolution at the end but it is a memoir, she is still living. I wish her luck and thank you.



5. My feelings toward Reva ran the gamut as I read her book. I would have given it three stars but I read it during a succession of visits to the bookstore coffee shop and found myself thinking about it in between visits. This book is pretty much a memoir of growing up with low self-esteem and its aftermath. What makes this one unique is that much of it takes place in an insulated Hassidic community. I couldn't help thinking of another very similar memoir called Beautiful Stranger by Hope Donahue. Hope also grew up with a distant father and narcissistic mother. In order to fill her chronic void Hope, who is very pretty, becomes a plastic surgery addict. Same story different setting and coping mechanism.
   
   Reva had one thing Hope didn't, a mentally handicapped older sister. Eventually their mother gets tired of taking care of the sister and puts her in an institution far away. This devastates Reva and haunts her throughout the book, even though she doesn't seem to make much effort to visit her sister. Reva seems to feel that her anxiety and loneliness problems are somehow tied to her sister's trauma. It is my personal belief that her mother's narcissistic unavailability and preoccupation with appearances (such as bullying Reva into a nose job at 16) had a lot more to do with it.
   
   First Reva tries to fill the void with drugs and promiscuity. Later she joins a Hassidic sect in an effort to atone and straighten herself out. After a series of introductions by the community's matchmaker Reva marries Simcha. They meet in hotel lobbies and take long walks because physical contact is forbidden. A lot of the young people in this book seem to feel that religious observance will conquer all of their problems and hang ups. Reva is over sexed and feeling guilty about it and looking forward to marriage. Simcha has some hang ups about sex and is trying to avoid it. They both feel that religion will provide them this outlet. She expresses her disappointment on their wedding night. The two become intimate strangers and eventually the marriage falls apart. Reva is left feeling even worse since she feels that her community blames her for her marriage's failure.
   
   I don't want to spoil the ending but Reva's mother who made such an impression on me insists on committing one last selfish act. I would recommend this book along with Beautiful Stranger to young women suffering from low self-esteem, poor family relations and interpersonal skills. They should be read as cautionary tales about quick fixes, especially external ones.

5 comments about Emma's War.

1. Nearly a score of years after the events so intimately revealed in this book, the war in the Sudan continues. (It's all about oil stupid.) The author brings Emma alive as the very best fiction would (in the 20's, she would have lived among the fast crowd in Paris, in the reality of the '80's she went from Oxfram to wife of a Sudanese warlord) and brings the sad history of Sudan in the 1980's alive at the same time.
   
   A fictional account of the same period, What is the What, would make an excellent companion to this book.



2. "Sudan's 26 million people were 2 thirds Muslim, but only a little over 1 third Arab. Muslim or not, most Sudanese were dark skinned Africans. Yet the country's wealth was concentrated in the hands of the descendants of a handful of Arabs (...) Meanwhile, this Arab elite kept the black African majority divided and fighting among themselves." The background in a nutshell.
   
   It's the brief comments out of the blue like this one that make the book well worth reading. In the first half of the book we have the settings, and a summary of Emma's life up to her final journey to Africa. The author's gift for synthesizing a lot of history regarding Emma and Sudan is truly laudable. But in the second part of the book, when it comes to the more day by day activities of the different tribes warfare and of Emma herself, it becomes boring, entangled and messy.
   
   The most interesting and revealing passages come unexpectedly. The conversations with Arab characters candidly reveal their racism towards blacks, and their intolerance towards other religions other than Muslim (see p.103 for a clear example).
   
   The issue of the European aid workers is always a intriguing psychological mystery: "It was against the unspoken rule of aid to admit that all one really wanted was to get away from home" (p.70) regarding Emma. You can make your own ideas about Emma and other aid workers, although intriguing, my own interest remained on the cultural issues at hand.
   
   There are more stories that are not dealt with here. We see African aristocracy, tribal high-class studying in nice English universities, going back to Africa to use their education to make war and impose their law on the rest of the people. This is a class worth taking a look at. The aid workers are also a class in itself, their motivations for being there, their personal stories, are all very interesting. All these peoples are interesting. The book should have continued to be like in the first part, more analyses, more summarizing, and less he-said-she-said and soap-opera.



3. Having lived in Sudan for almost two years I can say that the book was a perfect introduction to the issues and the life in Sudan with an eye on the North/South conflict. Riek Macchar, one of the characters in the book, is still an important figure in the country. Of course, John Garang has died in a helicopter accident.
   
