5 comments about Eugenie: The Empress and Her Empire.

1. Desmond Stewart's biography does an excellent job of rehabilitating Eugenie's reputation. In earlier accounts, she has been portrayed as a vicious airhead, a bigoted zealot, or a clueless encumbrance on the Second Empire. Stewart's elegantly written, well-organized book shows Eugenie's strengths--her intuitive grasp of French politics, her social liberalism, and her dignified life in exile after the deaths of her husband and her only child. Stewart's research is impressive, and he provides a helpful Bonaparte genealogy as an appendix. I came away from this book with heightened respect for Eugenie and a much clearer sense of the historical importance of France's Second Empire and its legacies: the Suez Canal, the music of Waldteufel and Offenbach, the literary splendor of Flaubert and the Goncourts, as well as France's disastrous defeat by Prussia in 1870 and Eugenie and Napoleon III's ill-fated Mexican adventure. This book is an excellent introduction to Eugenie the woman and to the world of international diplomacy in the Victorian era.



2. I've always been interested in the lives of royal women, especially when I discover that they were more than just royal spouses or fashion plates. While such women as Elizabeth I of England, Mary of Scotland, and Catherine the Great of Russia have gotten plenty written about them, all too often, women with lesser notoriety tend to be forgotten or passed over by historians.
   
   One such woman was Eugenie, the Empress of Napoleon III of France. Author Desmond Seward, a long-time biographer of royalty, takes what at first appears to be a woman of little notice and turns her into someone to be reckoned with. At first I was rather skeptical, remembering that most of what I had read of Eugenie was that she was Spanish, a fashion setter who was known to have never worn the same evening gown twice and who was a patron of Worth, and that most of history regarded her as a conniving, bad woman who frittered life away. To say that I was in for a surprise was an understatement.
   
   Born Maria Eugenia Ignacia Augusta de Montijo , Eugenie grew up in an Europe that was going through revolutionary changes. Her father had fought with Napoleon's armies, and Eugenie soon developed a fascination with all things having to do with the Bonapartes . Clever, beautiful, and with the ability of being able to say the right thing in the right situation, Eugenie should have been wed quickly, but even after a tour of Europe with her wealthy mother didn't manage a good catch, and at twenty-three she was facing the prospect of spinsterhood. But it seems that Eugenie already had someone in mind -- the nephew of the formidable Napoleon, who had just managed to create himself Emperor of the French, by a coup-de-stat.
   
   Napoleon III, as he was known, was also charming, but also short, rather ugly, and inscrutable. An able politician, that side of his personality has been mostly overlooked for historians, focusing instead on his insatiable need for women, and his lack of military leadership. He was also an innate showman, knowing how to catch people's imagination, and able to push through schemes and ideas that most would never take seriously.
   
   Together, Napoleon and Eugenie formed a partnership that managed to survive for more than seventeen years, recreating Paris from an aging medieval slum to the magnificent City of Lights that we know today. Eugenie gave European fashion a chic flair with her patronage of the coutiere Worth, the artist Winterhalter, and her own innate sense of design.
   
   But there were also serious flaws to the couple as well -- Eugenie had a vicious temper, and one that got worse as it got older; Napoleon's infidelities drove her to jealous rages, especially after the difficult birth of her only child. For his own part, Napoleon backed the feeble attempt to turn Mexico into a monarchy, found himself embroiled in a war with Prussia and dwindled into history as a laughing stock. As for Eugenie, besides losing her throne, she would face a long, lonely exile from Paris that stretched to nearly fifty years, and was emotionally devastated by the loss of her only child at a young age.
   
   It's an intriguing look at a woman who was both villified and worshipped during her lifetime and afterwards, much as Marie Antoinette had been in an earlier generation. Indeed, Eugenie was fascinated by her predecessor, and would avidly collect any sort of memorabilia and objects that were associated with that unfortunate queen. In fact, Eugenie's life would eeriely echo that of Marie Antoinette in many ways, and she always lived in fear of the Parisian mob seeking to overthrow her.
   
   Despite the book being a bit light in treatment -- gossip is constantly recounted, and Seward often repeats himself -- this was an engaging, enlightening read. I had known very little about the Second Empire, and discovered that most of my preconceptions of this period were wrong. Seward draws on the memoirs, newspaper accounts and Eugenie's own letters and recollections for his source material. At just under three hundred pages, it's a quick read, and a good start to exploring this period of French history. A selection of engravings and photographs are included in a black-and-white insert, and there are copious notes and bibliography.



3. From the professional reviews, I had expected a well-written, scholarly book. This is neither. The writing is sometimes poor, and never eloquent or outstanding.
   
   The real problem, however, is the material. The portraits of Eugenie & Napoleon III are favorably one-sided. I don't feel as thought I could tell you the character of either after reading this book. Eugenie is impetuous is stated again & again but very few examples are given. Napoloen III is "pathologically secreative" but again no examples are given to support this statement. A very light-weight book.



