5 comments about The Incredible Shrinking Critic: 75 Pounds and Counting: My Excellent Adventure in Weight Loss.

1. Its smart, funny, and full of great and helpful information. I love this author's style of storytelling. When I was done reading I felt like Jami and I were good pals. So I read it again and loved it just as much. I hope to see more from this author.



2. I loved this book, it's just as good as the other personal weight-loss story I read called "Secrets of a Former Fat Girl". I love Jami Bernard's style of writing and her sense of humor. She told her story and made it interesting, while giving tips of useful advice throughout the book. She lost 75 pounds in over 2 years, so her weight loss was slow but she wanted it that way, so that she could get used to the changes she made and make it part of her lifestyle. It's true that slow weight loss is the way to go if you want to be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle and maintain your weight in the end. Jami goes into details about just how she went about losing weight and what she did to make changes in her life little by little (For example, when she was 230lbs, she would eat large amounts of full-fat ice cream. She then changed to frozen yogurt, saving hundreds of calories a day, and then finally after some months, switched to 50-calorie jello and didn't end up missing her full-fat ice cream) She talks about her past and how she was offered free pizza for life at the age of twelve if she would "spend just one night" with the man who owned the place. (She was thin until her 30's) She talks about incidents that happened when she was fat that might hit close to home for some people! Overall her story is really motivational, interesting, helpful, and just fun to read.



3. The thing about this book is that Jami, who lost 75 pounds, lets you see inside her head while she was taking the weight off. Let's face it, those of us who've tried to take this weight off before know all we need to know about weight loss: eat less, move more, stay focused. But Jami lets you inside her head, she shares the frustrations, the joys, the buried issues, the past hurts, the broken relationships, and the need to truly look at one's self to take this weight off. She lets you know that if you don't/won't dig deep into who you are and who you want to become then your shot at losing this weight is pretty small. I needed to hear this story. She's humorous and witty and real. Her writing is engaging and she's a great story teller. Don't miss out!



4. I have suffered through one thing or another connected to my body "issues" and losing weight since forever. This is the first book that really inspired me. If you are looking for a boring how to book--this is not for you--buy an atkins diet book or some other "amazing weight loss book that will ensure you lose weight this time around" book (translation ANOTHER waste of MONEY & TIME). This book deals with the fundamental issues involved with why you gained so much weight and how to get it off with a little honesty, humor and plain old fashioned hard work.



5. I had trouble finishing the book. I did not find the inspiration I was hoping for as I have with other books. Writing down one's journey through weight loss is a daring move yet not all are worthwhile for everyone to read. I am in my late twenties and feel maybe this book is better for someone in their 30s or so given the age of the writer.

5 comments about She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana.

1. Delonda gets up off the couch to make something of herself. It pulls at your emotion and makes you want to cheer for Mom Jarvis. And her daughter, the author, too. You'll begin to feel like a Mooreland, Indiana neighbor to this family. It's a sequel, and even better than Kimmel's first book (A Girl named Zippy). It stands alone as well. Pure small town life. Pure Hoosier. Pure delight.
   
   A lot of time is spent laughing, and reading to anyone else nearby when trying to get through Zippy's Church Camp experience. Zip's Quaker upbringing didn't prepare her for a teenage church camp at the age of 11. Her own appropriate age camp was filled so her mom forced her into teen week camp with older kids. "I cana't abide any of those things you just named," Zippy informed mom. What a trip camp was. Wonderful descriptions of what took place that can only be explained by copying the chapter. So...get the book. Quaker impact is peppered throughout the events of Zippy's life, usually bringing another smile or laugh.
   
   Haven Kimmel puts you into the picture with her words. Like the page telling of friend Rose's house. In part: "There were some metal chairs still arranged, by accident, as if to accommodate a long conversation over lemonade. The floor was covered with broken Ball jars. Walking on them created a noise that was akin to a whole, dreadful lifetime of tooth grinding. I enjoyed it."
   
   Delonda invited her prayer cell over for coffee. Big mistake. Pride of the new suspended ceiling in the den turned to a nightmare as a billion-herd of mice raced overhead, cats jumped on furniture backs to growl and the dogs watched the cats. Kimmel's words almost put you there in the fracas.
   
   There's Newman's nice car smelling like barnyard, straw waggled in the air vents, corn dust-fertilizer-manure covered dash, with a trace of anhydrous that Zip said she found pleasing. You gotta read the whole page and you'll find the segment pleasing yourself. The story is filled with paragraph gems, Hoosier emeralds in words.
   
   It's full of memories of Hoosier events like the '78 Blizzard. What joy to read about the short list of records Zip's father threatened to break over her head if played once more. It's own chapter. It gets you humming the old tunes.
   