   The book reads like a novel and pulls you along on the strength of the "plot" which is the life of Emma and her work in Sudan's South. Additional information about Sudan and its history is supplied liberally. Scoggins is a reporter with an eye for detail and a penchant for making the story interesting.
   
   Anyone who asks me for something to read about Sudan gets told, "Emma's War." Even if you are interested in learning about the Darfur conflict, this is a good place to start, since a) there is a lot of background material about this part of the world, and b) there are North/South elements in the Darfur situation which will probably continue to grow, even though the origins of the Darfur disaster are not based on North/South conflict.
   
   This is very readable and filled with interesting characters, most of whom are still important to this area.
   
   By the way, Philip Caputo's novel "Acts of Faith" deals with the same issues as Emma's war, but in an extremely fictionalized way.



4. The best thing "Emma's War" by Deborah Scroggins accomplishes is to highlight the often overlooked tragedy and strife that grips Sudan in particular and Africa in general. That's it though, and is the only reason this book deserves more than one star.
   
   Emma herself, based on Scroggins' testimony, is an otherwise forgettable, if not pitiable, person. She had a lot of sex, did a lot of drugs, and reveled in the attention that her exploits attracted. She and her "safari companions" competed to outdo one another with their wild pursuits, and you get the sense that marrying a warlord was simply her ultimate one-upping of her friends. "Top that!" you can almost hear her say. As one prominent tribal chief put it, "If she were in a European setting, she would never even have been noticed." Nevertheless, there is a good story in Emma's adventure, captured in the book's compelling subtitle: "An aid worker, a warlord, radical Islam, and the politics of oil - a true story of love and death in Sudan." How could such a story not be a hit?
   
   The real problem with "Emma's War" is Scroggins' unbelievably poor writing. From what should have been a page-turning adventure, she rendered a laborious manuscript rife with typos, suffering from dreadful research and incoherent structure, and displaying a general misunderstanding of the English language. For example, she puts the date of Charles Gordon's death at both January 25th and January 26th in consecutive paragraphs (even if the details are murky, such inconsistency is inexcusable). She will use an opening parenthesis but have no corresponding closing parenthesis. She routinely jumbles several disconnected topics into a single, long paragraph. Meanwhile she jumps forward and backward in the story with no warning or explanation. And she repeatedly refers to the list of passengers on an airplane flight as the "airplane's manifesto." Overall, "Emma's War" reads like a long, disjointed, carelessly written e-mail.
   
   Fortunately, there are alternatives to this book. For instance, there is the upcoming movie starring (possibly) Nicole Kidman as Emma. More seriously, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder is an excellent story of true humanitarian activism.



5. An amazingly well-researched book on the politics of modern Sudan. Written as part biography, part history lesson, part autobiography, these elements make the story flow along. I learned SO much about Sudan; I'm astounded at the amount of research and interviewing that went into this book. The author's personal reflections, especially how she thinks back to time she spent among the refugees as she's putting her own child to bed, are really poignant. Loved the book because it's so full of information, but feel really, really sad for the people of Sudan and their seemingly hopeless situation. A must-read for anyone going to Sudan.

5 comments about Edie: Girl on Fire.

1. I loved this book. Edie Sedgwick really is about expression whether it's her clothes or her face. A force to be reckoned with. She was a colorful character and photographed better than most models today and then. Love her and love this book.



2. I just recieved this some days ago, after much expectation on my part, having read the book Edie several times (and watched the movie Ciao Manhattan, though that is subject of another review). The photos on this book are amazing (to say the least), I don't know where they came up with so many and with such good quality. You can see so much of Edie's energy and you can also clearly see why so many people were so enamored and enchanted by her, there is just something she transmits that is very attracting (and tragic, Wuthering Heights-like), even after all these years. However you can also see the dark side in many of the pictures, which is also a well known side if you know even just a little of her story.
   
   The text on the book is only so so (not because of the quality, it's just not much new info here), mainly because the definitive text in my opinion is Jean Stein's, however it is well worth the read.
   
   I find it very interesting that so many years after her death and the Warhol days are over, a book like this can still be published and that so many of us still flock to buy it. Indeed Edie is an icon of the past century.



3. I adored it...full of photo's I'd never seen before of Edie...new quotes, etc. Really gave me insight into her whole vibe & electricity. major fun! and it comes with a great CD with an interview.