4. I had very little knowledge on Eugenie other then she was Empress of France and lost her only child. I've never been interested much in Napoleon III's reign or his consort but decided to give this book a try. I was pleasently surprised by what I read. Like the Eugenie was Spanish or that she was probably a better politican then her husband. Eugenie went from being bascially a no body to Empress of France and only to end up in exile after her husband was defeated. It must have been heartbreaking to lose her only child. A wonderful bio.



5. capturing napoleon iii heart and becoming empress of france would lead you to think her life would be happy ever after.but eugenie had a difficult birth of her only child made made it dangerous for another child ending her sex life with husband who carry on affairs that cause her great angry and pain.she became a fashion plate ,but also put reforms to help the poor and disavantage of france.after fall of empire she lived in england for 50 years losting her husband and son.

5 comments about The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow: The Mystical Nature Diary of Opal Whiteley.

1. This beautiful, lyrical journal, written by a 6-year-old prodigy from the backwoods of Oregon, will have you gazing in wonder at fire hydrants and listening to the song of the subways. Opal has a direct relationship with every tree, horse, rat and blade of grass in her backyard, and is able to see every living thing as a gift from God.

   The story behind the publication of the journal is a sad one, but the diary itself is timeless and transcendent. Opal may have died in obscurity but her lovely spirit lives on in her work.




2. This book is the diary of a six-year-old girl named Opal Whiteley, who grew up in Oregon logging camps in the early 1900s. She loved nature and her writing style was inimitably beautiful.
   
   Her diary was published first in 1920, but became the centre of a large controversy and was dismissed as a fraud. Mr Hoff discovered a copy of this book by chance in 1983, and was so fascinated by it that he spent years researching the life of Opal to determine the true story.
   
   It most certainly is no fraud. Mr Hoff opens this book with a very well-researched, unbiased biography of Opal which proves beyond doubt that this really was her diary written at age six. He follows this up with the diary (or what exists of it), and ends with the tale of his story of trying to meet Opal personally.
   
   The tone of the book, by the time you have read from beginning to end, is one of tragedy. However, like the lonely, brave tones of a bird chirping through the twilight its farewell to the setting sun and a day that shall never return, beauty sometimes IS bitter sweet; but the quiet love, the charming way Opal describes her surroundings, her pets, the people she meets, and the voices of the natural world which Opal understood so well balance out the sadness and make this book well worth reading and adding to your personal collection.
   
   Opal's story is at once a sad commentary on the way one small hint of a rumour can snowball into the destruction of a person's life and a celebration of childhood and nature. It is mostly the latter.
   
   This is a brief passage from the diary part of the book, to give you a sample of its simplistic yet profound loveliness.
   
   "And all the times I was picking up potatoes, I did have conversations with them. Too, I did have thinks of all their growing days here in the ground, and all the things they did hear. Earth-voices are glad voices, and earth-songs come up from the ground through the plants; and in their flowering, and in the days before these days are come, they do tell the earth-songs to the wind. And the wind in her goings does whisper them to folks to print for other folks, so other folks do have knowing of earth's songs. When I grow up, I am going to write for children - and grownups that haven't grown up too much - all the earth-songs I now do hear."
   
   Doesn't that just sound like such music?
   
   Please read this book. Take it to heart.
   
   And thank you, Mr Hoff, for your loving tribute to an amazing woman, and for the hard work you did to bring this masterpiece back into the public eye.



3. To say this is my favorite book of all time, my most treasured, the one I would grab in a housefire - that is just a beginning. Opal brings us into the innocence and wonder of childhood in a way that inspires us to reclaim that part of ourselves. There are haunting scenes that pull you to love her and precious glimpses into her imaginings that wake you up to the magic in life. As she trots around with critters in her pockets and on her shoulders with names inspired by the great writers, christens baby chicks in the barn and finds notes and ribbons left by the fairies in the woods, Opal delights us and opens our hearts to a more tender place.



4. I'm a huge fan of Benjamin Hoff. Who is a spiritual writer that a guy like me (who doesn't keep "earth crystals" in pocket or wreak of Nag Champa) can get into. I could go on glowingly about the passion that Hoff applies while exploring his subject. I would be someone pointed out to me that Hoff had been discredited by Katherine Beck. So I'm kind of writing a dual review using Beck's book as a jumping off point.
   
