5 comments about Listen to Her Voice: Women of the Hebrew Bible.

1. This is the most wonderful Book I have ever read. I wished I could have had a book like this in my 20's . Mothers, buy this for your daughters. Nothing I have ever read has given me so much. This is Book is a treasure.
   
   
   Pamela Patterson
   Port Arthur, Texas



2. I have just finished using this book as the primary text for a Women's study. For eighteen plus women who met for six weeks and covered the first six chapters this was a wonderful text. Lots of discussion and excitement. Wonderful art! Miki Raver offers a new and refreshing look at the women from the OT we thought we knew.
   I also used Marsha Mirkin's book 'Women Who Danced by the Sea' as an additional resource. For those who want to explore the role of women in the fulfillment of God's plan I would recommend these texts.



3. I had gotten one other copyof this book in hard cover through Amazoin and expected that this copy would be the same quality. I was not told that it was a paper edition and was very disappointed in its appearance and the quality and color of the print and illustrations - altogether very bad experience.



4. My wife and I chose this as a Bat Mitzvah gift for the daughter of Jewish friends. It was recommended by an Israeli associate. The text was well thought out and instructive for both Christians and Jews, and the classical paintings of the various women were superb. I think I want a copy for myself. I haven't heard from the recipient, so I can't say what she thought of it.



5. Someone questioned the quality of the paperback's image reproduction - I know both the hardback and the paperback of this book well. There's no reduction in the quality of reproductions in the paperback. In fact, after some color correction and updating, I think the quality of images may be superior in the paperback! The cover is gorgeous. This is one paperback no one will feel looks chintzy when given as a present.

1 comments about Buckeye Women: History Of Ohio'S Daughters (Ohio Bicentennial Series).

1. My mother bought this book and loaned it to me to read. If I had a daughter, I would give it to her to read. These women are the unsung heroes of time and history. From frontier days to modern civilization, women have always been the backbone of any social change. Women have fought for equal pay, equal rights and better working conditions. Women have fought for the right to vote. They fight to better society. They fight to keep the family farms. They raised children and worked in factories to keep food on the table. They may have been subjected to men and laws ~~ but they have always fought to have a better life.

   This book is very inspiring. Buckeye women are strong and intelligent women who didn't let prejudice stop them from achieving their goals. They fought for what they believed in. And some of the Buckeye women have moved onto the national platform ~~ bringing Ohio into the forefront of history. It's a fascinating read ~~ very insightful and for those who don't care for long descriptives, this book is brief and straight to the point. I didn't feel like they've left anything out ~~ in fact, this book has piqued my interest in Ohioans and read more on Ohio history. It's a fascinating look into time. It also makes me very thankful that my foremothers fought to give me better opportunities in life ~~ it's a book that everyone should read.

   4-17-03

4 comments about War Child: Growing Up in Adolf Hitler's Germany.

1. Ms. Woodstrom's first publication will help you understand the reason so many Germans viewed Hitler and his promises the way they did before and during WWII. This book is a first hand account from the author, presented in her voice at the various stages of her life during this time. She tells of the day-to-day life of her family and community and captures the perceptions that people had about Hitler, the economy, the reasons for this war and the drastic changes in their lives. It's a real insight into the struggles and the challenges and yes, even the joyful times. "War Child" not only kept me reading far into the night, it also left me feeling like I want to know more...what happened to her family, her neighbors and her town after she left? I have a new appreciation for the freedom and abundance here in America. This book is suitable for all ages.



2. We are grateful to have learned of this book when it was first published in spring 2003. It gives an unusual and unfortunately rarely noted perspective about German life from 1933-45 as experienced by an ordinary person and family in a small town. Annelee tells her own story in a very open and honest way, from the early days when she wanted to wear the uniform of the Hitler Youth, to the terrifying end days of the war when urban Germany was virtually destroyed. This is not an academic study of war theories; it is about what really happens to a people when their government chooses a tragic course.