4. Edie: Girl On Fire is chalked full of rare pictures and new commentary from the people who knew Edie the best, her husband, friends & family. The co-author of the book, David Weisman, not only shares never-before-seen pictures of Edie but, also marvels at the Edie obsession some 36 years after her death. Weisman & Painter do an excellent job of portraying the real Edie through pictures & stories shared by Edie's family & friends. They don't romanticize Edie as being an victim. In fact, they show that Edie was just like the rest of us. A flawed human being who was trying to find a place in the world during a turbulent time period. Edie's flaws are not glossed over or explained away. Instead, they show what a disturbed and lost young woman she was. Weisman himself knew Edie personally for years. Weisman saw Edie at her zenith and watched her fall apart and ultimately lose her life because of her own addictions & obsessions.
   
   One of the best parts of the book is the pictures. After years of seeing the same Edie pictures over & over, there are finally pages & pages of glorious "new" pictures including scrapped "Life" magazine photoshoots and newspapers covering one of the many fires that Edie started at various hotels due to her speed usage. Another awesome part is the cd of audio interviews Edie conducted towards the end of her life for what would be her last movie "Ciao! Manhattan!" (made by co-author Weisman). Edie talks about her many drug trips and her time at the Factory. She's candid, well spoken and heartbreaking. When listening to this cd of Edie's voice and looking at the pictures, you almost want the ending to change. You want Edie to pull through all this garbage and rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Just like any story, the ending never changes and there's really no happily ever after.



5. The book is filled with many great photos of Edie. Many I've never seen before. The text if fine, mostly quotes from many different people. I think I would have given this book a 5 if it contained more of a narrative type of text vs. many quotes.

5 comments about No More Words : A Journal of My Mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

1. Reeve surely has Ann's gene for writing. This book should be read by all who still have parents alive and will be faced with their eventual death and by those who have already lost a loved one. Alzheimers and dimentia are a death before dying. It is hardest on those left behind and gilt and worry are only some of the emotions one has to deal with during the dying process. Reeve caught the essence of her mother and was fortunate to be able to have 24/7 caregivers to help her through this ordeal.
   This book is a tribute to Ann and to Reeve's Sister.



2. This is a touching memoir of the time when Reeve Lindbergh was helping to take care of her aging mother, the famous Anne Morrow Lindbergh in the last year(s) of her life. This book is a look inside the private lives of a very well known family during a difficult transition in their lives.
   
   The story is about how Reeve is trying to make sense of this time. It contains her thoughts and reflections and fears about the change in her mother's condition. I appreciate the honesty in which this book is written, I feel like the author held nothing back in relating her story. I was surprised and delighted at the openness of it. She wrote about things in dealing with this situation that people think, but would rarely admit to.
   
   I found this book to be very comforting, as I recently experienced a similar situation in my own family. There were so many times, as I read this, I was shaking my head thinking....I know exactly what you're saying. Throughout the ordeal, there are sad times, but there were also light and funny times as well. Dealing with the aging and decline of a loved one that you have known so well all of your life is difficult. They change, and when it happens, we don't always know how to deal with it or what to think, and we wonder what they are thinking. It's hard and it's confusing when you are trying to guess at what is going on in their world. Reeve writes beautifully about it all.
   
   I had not picked this book with the intention of experiencing what I did...the comfort of reading about someone else going through a similar situation as me. I initially picked this book because I love Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book 'Gift of the Sea' and I wanted to read more about her life. Once again, as I am a firm believer of...the right books come along at just the precise moment that we need them and so often they come in an unexpected way as this one did for me.



3. Reeve Lindberg has succeeded in giving us a marvelous journey through the last two years of her mother's life. It is also a very helpful description of what it is to deal with someone who is deep in the fog of an Alzheimer's like state. I plan to give copies to many of my friends, most especially those with elderly parents. Reeve's language is lovely and crisp in the strokes of its portraits. It is easy to see she that is her mother's daughter. I am so happy to have discovered this book and I would recommend it to anyone who is seeing or will see an elderly parent or friend through his or her last days and months. Tasha Halpert



4. This is a fast reading book concerning Mrs. Charles Lindbergh's last few years of life. Written by youngest Lindbergh sibling, Reeve, she tells of living on her own farm in Vermont, with a smaller house on the property her mother lived in during that time. Reeve Lindbergh is a wonderful writer - she doesn't need the famous last name to prove that. When she isn't writing about her mother, which is riveting for some reason, her writing of anything else in the book has such a fresh, emotional spirit behind her words. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a legend in her own time both in flying, her husband, and her many published works, did not talk much in her last years. It is a story of how the family felt and coped with her condition, letting go of the vibrant mother they once knew. An excellent book for those who have been a caregiver to a parent or sibling. Anne M.L. was such a famous figure, it was both interesting and heartwrenching to have the privilege of reading about her day to day living. Thank you, Reeve Lindbergh, for sharing this story that you could have kept to yourself, but chose to share. It's a book that will be remembered long after it's read.