   Some facts about Beck's book:
   
   1) Beck never really discredits Opal for writing the book when she claimed: she admits that:
   a) Opal was incredibly bright as a teenager, bizzarely aware of the latin names of plants and animals. beck admits that by 15 or she was already a prodigy. But never attempts to explain how that related to possibly she could have been a brilliant writer as a child.
   b) Beck claims in response to forensic information favorable to at least part of Opal's story, that Opal planned the hoax by saving old scraps of paper and crayons from her childhood for 10 or 15 years and moving with to multiple houses and states to write the diary, appearantly hedging against future forensic technology, then torn her work to shreds and left it in jeopardy in a place where it could have been destroyed just to really sell people on it's authenticity. Also as native of the Willamete Valley I've met people who can recreate her journeys, which would have been hard to fake from a distance. That's about as crazy as any claims Opal made about the book.
   c) Beck gives examples of other child authors of the time who she feels were better writers, so why would be inconcievable to her that a substandard counterpart would exist? She doesn't even touch on it.
   2) Beck doesn't like Opal at all, she doesn't like her writing, kind implies she was harlot and a racist, and worst of all for me personally; she's glib about Opal's crippling mental illness.
   3) Beck seems affectionate for amatuer Opalites but seems to think people like Hoff and Nassif are nuts and paints Boulton as criminally Naive. She doesn't seem think Opal should be taught in schools, or at least thinks its screwball.
   4) Beck takes no time to really examine the spiritual significance of the book, except to say she thinks it's pre-new age tripe. To Beck it was popular at the time because people were gulliable and if it's getting a comeback now it must be for the same reason.
   
   Even being horder of Opal related history I got bored because reading someone's account of how much they dislike someone who was at worst kind of a liar and bad writer (remember it's not like Opal was dictator or anything) gets really, really tedious after about 50 pages. Also discrediting the most widely discredited author of the last 100 years is not an exciting read. I think the Seattle Times called it "Myopic" which it is, that and commendably thorough and also kind of spiteful. I've been trying to find people to disscuss the book with who aren't Opalites, who dispise Beck. I did talk to one guy who hates Opal and Opalites for very personal reasons but he was a little bored by the book and didn't finish it. The same man read Hoff and praised his writing but didn't see Opal's appeal.
   
   Now, Hoff, by contrast, is over flowing with praise for Opal. Beck interestingly "uncovers" a fact printed in book. Hoff was in love Opal, or the concept of her. So we can't call him biased. He presents a rosy picture of the girl who obiviously had a darkside. At the same time I like Hoff because he comes to the most rational conclusion about the book: It was written by a highly functional abused little schitzophrenic girl, and likely futzed with later in her life. Opal is a tragic figure to anyone who sees beauty in her wierd prose and a non-sequitor for anyone who doesn't. Hoff isn't bias free but no one is biasless about Opal. Also his repackaging of the diary is in my opinion the definitive version. Hoff is a brilliant counterpart in the present day to Opal. Who is due for a looking over outside of the neigh-sayers and new-agers.



5. An incredibly beautiful journal written by a young child prodigy. It is lyrical and delightful. A wonderful book.

5 comments about A Life in Secrets: Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII.

1. When I think of secret agents from the United Kingdom, normally I think of MI 5 or MI 6. Another agency was created during World War II--and disbanded at its end--called the Special Operations Executive or SOE. This book is about one woman, Vera Atkins, and her work within this branch of covert operations that sent patriotic men and women spies into France to help bolster the work of the French Resistance prior to the 1944 D-Day invasion at Normandy.
   
   It is obvious from the start of the book that author Sarah Helm has done extensive research on Ms. Atkins, piecing together not only her work for the SOE, but also Ms. Atkins' personal life. For example, Helm was tireless in trying to find exact locations of photos taken during Ms. Atkins' childhood in Romania. At the very beginning of the book the author talks about the one and only encounter she had with Vera Atkins.
   
   At the time of the interview, Ms. Atkins was but a few weeks from her 90th birthday, and chose to speak little of her involvement with the SOE. With that as a backdrop, the author used her skill and connections to interview anyone who had worked with or knew Vera Atkins to put together a very interesting story. The book is written in narrative form, but at times Helm drops into the text a snippet from one of these various interviews with survivors from that era. Most of the book is about how Vera Atkins tracked down leads on the agents who didn't return or were presumed dead, because Ms. Atkins felt responsible to give an accurate accounting to the families that were unaware their missing family members were agents.
   
   When reading this book, you are aware that you are reading about British history by a British author. One of the ways that this is evident is by the author's liberal usage of French phrases, some of which are not translated into English. For a British audience this may not be a problem, but for the average American audience, it can be troubling at times.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: A fascinating story about World War II and well worth the time to read.