3. What a book! What a storyteller! I remember a few snippets from freshman English class that you shared with us, but the opportunity to glimpse the whole picture was a rare treat I've been looking forward to.

   I once read an account by an "undercover" war correspondent- who attended a speech by Hitler, and found himself so moved and overwhelmed by his speaking prowess that he suddenly found himself cheering and shouting with the rest of the crowd. You communicated that same spirit, that same awesome power of the prevailing tide. I feel one lesson that Nazi Germany teaches us is how dangerous unchecked government can be: how it can creep into and start to control our daily lives -with the best of intentions- and soon compromise our freedoms and even our right to independent thought. I very much appreciate and value your perspective as one who has lived through such a strict (and successful!) propaganda machine. I strongly feel if we just trust in our elected leaders and let them satisfy our wants and desires in exchange for ever-increasing tax rates the United States will soon cease to exist as we know and love it.

   On the other hand, I'm forced to be impressed by what the Third Reich was able to accomplish; how a broken and defeated nation at the end of WWI was able to come within a stone's throw of conquering the world. It's been said that if Hitler hadn't imprisoned all of the (Jewish) scientists... Germany would have developed the A-bomb before the United States and ended the war on their terms. Germany already had a more reliable rocket (V-2) than we did! What also strikes me is the wealth of development that Germany saw before and early in the war - the autobahn, fine, new schools (for loyal party members of course), the housing and works programs and impressive social motivations to join the Nazi party always reflected Hitler's genius side (not the other side of his personality that wrought great suffering and evil). How insightful he was regarding human nature though - how else could he have enticed so many to join his crusade.

   In one part of your book I actually stopped reading and contemplated how beautiful the writing is - how descriptive and wonderful the wording; when you described the morning of your departure and the breathtaking surroundings you were so familiar with that I truly felt the natural wonder - and the love you had for your home.

   Thank you again for letting me share in your story. I will be recommending this book to my friends!!




4. I was honored to be able to buy this book directly from the author when she attended our women's Spring Luncheon as our Guest Speaker. She was so kind as to sign it for me with a German dedication. Although I was born an American, my children both carry German passports. I am glad for this opportunity to share with them the story of their country through the eyes of someone who was there to experience it all first hand.

   We are already planning to buy her next book, War Bride, and read more about her experiences with immigration.

5 comments about When I Was a Soldier.

1. When I saw the "JUV" label on the spine of Valerie Zenatti's memoir I must confess I was quite a bit apprehensive about delving further into the book than its front and back covers. However, I must urge you not to make such a mistake; this book merits a read, not just a look.
   
   I was born and raised in New York, about half a world away from Israel: the notion of entering mandatory military service upon turning eighteen is so alien that I had to continually remind myself while reading that this work was not by Robert Heinlein but rather by Valerie Zenatti. Nonetheless the latter, serving as protagonist and narrator, does a wonderful job shepherding her reader through compulsory "peacetime" military service. This is hardly the demoralizing world of boot camp we have all seen 307 times in literature and film. Valerie isn't dressed-down by an evil drill sergeant, her head isn't shaved, and she doesn't lose her identity to become a faceless cog in the military machine.
   Valerie's story and rite of passage is much subtler. She drifts apart from her friends but only as much as can be expected. Her superiors are more often than not women a few years older than her. At the conclusion of the story she doesnt find herself in a pitched gun battle but instead in a routine surveillance op. The freshness of the tale never ceased to keep me involved.
   
   Politically the book is fairly neutral. Characters express both left and right-wing sides to Israel's questions, with the author actually falling more on the former. Though I am not someone intimately acquainted with the struggle between Israel and its neighbors, I beleive that this book would be acceptable to most audiences. First and foremost it is the story of an 18-year old girl; it rarely stops to comment on politics and certainly never preaches.
   "When I Was a Soldier" is an exceptionally quick read (indeed so much so as to be a detriment; though the book has a decent narrative structure I would have preferred more of Valerie's second year and a less abrupt ending) and a good one. It has not lost its wit, charm, or exigence in translation and I thoroughly reccomend it.