5. I have read Reeve Lindbergh's work before in her memoir, "Under A Wing". I was surprised at her candor regarding her father, and what was equally clear was her fondness for her mother. "No More Words", which records the last 17 trying and rewarding months of her mother's life, is a tender tribute that is notable for what it includes and for what it omits.

   The only photograph of Mrs. Lindbergh is the one that appears on the cover. The photograph depicts a young woman at the start of what would prove to be a life as fascinating as it was lengthy. The closing months of this woman's life are chronicled above all else with a great deal of respect. This is a most private family event, and just as the book is devoid of any pictures for the voyeur, the narrative too is informative without taking away any of the dignity of her mother. This would seem to be an obvious manner to write of one's parent, but a person does not have to look far to find books written with sales as the first goal, and exploitation of the subject left unconsidered.

   Reeve Lindbergh is a poet, she is reflective, and these aspects of her personality provide a narrative that is unique. This book is not simply a diary; it is not a chronological description of the systematic health decline of her mother. It is more of a story that is driven by the limited interactions she was able to have with her mother, and the memories that were either hers or recollections of her mother's life. This is not a sugarcoated story of what was a very trying time. The book is a balanced memoir about how difficult it is to deal with not only the death of a parent, but also the very real difficulties and frustrations that caring for an elderly, ill parent involves. Mrs. Lindbergh had the best care available which took much of the moment-to-moment care off of the family. It did not remove many of the difficulties, and the reader can easily imagine what it would entail to care for a parent with little, or no outside help.

   This is a very contemplative book that moves at an associated pace.

5 comments about Chasing the Dragon: One Woman's Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong's Drug Dens.

1. This book held my interest and gave me good insite in and about the drug dealers in Hong Kong. I strongly recommend it.



2. The first time I read this book was in 2001, and it made a tremendous inpact on me. It's about an English woman in her early twenties being called to go to Hong Kong and start working among the drug addicts in the so called "Walled City". A couple of years later she met someone telling her about the importance of speaking in tongues, and she started praying in tongues 15 minutes each day. She had been talking to people in the "Walled City" about Jesus from the time she got there, but after 6 weeks of praying in tongues each day, the people she was talking to started believing what she was saying and received Jesus. She also saw that there was no way the drug addicts were able to get off drugs, if they didn't imediately started praying in tongues. "Each had his fascinating story and all without exception came off heroin without pain and trauma." This book is not only a story about what happened to Jackie Pullinger, but also a great teaching about the power source we have on the inside of us. Before she started praying in the Spirit she said: "Lord, I don't know how to pray, or whom to pray for. Will You pray through me - and will you lead me to the people who want You?" All of us who are baptized in the Spirit and received the gift of speaking in tongues can say the same thing and then start using what He has given us. We have "dynamite" on the inside. Let it "explode" each day, and people around us will want to have what we have!



3. I LOVE this book so much because it is one woman's testimony of what GOD did & is doing with her-through her.
   HIS HOLY WORD IS TRUE!
   HE IS With Us, and just as HE did with the first Disciples of JESUS,
   THE HOLY SPIRIT still works with those who preach the Gospel with signs and wonders following, confirming THE WORD.
   I must confess, I don't have the book now - I gave it to my daughter.
   I actually came in search for another copy for myself.
   :) Well, for me until I give it away again. :)



4. My wife and I could not put this book down as we read it together. It is filled with excitement as the author battles against opium and drug abuse as well as every other kind of demonic evil. In every case, she wins the battle for the souls, minds, bodies and spirits of men and women in Hong Kong. There is one victory after another as men and women are set free by the power of God's Holy Spirit. We highly recommend this book for those seeking release from drugs, alcohol and demonic bondage.
   Sincerely, Rev. Richard and Holly Lang



5. The testimony of Jackie Pullinger, and her life among the poor and addicted in Hong Kong. This is a reality to be in touch with.

5 comments about Still Life With Rice: A Young American Woman Discovers the Life and Legacy of Her Korean Grandmother.

1. This book was recommended to me, and although I was warned about some of the "weirdness" of the approach, still thought it might be worth reading. I was disappointed on many levels, and would not recommend this book to anyone else.
   
   First off, this is not a biography in the strictest sense. It should be treated as historical fiction. The author takes the voice of her grandmother and is clearly making up a number of details (some slightly disturbing, like grandma's sexual encounters). Some of her history, however, is inaccurate.
   