2. It's one thing to be a trained trooper, heavily armed and supported by your comrades. It's another to be a young female civilian, clandestinely landed or air-dropped into enemy occupied territory. Sarah Helms has written a very personal biography, a page-turner that helps today's interested reader access a facet of the war that hasn't been forgotten because it's never been widely known. The portal is Vera Atkins, the woman behind F section at SOE, who was personally responsible for recruiting, training, dispatching and managing civilian female agents in occupied France. It's an inspiring and byzantine story that takes the reader back to the roots of the 20th century. More immediately it makes you shake your head when you realize that many of these young heroines, idealists all, risked and lost their lives owing to the incompetence and betrayal of their colleagues, as well as the twisted and bestial treatment they received from the men and women they faced in German uniforms. It's comforting to know that at least one person - Vera Atkins - felt a personal responsibility to discover the fate of her female agents. Vera's motivations are sometimes questionable and murky, and the tapestry of her roots and experiences are as complex as the war itself. It would have been useful to read more about the specific training of the agents and have more details of their actions in the field. It's not entirely clear what they were supposed to do and what they actually accomplished. More attention on the issue of whether these women were legally considered spieds or not would have helped. Overall Helms book succeeds because it makes an important chapter of the war accessible to today's reader/student. It makes you want to go out and continuing reading on the subject, but one already suspects that her book is one of the best.



3. Numerous interviews with family members and friends, aggressive pursuit of declassified documents and old letters, allow secrets to be revealed in this book. A LIFE IN SECRETS traces the history of special agents parachuted into France during World War II and their fate. The bravery of these people, and especially of the women, should always be remembered.
   
   Secret organizations are secret, their files restricted, purged, and hidden. That makes it especially difficult to trace decisions, responsibilities, and fates. To place credit for the actual heroic achievements and to place blame for mistakes and over-developed egos is exceedingly difficult.
   
   This book is meticulously researched and reconstructed and reveals the facts of agents in World War II yet it evades being tedious. The reader is left to decide the personality and motives of various responsible cadre members and who may be a traitor or not.
   
   There is no doubt as to the achievement of the agents or the author of this superb book. It is an extraordinary book about courageous people in monstrous times.



4. The extraordinary life of Vera Atkins- the woman who parachuted female secret agents into occupied France during the war, and then in 1945 made it her personal mission to track down the missing agents and find out the awful truth of what had happened to them. Sarah Helm, the author of A Life In Secrets: The story of Vera Atkins and SOE's lost agents, tells the whole story about the underground and dark side of political intrigues, spies and beyond. A most fascinating book.



5. I loved every second of A Life In Secrets. It was like reading the best mystery, spy novel, espionage thriller, personal history, and WWII fact-finding book all in one volume. In it Sarah Helm tells several stories and unravels many mysteries. The obvious story is that of Vera Atkins and her "missing agents", the women (mostly) and men who were dropped into France and other countries by Britain's Special Operations Executive, formed to help assist underground resistance movements in Nazi occupied countries. These agents were civilians who were hand picked and trained to blend in and do their job, and it was Atkins' job to communicate with their families and make sure they were okay.
   
   The obvious aim of Secrets is Helm's biographical telling of the life and career of Vera Atkins, which partially involves interviews with Atkins herself as well as surviving relatives, co-workers, and friends. Just the recounting is fascinating, as Helms travels all over East and West Germany, Roumania, France, Canada, and England, tracking down her tale. Then we have the chronicles of the missing SOE agents and Atkins' dogged pursuit of their fates, however tragic, made even more interesting when Atkins gets approval to travel to France and Germany. Her stories of attendance at war crimes trials, testimonials from concentration camp leaders, guards, and inmates, and her search for closure amongst the wreckage of post-war Europe are detached enough to be clear and objective yet connected enough to be horrifying.
   
   But the deepest and most interesting mystery turns out to be that of Atkins herself. How did Vera Rosenberg, a Roumanian Jew, become naturalized British citizen and SOE leader Vera Atkins? Why was she so interested in Nazi Germany? What drew her to this work, and especially to her dissection of the ends of the lives of her agents? What secrets was Vera Atkins hiding?
   
   The answers to these questions are surprising and a bit disturbing. The lines between good and bad, collaborator and enemy, friend and enemy are blurred. But in the end I had not only a great respect for Atkins and how she did her job (in more ways than one) but for Helm, who solves several deeply buried mysteries. Highly recommended!

5 comments about Telling: A Memoir of Rape and Recovery.

1. What courage to share this experience for the benefit of many. As more women share the experience of rape and the devastating affects on the lives of the victims the more we can do to help. Another great story is Ultimate Power Enemy Within the Ranks by a woman officer in the Army. Both are telling and offer hope for the many victims who need help.



2. This was truly a great book. I could identify so well with all that was said. I had all the members of my family read it and have recommended it to many because it is of such high quality.



3. As difficult as it was for me to read this book, due to it's similarity to my experience, I found it to be so extremely compelling--I couldn't put it down! Ms.Francisco has an incredible command of the English language and was able to communicate in painful detail, her inner-most thoughts and feelings, before, during and after the rape. As I read this book, I went through and highlighted many many many passages that I felt pertained directly to me.....so that my husband could read it and gain better insight into what I was and still am thinking. This is a wonderful, amazing book, that both rape survivors and non-rape survivors can benefit from.



4. This was the 1st book I read on my road to recovery 35 years after having been a victim. It helped give me the courage, strength and hope to move forward toward on my own journey towards healing.