2. When I first saw this book, I thought I was in for a great war story. This book is more than that. Zenatti tells her fantastic story about how she managed to leave her friends and family, loose her boyfriend, and still work so hard in the Army that she earns to be in the Secret Service. Usually when you read biographies, you think of endless boring facts, but when you read this, it's like you are right there with Valerie. You feel what she does, and you just get right into the story. I recomend this to, well, everyone. If you do plan to get this book, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.



3. Book Review of When I Was A Soldier:
   When our grade was assigned to read a nonfiction book, I groaned. The class then went to the library to pick out, either a biography, an autobiography, or a memoir. I searched and searched for a book that didn't look too boring, but all were things like Jane Arre or something else without a plot. I was on the verge of despair, when I saw a book in the corner of the room that didn't have soft watercolor pictures of ladies in frilly hoop skirts and a scrawling title, but that had a picture of a young girl in an army uniform on it with the title When I Was A Soldier. Ever since I was little, I've always wondered what it would be like to be a soldier and for many years I had the dream of one day joining the army and being a hero that girls everywhere would look up to and say that girls could do anything. Now that I've grown out of that aspiration, the feminist part of me, and the interest in the army remains, so I picked up the book. The back cover had a passage form the book on it that mirrored perfectly my views; "Why should I hide the fact? I'm fascinated by my submachine gun. They're instruments of death and we're finding them easier and easier to handle. We don't think for a moment that we might that for real someday. But at the same time, it's the ultimate sign that we really are soldiers, on completely equal terms with the boys. And it makes me feel proud." It's perfect. I checked out the book and put it in my locker to take home, and eventually forgot about it. That night I remembered it and started reading. I couldn't stop.
   This book is a passage in Valerie Zenatti's life that illiterates the duties, drawbacks, and rewards of being in the Israeli army. She writes about the average soldier in a peaceful base far away from any fighting. You wouldn't expect this; I was expecting wondrous heroics and endless action. But I was wrong. Valerie describes her two years in the army with a sense that she is living through it at that very time, and not years later. She vividly describes the conditions at her bases and her tasks with the emotions of a growing teen-ager. She writes about her anger and sorrow on losing friends and lovers, and her wishes for the future on gaining new ones. I was very impressed by this book and how it was written. I highly recommend this to young adults and those who have a bad stereotype of nonfiction books. This will change how you look at the genre. I truly intend to read more nonfiction books in the future.



4. Being both informative and inspiring, When I Was a Soldier really lets you see the world through a girl soildier's eyes and get a glimpse into Jewish culture and history.
   This book is about a girl named Valerie who starts off as your average 17 year old. However, when she turns 18, she is forced to join the army, and her life turns upsidedown. As she juggles her friends, family, the army, and the despair of losing her boyfriend, she holds tight to her dream of one day writing a book.
   With determination, hop, persistence, and bravery, Valerie Zeratti shows shows the world what it truly means to be a girl soilder.



5. In the book, When I was a Soldier, in my opinion, this was a very good memoir. The author, Valerie Zenatti, did a great job about writing what its like to be in the military for Israel. I really felt a sense of connection with the characters in the book. She did a great job at writing about scenery, character building, and self-inquiry.
   This book did a good job writing about scenery. When I was reading her descriptions of the surrounding area, I really almost felt as if I was there and I was easily able to picture the spot she was talking about. When she was talking and describing Tel Aviv, I could picture what it looked like in my mind. Her character description was also very well done. When she described certain characters I could imagine what they looked like without much thought. The descriptions she used were very in depth, but easy enough for almost any one to understand.
   The book also did a great job at showing her self-inquiry, it almost made me think about myself. From the time she left her home, to the time she left the military, she changed a lot. She started to question about the ways she thought or acted. When I read this book I also thought about the way I thought about some things. She was once immature and more worried about what people thought about her, she cared more about some guy who would stand her up rather then being the stronger person. When she started to question that, she started to become stronger, and now she cares more about doing what is right for her and what is best for her, rather then worrying about what some other person thinks. This memoir made me think about that a little bit as well.
   The character development in this memoir was also done very well. Her character started as a co-dependent eighteen year old about to go off into the military and she only cared about her boyfriend and her friends and she needed them. By the time she got out of the military, she was independent and didn't need her friends to live but still loved to have them around. Her other characters that she was with in the military also built up a lot of their own personalities as the memoir progressed. A lot of the characters in the story, by the end, had their own personalities and contributed their own special part to this memoir. In my opinion, that is one of the things in this memoir that made it very good.
   (And theres my extra credit for critical lit)