   As has been mentioned elsewhere, the author isn't the best writer. As an example, at one point she is talking about the U.S.-run refugee camps around Pusan and describes numerous hardships such as being sprayed with DDT, fighting rats, cold showers, and dangerous electricity. And then to finish it off, she writes the line, "The worst hardship, however, was the lack of privacy." What?!?
   
   I think what irritated me the most, however, was what was left unsaid most of the time. I suspect part of this is because the author didn't do her research, and part of it is because of the author's own biases. The grandmother is from the yangban class, so a member of the aristocracy of Korea. The background and connections this entails are somewhat covered in a peripheral way, but not in a conscious way. Through most of her life, the lead character is well off. And when she does suffer hardships, the obvious connection between her background and the experiences and results are stripped out. It didn't come as a shock to me that such a wealthy landowner wasn't happy with land reform.
   
   Another issue here that is important to 20th century Korean history but are completely glossed over is that grandmother collaborated with the Japanese in China. This is skirted around, but there is nothing respectable about selling opium to the Chinese, even before acknowledging that the Japanese are the suppliers. There is mention that this made her a little uncomfortable, but it didn't get in the way of her greed. When they return wealthy to Pyongyang, their neighbors know about what they did in China. Again, no surprise when this comes back to haunt them; the core of the military in the north was formed from people who fought against the Japanese.
   
   All this, taken with the occasional historical inaccuracy and the grandmother's fanatical approach to religion at the end of the book took away all trust I had in the author to tell me a "real" story. Because the grandmother seems to present certain events as "miracles", you have to figure out for yourself how events really played out. When you find out that other male relatives are still around later in the book, you can only guess what role they played during the late 40s.
   
   In the end, the author's search for her Korean identity leaves us with a negative impression of what it means to be Korean. I think that's a disservice to Koreans and Korean-Americans.



2. This book is amazing. It really brings the Korean culture into sharp focus. The North Korea-South Korea divide was tragic and this story is beautifully told tying in the war, family, love, divide and salvation. I recommend that you also purchase In the Absence of Sun.



3. Summer reading doesn't have to be a chore. This book was required summer reading for my 9th grade communications students at an international school in Korea. While "required" might turn some off, I was pleasantly surprised at the novel's readability. It is the poignant memoir of a Korean woman who survived the Japanese occupation and civil war of her country eventually making her way to America to live in California. Her grandaughter tells the story through her grandmother's eyes, and it is truly amazing how provocatively she relates the private wishes, dreams and feelings of this woman of a different era. What is most impressive is the feelings invoked on the reader of the applicability of this woman's story to the nation of Korea as a whole. I hope that the wish related at the end of this fantastic memoir comes true!



4. This is truly an incredible journey: A true story that reads like a gripping novel: from a mother trying to cast out the worms that gnaw at her daughter's stomach, to trying to cross the shell of a bridge from North Korea to South Korea during the war, with children in tow. It will make you appreciate everything you have: your family, the food on your table, the clothes on your back. It will make you want to read the sequel: In the Absence of Sun, which details the family's struggle to smuggle family out of North Korea--unbelievable! There can't be a more oppressive country on the planet. Helie Lee draws attention to this divided country that is often overlooked.



5. and this is one of them. This is a good quality book written from an interesting perspective. I highly recommend.

5 comments about The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh: A Woman in World History.

1. A great book -- I discovered it from my History Book Club, before the great reviews poured in from the critics. I think the New York Times had it as one of its ten best at the end of the year. For all persons interested in women's history, biography, India, Caribbean. Shows how much certain intrepid souls traveled in days of yore. And a rarity in those days--tales written by a woman. The author has done her research carefully & thoroughly; text is easy to follow, not boring. Loved the fact that she was related to Edmund Burke.



2. This was one of the worst books I have ever read. It reads like a Ph.D. thesis - with some sentences being 2 and 3 lines long. There is nothing said by the heroine - just about her - and in a most tedious descriptive manner, often confusing (since her mother shared her name). Boring boring boring. I gave up after half of the book was finished. It was a Christmas gift to me and I will donate it to our local University - perhaps some student of history or genealogy would be interested. I am certainly not.



3. 
   Professor Colley has done a lot of research on Britain's 18th century world, and this book has come out of that. She presents an extraordinary interweaving of naval history, commerce, the status of women, slavery, and the emergence of the USA, among other subjects. I like the way she is upfront about her speculation about Elizabeth Marsh. As she goes along she makes it clear what is in the record, what she believes would have been typical of the era, and what she is only guessing at. Very admirable. But I found the book dry in places. A little more scholarly than I was in the mood for.