5. This is an absolutely unforgettable book because of Francisco's honesty and openess, as well as the clarity and beauty of her writing. I read this book a year ago, and have read many books since then, but the author's story of perserverance has stayed with me.

1 comments about American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post.

1. Superb biography which open the window (and the door) into Marjorie Merriweather Post's fascinating life - - and shows that "money cannot buy everything" ....

5 comments about How to Be Like Women of Influence: Life Lessons from 20 of the Greatest.

1. I really enjoyed reading the book and not only were the stories very interesting but also very inspirational. I got a chance to meet the actual writer Michael Mink and I greatly enjoyed his view of the ladies he wrote about and some of the behind the story of writing the book. I encourage everone to read this book



2. I have gleaned much inspiration and insight from this priceless repository of equally priceless experiences and wisdom of all the women described in this book. After surviving a stroke and brain surgery in the midst of having and rearing my 3 still young children while maintaining pursuit of my career goals, this book further reinforces a truth that has fueled my perseverance during these tempestuous years of my youth: "Impossible is Nothing!" (Quote by the Great Muhammad Ali)
   Also recommended: Faith In The Valley - Iyanla Vanzant



3. I enjoyed Pat Williams' HOW TO BE LIKE WALT DISNEY so much, that I jumped to this book HOW TO BE LIKE WOMEN OF INFLUENCE next. I really like his style of presenting the woman, the facts...and then following through with how to take that story and make it a lesson for us all to gain knowledge and insight...so compelling, it's as if it were our own experience. Bravo!!



4. all these women did amazing things, we should strive to be more like them. Used this book in a Mary Kay book club where we reviewed one chapter each week.



5. We selected this book to read for our book club. It was ok. The writing wasn't stellar - some sections read like a high school student's report. The most interesting part of the book was just getting some more detail about some of the women - but some of the profiles just jumped around so much, it was hard to get a good sense of the woman featured. The book has inspired me to go back to some of the source material.

5 comments about The Other Man: John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette, and Me.

1. Extremely interesting. It seems as though from Bergman's point of view that, Carolyn led a very tortued life. She was still having sex with Bergman for almost 3 years while she was married to JFK, JR. She seemed like a terribly unhappy person. It's a must read for Kennedy watchers! I highly reccomend it!



2. I ordered the book for three dollars and when it arrived, I couldn't put it down. I stayed up all night reading it until the end.
   
   I don't think Michael sold her out, not at all and I think he was right when he said that there was nothing for her to defend. She was a real woman, more beautiful and privileged than most but she was authentically kind, incredibly smart, funny, and she meowed when she loved you. It doesn't get any better than that, imo. It was so obvious how much he loved her, still loves her. How much he admired her and credited her for all she had done for him, made me cry. To most of the public, she had an affair, if true, I say "yes", and they are all indignant about it. To me the issue is more why? Did she really think she had made a mistake marrying JFK,Jr.? It happens all the time. Why are we so quick to think she couldn't have felt that way just because he was JFK,Jr.?
   
   Who realy was the "other man", Michael or JFK? Michael knew her years before she met JFK. I say JFK was the other man.
   
   
   I cared about JFK, Jr. and I am not saying he was a bad guy. I am saying that according to Michael's book, none of them were bad guys.
   
   My only complaint is when the end of the book came and Michael had learned that her plane was missing and shortly after that she was dead, he seemed to hold back much more than in the rest of the book. He barely wrote about how he felt, just more who he called and what he did. That is somewhat understandable considering he must have been in utter shock and despair but I wanted more. The end of the book seemed abrupt and a bit contrived, probably in part due to his impending fatherhood. Again, somewhat understandable but when he wrote that he "had" loved Carolyn, I took offense. To me when you love, you love forever regardless of other loves. That is what Carolyn wanted.



3. After reading this book I am still confused about the author's intent. On the book cover's back flap he states, "Above all, The Other Man is a testament to the enduring power of love and a story about painful choices we make with our all-too-human hearts." I must agree with the part about painful choices because he made some painful ones when he agreed to be the other man. Why would he try to compete with John Kennedy Jr.?
   
   I don't agree with him stating that this book is a testament of love. If so, why did he paint Carolyn Bessette Kennedy so negatively? This book trashes her image, character and morals. Michael Bergin tells of lustful sex, drugs, infidelity, lies and a possible abortion. Yes, it is his personal story of a season in his life and he has a right to tell it, but don't mislead the readers.
   
   Despite my feeling mislead and still questioning his intent, overall the book was well put together. The book contains many full page photos, some of which validate that he did in fact know Carolyn and did some modeling.
   
   If you are a true fan of Carolyn and/or John Kennedy Jr. this book is not for you. If you are one to have a curious nature about the lives of the above mentioned people then you will enjoy this book.