5 comments about Grace Will Lead Me Home.

1. This an excellent book. I have a totally different view of Robin Givens. She truly loved Mike Tyson and was emotionally as well as physically battered in this relationship. Many women are in relationships with men who, because of their own pain cannot properly love a woman. This book shows that you can truimph over the heartache and live again.



2. interesting, i got the feeling that all was not said in this book about what really went on but somethings are left unsaid, but what i truly believe is that this was a lesson robin givens learned and as a mom of 6 boys i believe this will make her a strong black mother for her kids you go girl and i am glad that mr tyson and camp are a thing of your past amen!!! p.s grace led you in the right place and keep the faith.



3. I'm not a fan of Ms. Givens and I don't know why I picked this book from the library shelf other than because I had heard about it and it was there. Ms. Givens covers a great deal of background in this book - from her grandmother, Grace, to her mother, Ruth - and then she weighs us down with the sordid details of her tumultuous life with Iron Mike Tyson. As much as I wanted to feel for Ms. Givens, the book did not make me sympathetic, nor did it really provide me with enough of Ms. Givens' story. She spent a great part of the book on her parentage and the drama with Mike, but never really detailed her life "after Mike." Sure, she gives us a brief paragraph or two about Brad Pitt, but what about her other relationships after Mike - how did her marriage and divorce affect how she dealt with her new relationships - and wasn't she married for a hot minute?
   
   She could have talked more about her career, more about her children - but I guess that wasn't the reason behind writing this book. I imagine this was cathartic for her and if that helps her put the past behind her, so be it. I don't know if I really expected this to be a tell-all as much as I hoped it would give more insight into her life and give me a reason to like her public persona. As a reader, I just didn't "feel" it. Worth a read and purchase, particularly if you're a fan; otherwise, get it from the library.



4. This book was okay. It started out very slowly, and took me awhile to get into it. I felt as though this book was very long, but it was a very good portrayal of how she fell for Tyson and all that entailed. I also liked the fact that she talked about her own projects, and what she was trying to accomplish in her life although it was so chaotic.



5. Robin's book was more than I expected. It was very detailed and it held my interest throughout the whole book. You felt as if you could actually feel her pain, disappointment, anger, frustration and joy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would not hesitate to purchase another book of hers.

1 comments about North Carolina Women: Making History.

1. This is a mcuh needed area of focus. Information of the contribution of women is difficult to find in history. Hopefully this book will provide ideas in future research at national or local levels.

4 comments about Gilda's Disease: Sharing Personal Experiences and a Medical Perspective on Ovarian Cancer.

1. The book explains the experiences of Gilda and Gene. It provides an understandable decription of the symptoms, treatment, and the experience of having Ovarian Cancer.It helped me understand what had happened, and was about to happen to my Mother. How the Cancer could have gone so far with so many doctors looking for a cause of all the symptoms they could not find a cause for, till it was too late



2. One of the most feared cancers is ovarian cancer, with good reason. It may be asymptomatic; what early symptoms do appear are vague, diffuse, and often are not taken seriously by either women or their doctors. As a result, the disease is often advanced before diagnosis occurs--as in the tragic case of Gilda Radner.