4. Elizabeth Marsh, daughter of a ship's carpenter, was conceived in Jamaica, was born in England in 1735, and died in Calcutta in 1785.
   
   Between these dates, Elizabeth Marsh travelled extensively lived a full (albeit unconventional) life and saw more of the world than most of her contemporaries.
   
   At twenty, as the sole female passenger aboard a merchant ship bound for Lisbon, she was captured by pirates and taken to Morocco. In order to escape, she pretended to be married to her sailing companion, James Crisp.
   
   Ms Colley has written a book that portrays an unconventional life and the backdrop of the times in which Elizabeth Marsh lived.
   
   Highly recommended to those interested in history through the lives of individuals.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith



5. Being a history buff, I was particularly intrigued by (1) the research that Colley put into this, and (2) the actual description of March's happenings. It is an easy read if you don't mind some extraneous detail. I heartily recommend it to others interested in obscure history.

5 comments about Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller.

1. A very interesting and thoroughly researched book on Isak Dinesen a/k/a Karen Blixen. A must read for any "Out of Africa" fan. Lots of great photos too!



2. Ah, so I finally finished this biography last night. I had fallen in love with Out of Africa and Seven Gothic Tales, and in reading her biography, I had hoped to fall in love with Isak Dinesen, the Pellegrina. Sadly, I fell out of it.
   
   The fault is not in the biography. It's a fascinating life, and it was good to have the blanks filled in as far as her childhood, and what happened in Africa, the continent to which she spoke, and which spoke back to her. The popularity of her work, the American reaction to it, I found this all good reading. But you know, eventually, she turned into quite the old megalomaniac. Thurman shows us where it all came from. (spoilers ahead) Dinesen had always believed that she was special, and was infuriated by her family's insistence on equality, fairness and calm. She felt restrained by it. stifled, dismissed. She felt that the loss of her father was uniquely hers, that it mattered less in the lives of her siblings that their father killed himself. She wanted to somehow own or claim that.
   
   And sadly, the circumstances of her erotic life seem to have warped her terribly. She had syphilis, and had to live carefully and chastely even while madly in love (though therre is a question regarding this as far as her relationship with Finch-Hatten). I can see how this would do a woman in, I really can. She spoke of syphilis as both the price and the source of her gift, a horrible bargain with the devil that made her a genius at telling tales. But the cost was high, and the damage was deep.
   
   The warping took various ugly shapes as she aged. She tried to usurp her sisters and brothers in the eyes of their children, found her nieces and nephews disappointing in their love of their parents. She berated and belittled her most faithful secretary and companion, Clara. She asked for and received constant adoration from younger men, letting them bask in the glow of her admiration and incouragement in exchange for a strict kind of allegiance. She manipulated, bored, dominated, demanded, and through it all, she suffered the humilation of syphilis and aging. While young, she wanted to be the thinnest in the room. She died of anorexia, unable and unwilling to eat, addicted to amphetamine.
   
   That's what I get for reading a biography. I should have just stuck to her work, because, in truth, that's all any writer owes the reader; the work. And that aspect of this life, the story of her writing, is well-covered and interesting. I don't regret reading Thurman's biography, and I think it's extremely well-written and full of specific, interesting information and theories. I just feel personally disappointed in who Isak Dinesen turned out to be.



3. Isak Dinesen will always be remembered for her farm in Africa, although she had much more than that, not the least of which was a talent for writing and an appetite for life. Why dames like this are not admired by the feminists , I'll never know. She had it all: dough, looks, energy, courage. Doris Duke here in the States is a possible American version of this kind of gal; maybe Katherine Hepburn succeeded in creating the film persona of this sort of aristocratic "liberated" women, with family money backing her all the way. It's easy to be brash when you've got a sugar daddy who happens to be a Baron. Still, while many of her class were happy to do nothing with their lives in style, this one had the guts to make an extraordinary life. Thurman has written a thoroughly researched, beautifully edited appreciation of this woman. She tells the story well, but also provides a very convincing analysis of Dinesen's lifelong commitment to the art of fiction. A fascinating biography.