4. I remember when this book first came out and actually wanted to go pick it up. But i forgot and never got around to it. Here i am a few years after the books release and then one day Michael Bergin for some strange reason popped into my head so i decided to type in his name in on AMZ, just to see what was available in his catalog. Of course the 1st thing 2 pop up was the book & right then & there i realized that i should finally pick this up. I have the hard copy and i absolutely love it. I think Michael writes really well. Its nothing ground breaking & it's not going 2 win any Pulitzer Prize awards but it's a good book. He is very honest & candid with his relationship. I know a lot of reviews really enjoyed trashing him & just bashing him for no apparent reason. He dated the woman and has the total right to publish this book. Yes of course he got paid for writing the book but I am sure that was not his 100% reason for doing so. I feel awful that he had to go out and promote this book & get slammed by many of the people interviewing him for publishing his experience & relationship. I am sure deep down inside he probably just wanted to cry after all the negative press he received. He wrote this book & promoted it in a way defend her honor & to show "What would have happened if she was with Michael". It proposes the question "Would JFK Jr. & Carolyn still be alive if she was still with Michael"? I am sure not everything is word for word because nobody has perfect memory. There's always 3 points of view for any story and this was his. I do believe Carolyn was secretly ashamed of him because he was a door man when they initially met. I don't like the way she treated him and this was a story of a very average girl who decided to choose between being financially stable, rather then being with someone who she might have had more fun with. I remember Michael back in the 90's when he was becoming a big star. Of course fashion related things on TV have so much more exposure and dedication now then they did back then. So i heard about Michael here & there and saw his ads in New York. Of course I found Michael to be interesting & was fascinated by him. I mean how can you not be? Of course I don't have a fascination for every model. You need to have that certain something to really spark my interest. Michael is really down to earth & doesn't sugar coat anything in the book. He is also very honest that he used drugs in the beginning of the book. I feel like he wasted his time with Carolyn because i really don't see her BEAUTY at all. She is a very below average type of woman in society. But then again we always see beautiful people date unattractive people. That's how it goes. She really was down right below average. I look at her over & over and I just DO NOT GET IT!!!! Her beauty is something I do not understand at all & she needs a tan.
   
   Also people on here BASHED this book a lot and some of them didnt even read the book. I understand you want to voice your opinion which is fine. On another note Camelot was not perfect & it never will be. Some bashers just couldnt handle what they thought was paradise actually had FLAWS!! JFK Jr. & Carolyn were anything but saints. Then again nobodies an angel anymore. Don't judge from what you see externally because it's usually just a really good mask. You never know what lies behind closed doors. Pick this book up i know you will enjoy it.



5. After reading this book I feel heartbroken, as if the events had actually happened to ME. What an unimaginable, incredible love story. Their passion made me cry. I felt so empathetic reading Michael's story, as if I could've been either one of them. It was that easy to relate to. I read the entire book in one sitting. Contrary to what some ignorant, miserable people may want to believe, this book was not written in attempt to gain publicity. But rather to quite simply convey an amazing love story, as you would imagine anyone who's ever truly felt unconditional, relentless love for another human being, wanting to tell the world. What an amazing story.

5 comments about In Her Own Right: The Life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

1. On the plus side, this book fills a gap by studying in-depth the life of an irrepressible foremother. On the down side, the author refutes nearly every other source on this subject, with suppositions about Stanton's and Anthony's relationship, Henry Blackwell's role in the Train scandal, and Stanton's growing solitude. Who knows? Parts may be true. But I found the book overall to be very negative, looking for dirt under the rug and airing out the dustballs. Take this book with a grain of salt, and be warned that is isn't as uplifting as others of its kind.



2. I found this book totally mesmerizing. I thought the author did a good job in covering Stanton's later years. She was thorough and honest. I learned a lot and would recommend it to anyone interested in the origins of women's history.



3. I would reccomend this book but only to someone extremely interested in the subject. If you are looking to be amused-this is not a good choice. This is definately an educational resource to be used to understand this woman's life, not to be interpreted as a cozy novel to curl up by the fire with... but as I said, if you are a real woman's history buff- I'm sure you'll enjoy it.



4. Wow! How many synonyms are there for GOOD? Let's see: magnificent, wonderful, amazing, fabulous (and for the teens, totally fab) great, weel, I could go on and on, but hey- just read the book for yourself. Pig out of FAB books, man.



5. Dr. Griffiths has written a thorough, well-researched biography on Elizabeth Cady Stanton that both presents the facts of her life and a rich understanding of the psychology and world-view of this terrifically important woman in American history. Dr. Griffith's prose is fluid, readable, and to the point. I was only sorry that she didn't fully discuss the fact that the Cady family owned at least one slave, Peter Teabout, during Stanton's childhood years. A discussion of this and it's relationship to Stanton's abolitionist sensibilities; her objections to passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution; and the difference between her father as a slave-owner and her cousin, Gerrit Smith, a prominent abolitionist; by a scholar of Dr. Griffith's caliber would have been extremely interesting.