   This book lives up to its subtitle: sharing personal experiences and a medical perspective on ovarian cancer. The personal experiences are excerpts from Gilda's book "It's Always Something", excerpts from letters to Gene Wilder, and comments from him. I defy any one to be unmoved by these pages. The voice of the cancer victim and the cancer survivor come through, sometimes tragic, sometimes comic, always honest.

   The medical perspective, interwoven with the pertinent experiences, is equally valuable. I think it is superb. Dr. Piver has a remarkable talent for clear and succinct treatment of such complex and scary topics as surgical staging, the 30 different types of ovarian cancer, survival rates and alternative therapies. His historical perspective and obvious mastery of the field enable him to answer the most difficult question-- with a minimum of gobbledegook, and with up-to-date information. This book is almost like having a humane and sympathetic gynecological oncologist across the desk.

   Of course, this book could save your life or that of someone you love. Information is one of the best weapons we have against this killer. I am in awe of how much information and wisdom these gentlemen have packed into 184 pages. I could not recommend it more highly.




3. A great first read after diagnosis. Very informative about the why's and wherefore's regarding ovarian cancer made personal with excerpts from Gilda's Radner's book: It's Always Something (a great second read).

   The author writes with authority and compassion, a rather rare combination in the medical profession. A welcomed book at a time when one needs facts combined with heart.




4. I was healthy, young and active when,out of the blue, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The next thing I knew they cut me up, filled me with poison (chemo), blasted me into premature menopause and made my hair fall out. I was so overwhelmed.

   A kind friend gave me this book. It gave me a clue about what was happening. I read and re-read it and began to understand my disease. With understanding comes hope.

   If you know someone with ovarian cancer -- give them (and yourself) this book.

4 comments about Wild Irish Roses: Tales of Brigits, Kathleens, and Warrior Queens.

1. The title "Wild Irish Roses" is an exquisite way of
   saying"Read Me" and this book doesn't stop there.
   
   The introductory illustrations by the late Nell Brinkley
   grace the book as if it were an extension of Trina
   Robbins's book:" Nell Brinkley and the Early 20th
   Century Woman."
   
   Simultaneously,"Wild Irish Roses" has a stunning and
   exciting similarity to Trina Robbins's book
   "Eternally Bad : Goddesses With Bad Attitudes" almost
   like another extension ,however,set in Ireland.
   
   
   This book,no matter what similarities may grace it with
   with their uniqueness,is more than capable of standing
   on its own with its' uniquess and quality.
   
   Through legends,myths, history,and folklore there is
   never a dull moment.In fact,there's never a moment when
   you willingly want to put the down!
   
   It is so intricately put together with obvious research
   and gifted writing I became a part of the book.
   
   I would give it more than 5 stars if I could!



2. Long before the Equal Rights Amendment was even a twinkle in anyone's eye, Irish women were asserting their place in the world -- sometimes with a well-placed word, and sometimes with a well-aimed sword.
   
   Trina Robbins provides a delightful, educational look at some of Ireland's most famous mothers, sisters and daughters in "Wild Irish Roses." Subtitled "Tales of Brigits, Kathleens & Warrior Queens," the book is packed with stories about women dating back to the far reaches of legend and as fresh as the early 20th century. Whether lusty or greedy, passionate or political, scholarly or savage, these are women with a positive, independent outlook on the world around them.
   
   Robbins saves the tales from being dry biographies and historical anecdotes by injecting a modern woman's perspective into the prose. The dialogue she employs in her stories sounds modern, not ancient; for instance, when the goddess Macha implores her husband, Crunden, not to go to the Ulster fair, he whines, "All the other guys are going. If I don't go, they'll say I'm henpecked." (He goes anyway; bad things happen.)
   
   Other featured characters of legend include Queen Maeve, whose desire for a powerful bull led Connaught into bloody conflict with Ulster; Skathach of Skye, the mighty warrior who trained the hero Cuchulain in the arts of war and love; Deirdre, who defied the high king of Ulster, Conor Mac Nessa, and ran off with the studly fighter Naoise; Grania, who similarly fled the wedding bed of aging warrior Finn Mac Cool with young lover Dermot; and many more.
   