4. First captivated, despite the miscasting of Robert Redford, by the film "Out of Africa", I read on to find out who this woman was. I discovered she died the same year I was born, and lived through those marvellous decades that include WW1, the roaring 20's, the Depression, the boiling 60's and through to the 70's. What changes in the world she saw, and what stories she had to tell. I thought there was nothing left for me to learn about her; I've read her books & her letters, have visited her home in Rungstedlund, Denmark, watched documentaries about her, seen the films ("Babette's Feast", in addition to "Out of Africa", are based on her books). However, this biography is a revelation on every page. Minutely researched (obviously), Ms Thurman leads us through the details that explain why she did what she did, where she obtained her passion, and her compassion, and how she went from a sheltered Danish aristocratic life, to colonial Africa, and then to becoming a world-renowned author. Excellent read for all who love stories of the grand figures of the 20th century.



5. This is a thoroughly researched and beautifully written biography of the life of a great storyteller. Thurman in telling the story of Dinesen's life, also presents a miniature guide to her work. She does an excellent job of portraying the character of Dinesen, the complex aristocratic independent mind, the romantic nature, the connection with a fairytale world of storytelling, the great courage and determination in making herself into a story when all appeared lost in her life. Thurman tells of Dinesen's childhood , her special connection with her father , the division between two families one wealthy mercantile, and the other more wild and adventurous. Thurman tells the story of Dinesen's long African adventure, the story of her marriage and its sad ending in divorce, and too the story of Dinesen's great love , Denys Finch- Hatton. The story of that love that plays a central part in what is arguably Dinesen's most memorable book , " Out of Africa" is a story of the man as hunter, adventurer, coming home to be feasted and entertained by his lover- storyteller Dinesen. This story which too ends with Finch- Hatton's death in a plane crash is at the heart of the first part of Dinesen's life. The second part after the African adventure is when she returns home and begins to make that writing life which would make her world- famous. The second -half of the story sees Dinesen more and more playing the part she has created for herself , as storyteller and personnage. It too however has its great human interest, especially in her relation to her mother ,her brother and her extended family. There is of course a vast world of detail I cannot begin to mention in this review. But Thurman tells the story with taste and a beauty as befits a true reader and lover of the work of Dinesen.
   I believe it really does justice to the spirit of Isak Dinesen's life and work.

5 comments about Victoria's Daughters.

1. A very good biography on Queen Victoria's five daughters Victoria, Alice, Helena, Louise , and Beatrice. All five growing up under a domineering and interfering mother who was also queen which none of them were ever allowed to forget. Victoria grew up the favorite daughter while Alice became the more humble and more interested in helping others especially nursing. The youngest three found it more difficult to try and have their own marriages after the death of their father the last on Beatrice in particular ended up fighting over a year in order to get her marriage because her mother didn't want to lose her helper. In the end Beatrice got her marriage but was still not allowed to leave her mother's side as her mother's messager Beatrice was often isolated from her other siblings. In fact upon her mother's death didn't quite know what to do with herself. I enjoyed reading about their childhood especially. An excellent read.



2. Victoria's Daughters is so well-written and informative, I found it hard to put down. Jerrold Packard seems to strike just the right happy medium of having tons of information without going into too many unnecessary details. The book contains sometimes startling insights into the personalities and private lives of Vicky, Alice, Helena, Louise, and Beatrice that most biographers don't delve into. This is easily one of the best royal biographies I've ever read.



3. For all the pomp, ceremony and privileges of belonging to a Royal family, the chores, the duties, the self discipline and living your life in the public eye would make, for me, an onerous task, for which no amount of money or fame could make up. This book is a fascinating look at Victoria's daughters and how their lives were virtually mapped out for them at birth. In that era, Royal Princesses were expected to marry according to rank and for whatever alliances could be brought to their country. I had known a fair bit about the lives of the more well known daughters, such as the Empress of Germany, poor creature, whose early widowhood caused the rise to the throne by her lunatic son, William, the Kaiser who started WW1, but loved finding out about the private lives of several of the younger girls and their marriages and families, some of which worked out quite well and others which were an utter disaster. The tragedy of the haemophilia which was passed through the generations by Victoria's daughters brought sorrow to many of the girls who lost sons in infancy or when they were only very young men, was a constant terror among the Royal families of Europe, into which these daughters married, as there was no way of forecasting or curing any potential carrier. It's a great look into life in Victorian times.



4. 
   Last year I read the mesmerizing "Born to Rule" about Queen Victoria's granddaughters who became ruling monarchs. That wonderful book, led me to this one.
   
   The book begins, as expected, with the royal childhoods. The Queen would never have her staff spare the rod, nor would she take pains to spare the child any humiliation. She calls them ugly and dumb, and they know where they stand. (No wonder they had so much grief when their father died!)
   
   Victoria's views were transplanted to Germany by her eldest daughter. Vicky's first son's handicap, and the resulting strict regimine should have spurred some maternal empathy, but all little Willy got was structure, punishment and criticism. One could build an argument Queen Victoria's child rearing methods spawned WWI.
   