5 comments about Casting with a Fragile Thread: A Story of Sisters and Africa.

1. Not qualified to review:
   Author is my daughter-in-law
   Walter Kann



2. Casting With A Fragile Thread: A Story Of Sisters And Africa tells of the mother of three children who left her Rhodesia childhood behind fifteen years earlier to settle into a new life in America and escape her country's upheaval. When she receives a call that her youngest sister has been killed in Zambia, she returns to her native Africa to find a new sense of purpose. A vivid story of death, rebirth, and cultural discovery evolves.



3. deeply moving and honest, ms. kann's memoir vividly evokes a complicated time and place in africa with a story of familial love, loyalty and loss.gorgeous. highly recommend.



4. Wendy Kann's personal and political history in "Casting with a fragile thread" is riveting, wise and timeless. It is a gripping memoir about a woman who has risen above her traumatic childhood and turned her pain into compassion and healing.
   Born in colonial Rhodesia--now Zimbabwe--Kann grew up during the country's 13-year civil war. She experienced the first elections in Zimbabwe in 1980 and lived in Hong Kong when the British officials handed the city over to the Chinese in 1997. She said both experiences were nagging reminders that the laws, police, media, army and government can bring bewildering uncertainty to a safe, predictable orderly world.
   She writes poetically about her environment--how the lawns in America's neighborhoods simply roll trustingly one into the next, without the rude division of fences and gates.
   Having spent my early years in South Africa I too had my "mind revolt against the terrifying avalanche of choice" and tried to figure what "American" was and how I could be "just that."
   Kann's observation years later about Rhodesia's civil war is a warning to all countries. She said, "No one in my generation recognized that we were fighting a war to preserve an unsustainable way of life."
   Her quote reminded me of America. We have the technology for alternative fuel yet we remain in a war in the Middle East because of an addiction to oil, a non-renewable resource.



5. "Late Sunday afternoons, when our father eventually arrived to pick us up I usually felt as though I'd been through a war myself. I would grab my already packed bag and hurry to the safe red leather of his car interior to wait for him and my sisters there. Soon after Sharon would follow me, straggling behind with underpants and flip-flops falling out of her suitcase, complaining, "Wait man Wend." She flounced in next to me. "Why do you always have to be in such a hurry hey?"
   
   I was very eager for this book when I saw it advertised on Amazon. This story centers around Wendy, Sharon and Lauren Khan who grew up in Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe. It was a very touching book with three very close sisters who survived their dysfunctional family and then after they had passed on, had each other. Wendy Khan relates a well-told story though sad in many instances; their loyalty to each other strengthens their family ties. The blow is felt however when the smallest sister Lauren faces tragedy and this brings Wendy back from American where she has migrated, to meet up with Sharon as they gather in Zambia, Lauren's home. There is a lot of love in this story as well as passion and some disappointment in the family. But when all is said and done, I would recommend this novel to all readers. It is well written and it should be a great present for someone's birthday or any such occasion.
   Those of you who love Africa, please read this book.
   Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar ( SUGAR-CANE 07/03/08)

5 comments about The Roosevelt Women.

1. This book is so good, I can't put it down. It should be on the reading list of every college student doing Women's Studies, as well as regular history courses. Thanks to Book Notes for interviewing this author on C-span, I can continue my education with these wonderfully insightful books.



2. This was a pretty well written biography of the women of the Roosevelt family. It includes TR's mother and sisters and a few others you don't ordinarily read about, such as his second daughter, a niece, his second wife. The author does not go into any great depth for any of these women, but she gives a good overview of the lives of each. Well worth reading.



3. This book really held my attention. While I must admit that I still get a little confused with the Roosevelt family tree, this book gave me just enough information about the Roosevelt women. It's refreshing to read about the women behind the men!



4. In The Roosevelt Women by Betty Boyd Caroli, the author gives us a fascinating look at the Roosevelt women from primarily the Oyster Bay branch of this venerable family. Most of us have a general knowledge of presidents Theodore Roosevelt (TR) and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). We also have some idea of the contributions of Eleanor Roosevelt to the world stage. The story of Eleanor Roosevelt and her female kin (grandmother, aunts and cousins) is in some respects even more remarkable than that of the Roosevelt men.
   
   The book starts with Martha "Mittie" Bulloch Roosevelt, TR's mother. This beautiful Southern Belle married the senior Theodore Roosevelt. While often times spoiled, fragile and frivolous, she was also a caring mother and patient teacher to her children. According to Caroli, she withdrew from "family competition" in order that her plain daughters would "feel superior to her, to develop both wit and charm sufficient to outshine her inordinately good looks." Though she never lived to see her four granddaughters, they all credited her for her contributions to the Roosevelt family.
   