   Although the Christian church took a dim view of uppity women in later years, the coming of Christianity to Ireland didn't diminish the Irish women's strength and independence, as later chapters show. Take for example Kathleen O'Shea, who reportedly sold her soul to the devil to save the people under her care, or the Meath princess Dervorgilla, whose preference for one man over another led to England's invasion of Ireland. (OK, that turned out badly for the Irish.) The Clare witch Biddy Early defied church laws to help people as a mystical healer and seer, while Grania O'Malley, who made her home on Clare Island, grew to be Ireland's fiercest pirate queen.
   
   There's also the goddess Brigit, whom the church made into a saint to help with its conversions, and Eliza Gilbert, who fooled the world into believing she was the Spanish beauty Lola Montez. By the 19th century, Lady Jane Wilde (Oscar's mom) was writing columns fomenting rebellion, and Lady Isabella Gregory was resurrecting Ireland's mythic past and Maud Gonne was inspiring Yeats to greater literary heights (while thrice spurning his more familiar urges). In 1916, Countess Constance Markievicz, who grew up in Sligo and married a Polish count, fought in the Easter Rising, while across the ocean, Irish Americans like Mother Jones, Elizabeth Flynn and Margaret Sanger redefined the boundaries of equal rights.
   
   And there are more. Robbins has compiled an enoyable collection of Irish history, lore and mini-biographies to delight those with an interest in Ireland's past as well as the bold strides women have made to seize their place in the world.



3. While I loved the tales that were told in this book, I wasn't crazy about the way the author told them. Her language is a bit simplistic and in today's vernacular. Comes across as a bit odd when telling ancient legends. But good to maybe read to kids to tell them about their heritage.



4. I read this book after having loved Ms. Robbins's 'Eternally Bad: Goddesses with Attitude,' and was not disappointed. She's now one of my favorite feminist writers, and has such a fresh hip writing style, combining the academic side of things with modern language making these tales relevant for the modern reader. As she makes clear many times throughout the book, Irish women have never exactly been shrinking violets. They knew what they want and they took it, even if it meant starting a colossal war, double-crossing a relative, selling one's soul, having to go to prison, or disfiguring oneself. According to legend, the first people to land on Irish soil were a queen and her 50 female subjects. It didn't stop there, what with plenty of feisty empowered (and not always very nice or "ladylike") goddesses, such as Maeve and the Morrigan. Women were so revered by the ancient Irish, in fact, that when Claudius Caesar came to Ireland, the people thought that Empress Agrippina was the real ruler and paid no attention to Claudius at first. Irish women also fought alongside the men, until the British outlawed female fighters in the year 697. The status of women and these legendary goddesses was so strong, in fact, that many of them were turned into saints when the Christian missionaries were converting the Emerald Isle. (I was delighted to find out that my own favorite saint, Dymphna [a real historical person and not a goddess], is also Ms. Robbins's favorite Irish saint!) And to top it all off, Irish women were among the original Lucy Stoners, keeping their names after marriage until sometime in the 19th century. You wouldn't find any women identified as Mrs. Husband's Full Name in Irish history, that's for sure!
   