   Queen Victoria comes off as totally self involved, and like the other royals she's obsessed with monarchy. Marriages, if not based on passion are bargained with it. Rank is the central issue. Fortunately, Victoria allows her daughters/granddaughters veto power, but keeps it for herself as well. For all the care and negotiation surrounding the marriages, not one of them or the life it brought, seemed to yield much happiness.
   
   Since there are 6 key characters (mother + 5 daughters) each worthy of their own biography, it is by nature a once over lightly. It has a good narrative style and is worth reading if you are interested in this period.



5. If you like Queen Victoria's stuff, you will love this story about her daughters.

5 comments about Legends: Women Who Have Changed the World Through the Eyes of Great Women Writers.

1. I initially borrowed this from the library, I picked it up because I loved the photo of Audrey. Every page is a little feast of information and every photo a work of 'Art'. I need say no more.



2. After reading Legends 2 : Women Who Changed the World through the Eyes of Great Women Writers by John Miller, Kirsten Miller (September 2004) my curiosity to know more about `the women who are considered legendary' in our times, lead me to the original Legends by John Miller.
   As my life is always inspired by those who `live their purpose' I was not disappointed by John Miller's daring assemblage of writers to optimize in words, their thoughts of contemporary iconic women from Golda Meir, Bette Davis, Josephine Baker, Zora Neale Hurston, Helen Keller, to the power of Georgia O'Keeffe, the bravery of Amelia Earhart, the beauty and wit of Lucille Ball, to the omni-presence of Oprah Winfrey.
   As I tackle my days of mountains and mountains of to do's, during my mandated 3:00 mediation time, I read a page for renewal and inspiration to tackle the next contract, the next segment of my radio show or write the next review. Each well written snapshot of each of these heroic women is pure energetic inspiration. Reading the shards of Ella Fitzgerald life, reminds me of how far our world has come and how GOD has kept watch over "women" who are the perpetual of the world (not the destroyers as our gender counter part seem). The passions of Martha Stewart no matter what is said, you can not tarnished her business greatness for turning the mundane into an empire, (no matter what you think today).
   As I continue to read, I want my daughter to now know these books, Legends. I want her to know and revere the women who faced odds and simply saw obstacles as `what you face in life.' Babe Didrikson Zaharias, an Olympic Athlete, faced it all; controversy, cancer and unbelievable discrimination to live her purpose. Anne Frank, has shown us that our greatness will rise, no matter what the circumstances. Marion Anderson exhibited that greatness will fulfill its purpose, no matter where; before a segregated audience or from the Lincoln Memorial.
   Women. We make the world revolve, we create new life, and we are the reason for the term `a glass ceiling' being incorporating into modern language. John Miller reminds us `women-you have to live with us because you can not advance without us.'



3. Rather ironic, really, that the editor of this fine book is a man ~ unless "John Miller" is the nom de guerre of some radical female. Still, editing the book can't have been very hard; Miller had some excellent writers to work with. The selection of the legends is somewhat more questionable. Of the fifty, less then twenty are neither from nor intimately associated with the United States; in the effort to remind people of the ability of the other gender to produce legends, the publishers have largely neglected the largest portion of that gender. And as if that restriction is not enough, the editor has not included anyone for whom a photograph is not available, thus denying any woman from the first 95% of history the opportunity to be a legend. Funnily enough, these censures aside, i really enjoyed this book. Quite unlike the usual "feminist book" (i hate the quotes, but you have to admit they belong there), this is neither strident not shrill, nor even obnoxious. It is beautifully written, nicely put together, with superb selection of wonderful photographs of handsome people. Can't ask for much more than that, eh?



4. Legends aptly pairs essays with black and white photos to examine the lives of women who have changed the world - as presented by great women writers such as Meg Cohen, Anne Hollander, Patricia McLaughlan and others. Enjoy an inviting collection of contemporary biographical sketches which reveals these women's many contributions to modern society.



5. I got this for my mum once and it is so good.A different author writes about each of the different famous women in the book in only praising tones and it is really great to look through.Each page is a seperate female,author,article and photograph. Some of the sheilas written about are:Marilyn,Audrey Hepburn(as the cover shows you),Twiggy,Anne Frank and lets not forget Mother Theresa.Or Princess Diana.Madonna does not make it into this book,thank the lord,and thankfully neither do big modern-day stars such as Britney Spaniels..I mean Spears.All-in-all as they say!,a very good book!