   Mittie's daughters, Anna Roosevelt Cowles and Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, provide the most engrossing characters in The Roosevelt Women. While not well schooled, they were both bright, articulate and politically astute women. They surrounded themselves with powerful, witty and intelligent men and their houses were the center of lively and sparkling conversation. In later life, Corinne became a published poet and a public speaker. While these sisters were trailblazers in many ways, they were content to stay in the shadow of their more famous brother, TR, and never flaunted their relationship with him. Yet, they did everything in their power to help TR reach his political goals. It has been said that if Anna, Corinne and Teddy were all alive today, the women would make better presidential material.
   
   Subsequent chapters cover the lives of Mittie's daughter-in-law, Edith (TR's second wife), Eleanor Roosevelt, Corinne Robinson Alsop (Corinne's daughter), Alice Longworth (TR's oldest daughter), and Ethel Derby (TR's youngest daughter). "Princess Alice" is probably the most colorful of the group and was considered the "other Washington Monument." TR once said of his wayward and headstrong daughter "I can run the country, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both."
   
   The Roosevelt Women is a very readable book, and often seems more like a novel than a work of nonfiction. But this is by no means the complete story of all the Roosevelt women, as there is very little on the Hyde Park side of the family (Eleanor Roosevelt was an Oyster Bay Roosevelt before she married her 5th cousin, Franklin) Sara Delano Roosevelt (FDR's mom) does not rate her own chapter. Also, there are no women covered in depth after the generation of Mittie's granddaughters. Still, these criticisms aside, this is a book not to be missed by any true Roosevelt fan.



5. This is a simply wonderful book for what it tells us both about the women of the Roosevelt clan and the men. Caroli's story lends great insight to both Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and the relationship between the two.
   
   The book is set up as a series of smaller books, each one on a particular Roosevelt woman. The great thing is how Caroli connects these women to each other and to the politics of the time. It is interesting to see how different these women were as well as similar. For many of them, their most important relationships with men (outside their brothers/fathers) were not their husbands. Bamie, Corinne and Alice's husbands all take a backseat to other men - often the political magnets of the day. Not that scandal haunted any of these women (except Alice, who courted it). There were some genuine love matches - Edith and Theodore really had a strong, passionate marriage.
   
   Caroli begins with Theodore Roosevelt's mother, Mittie. Mittie is often an overlooked figure and this book brings out who she was and why. It also gives great insight to the childhood of TR and how the Civil War affected him quite differently than you'd expect. Mittie's sister, Anna Gracie, is also a huge force in the life of the young Roosevelts and we see this chapter.
   
   Then Caroli covers TR's sisters: Bamie Roosevelt Cowles and Corrine Roosevelt Robinson. Both these women played down their role in their brother's political life, but this book shows how involved they actually were. Both these women contributed greatly to the political future of the US. These women were also the models for the next generation and where they went for advice and help.
   
   The fourth "book" talks about Edith Roosevelt (TR's wife) and Sara Delano Roosevelt (Franklin's mother). What is interesting here is the comparisons that Caroli draws between these two women. Edith was seen as the perfect wife and companion while Sara was vilified as the evil mother-in-law. Yet Caroli manages to show them as real women, beyond that basic stereotype. I especially find it interesting how involved Sara was in creating the woman we know as Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor, in the beginning of her marriage, needed the advice and guidance of the older woman, although she would later outgrow it, hence the later picture of Sara.
   
   Then Caroli covers Eleanor Roosevelt, but here it is interesting to see the background to the political life we know so well. Eleanor, although Franklin's wife, is also Theodore's niece (the daughter of his brother, Elliot) and connected to both sides of the family. With this generation we see the split between the "Theodores" and "Franklins" politically and then moreorless socially (although there is never a complete severing of ties). Theodore's family had always been staunch Republicans, but Franklin was going to be the golden boy of the Democratic party, which would rub hard on the "Theodores."
   
   Next we see another niece of TR's, Corinney Alsop [her name is Corinne, but the family called her Corinney and to distinguish mother and daughter, Caroli does as well], the daughter of his sister Corinne. Corinney followed in her mother's shoes as a political speaker and activist, even serving in political office herself (one of the few to do so and the only of this generation). Corinney also kept some of the best relationships with the "Franklins" and even voted for him at one point.
   
   Finally we cover TR's daughters: Alice and Ethel in the last two sections. Ethel's life revolved around family and her activities more confined than some of her cousins. Alice, while not an activist in any sense, was one of the best known figures of Washington for her outrageous behavior and tongue. Alice would literally say anything. The stark contrast between these two sisters is brought out as we see Ethel as the more dutiful and responsible and Alice as the butterfly, always seeking attention, yet these two were constant friends throughout their long lives.
   
   This book is definitely worth your attention for several reasons. First, it showcases these oft-overlooked political figures of the Roosevelt clan. Second, it gives new insight to the men who rose to political heights on the shoulders of these women. Lastly, it is just plain entertaining and well-written - a completely enjoyable read.