   The book goes forward in chronological order, starting with the Irish goddesses such as Maeve, Macha, and Aoife (EE-fa), and other women of ancient mythology and legend, such as Deirdre, Fand, and Grania. (I was a bit disappointed by how my own favorite Irish goddesses, Flidais and Nemetona, were left out.) It then moves onto Brigit, the most prominent example of a beloved goddess transmogrified into a saint by the early Church, and revered folk figures such as Countess Kathleen O'Shea and Biddy Early, the Witch of Clare. (It really speaks volumes about just how revered Irish women still were by how only about four women were burnt at the stake in Ireland during the Burning Times, as opposed to the hysterical fear of "witchcraft" and the women suspected of being "witches" back in Continental Europe. Most of Ireland would have been excommunicated or burnt at the stake by the Continental Church's standards!) Then we get the tales of legendary pirate queens and the bawdy entertainer Lola Montez, and finally more modern women, some of whom led the reawakening in Irish culture and nationalism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fighting for freedom from the oppressive British rule, and some who fought the good fight in America. This final section includes women such as Margaret Sanger, Mother Jones (the classic "I'm not a feminist, but..."), Maud Gonne, Countess Markievicz, Lady Wilde, aka Speranza (mother of Oscar Wilde), and the fictional character Scarlett O'Hara. All in all, the stories of these truly amazing women should make anyone feel deep pride in being Irish, and make those of us who aren't Irish wish we were, or at least partly Irish. A lot of people seem to wish they were Irish already, or to take great pride in being even .0000000001% Irish on their four-greats-grandmother's side, but Irish pride and national literacy should be about knowing these ancient myths and the stories of these inspiring modern-day heroes, not drinking green beer on St. Patrick's Day or naming one's child some ridiculous pseudo-Irish name like Azzlyn (for real). (And speaking of names, I really would have appreciated some sort of pronunciation guide, even though Ms. Robbins said she used the most simplified spellings wherever possible. Let's be honest--most non-Irish folks have no idea how to pronounce names like Badb, Aedh, Cimbaoth, Skathach, or Bodb without pronunciation instructions.)
   
   Overall, this book is a fun read and hard to put down, and highly recommended for all those interested in Irish history in general and Irish women in particular.

5 comments about Mr. Jefferson's Women.

1. There is not a scintilla of evidence linking Thomas Jefferson with Sally Hemings and her brood.Nature magazine TIMIDLY "corrected" itself for its faux pas in 1999, however, the media has continued to ignore the fact that there is NO EVIDENCE.Kukla just capitalizes on the public's juvenille tendency to support these ficto-spectacles,P.T.Barnum was correct about "suckers."



2. Why does even the prospect that Jefferson was with Sally Hemings bother you so much ?



3. Just when you thought you had read everything...Jon Kukla presents a very readable portrait of Jefferson's "relationships" with women--which leads to new insights about this great man--and, more interestingly, his attitudes towards women in general. The final chapters about his broader view of women as a threat to republican government place Jefferson in the context of his time. There is a remarkable discussion of Jefferson and Abigail Adams' letters. The book is eminently fair about Sally Hemings and gives a new meaning to the notion that "all men are created equal". Thank you, Jon Kukla, for beginning a lively conversation that is well worth your engagement.



4. I really enjoyed reading this book. The author wrote it in a way that both educates and compells you to read more. I found it hard to put down. My favorite parts were very personal, real-life events that made Mr. Jefferson even more real to me. My favorite is, during his presidency, an account of his chosen attire while welcoming a Rep. of the British King. He was wearing well worn slippers that he tossed around on his toes (priceless!). I also found the additional quotes and excerpts of letters from people such as Abigail Adams and others a welcome addition. Kudos to the author for such an insighful, wonderful, well thought out book about Jefferson and the various forms of relationships with women during his life.



5. Thomas Jefferson is one of the most troubling characters among America's founding fathers. He penned the immortal ideals of freedom and equality in the Declaration of Independence. We, from our modern perspective, also like the fact that he was an intellectual and that he brought refreshing informality to the White House. In recent years, his reputation has been tarnished by re-examination of his disturbing political tendencies. (See for example, John Adams and Negro President: Jefferson and the Slave Power). This book provides additional insights into Jefferson's character by examining his relation to the women in his life, and the insights add more tarnish to Jefferson's reputation that go beyond the understandably archaic attitudes that might belong to a man of his time. As clearly documented here, "all men created equal" applied no more to women than to blacks in Jefferson's mind. Each woman discussed here provides additional perspective. As to the Sally Hemings controversy, Kukla carefully lays out enough circumstantial details to undermine the most strident doubter.
   
   A fine book, worthy of a wider audience.

No comments about Helen Clay Frick: Bittersweet Heiress.