   Reading "She got Up Off the Couch" will invite you into the Jarvis house in the 70's just like the story's hitchhiker, George. He was "a treasure". The book's a treasure.
   
   Haven Kimmel is one contemporary author of whom Indiana can be proud to have educated and once claimed as a resident. Still do, she writes Hoosier truth. Let's hope this will become a trilogy. As a male fan, let's hear more of Bob's (Dad) story now. Five stars from another Ball State grad.



2. Since the death of my daughter, I have searched for things that make me want to go on living. I have read countless books, and this is one of the very few that gave me that feeling. I want to thank the author for writing it, from the bottom of my heart. (I immediately went out and bought the Zippy book, but it was not as wise as this one. Buy this one.)



3. Haven Kimmel's She Got Up Off the Couch is the sequel to the New York Times Bestseller A Girl Named Zippy and, for anyone interested in a lighthearted romp through the heart of the Midwest--told in the voice and perspective of an exuberant young girl--this is the book to read.
   
   Comprised of seemingly unrelated episodes of the young girl, Zippy's, life, this book makes us love and appreciate her, as we become familiar with the architecture of her family and town. The matter-of-fact narration makes for some hilarious and endearing moments, for instance, Zip describes a woman cooking with persimmons: "she even made something with the word "pudding" in the title although of course it was not real pudding because it wasn't chocolate and hadn't come from a box. I was too polite to point the truth out."
   
   The plot moves forward as Zippy observes the progress of her mother, Delonda Jarvis, through college--from the decision to "Get up Off of The Couch" to earning her Master's degree in English and finally, teaching. Concurrently, or perhaps I should say consequently, Zip's parents' marriage lands in the trash bin~I can't say this is a spoiler, as the fact seems apparent from the very beginning of the book. Her father's first dialogue in the book, well towards the end of the first chapter, is a response to watching his wife drive off with a friend to take the College entrance test: "Time was, a woman wouldn't have gotten in a man's marriage that way."
   
   Despite her father's chauvinism and self-centeredness (he always managed to have nice, new clothes, while his daughter trompsed about in second hand everything, even wearing his old shirts, which she was swimming in), we must be careful not to write this man off. His character develops subtely throughout the tales, and we see him through the tender eyes of his daughter, who adores him despite all of our reasons she shouldn't.
   
   We don't often see Delonda communicating directly with her daughter; instead, Zippy narrates her mother's telephone conversations with friends, or discussions with professors. This indirect source of information continues throughout the book, although we see the two bond when Zip accompanies her mother on campus.
   
   [I must depart from the book for a moment here, to express the nostalgia that this book stirred up in me (and my sister, too, I daresay, as she recommended it to me). How often did I sit at the bottom of the stairs, eavesdropping, or even overtly lying on the bed with her, while my mother called her friends from school and church to discuss the important matters of school and church. I loved it when I got to go to classes with my mother. I'd sit there with my multiplication tables, or some scrap paper and crayons, and ignore the old professor who wouldn't stop talking. She would often introduce me afterwards, because she always had follow-up questions to the lectures. Like Zippy said "I went right on hating school as much as any vegetable left in vinegar, but Lord I loved college." Less than ten years later, I sat in the exact same lecture halls, on my own, and finally understood why my mom took me with her: It's scary. ]
   
   Delonda Jarvis' example of stubborn dedication is undeniably a source of inspiration to her two daughters. While they worried about her in the rickety car during her commute, and their complete lack of money, very early in the book, Delonda's influence is felt in Zip's realization: "I knew I should still be worried, but I suddenly felt that anything was possible, and that most things, though certainly not all, would turn out okay."
   
   The dichotomy between youth and age runs throughout the scenarios and, as some of us may relate to, Zippy pinpoints the exact moment as a child when she realized that her life and body would change, too, in the course of time. She was no longer invincible after this realization, and not much later breaks her arm to a horrific extent in a roller-skating accident--I might add how thankful I am that someone finally exposed the true danger of the rollerskating "whip."
   
   Also prevalent in the book is the narrator's stance on Christianity. Zip makes enough knocks at the Bible to make one wonder at her faith, but parries these with some profound observations of the influence of Christ in her life. She sees through the fraudulence of some religious practices, both by her peers and by adults--when she is forced to go to church camp she is the only one who does not accept Christ as her Savior. She also seems to be the only one aware that many of these young women were simply using their conversions as alibis--that after they dedicated themselves to Christ they found it easier to sneak off in the woods with their boyfriends, because no one would suspect them...
   
   In the midst of her aversion to religion, the young girl obviously seeks something larger; "it seemed to me that there was something gigantic going on and it was near to me and also very far away." And so we see the ruminations of a young girl contemplating Christ, or God, or what-have-you--whichever you choose, and whether you are believer or not, I daresay this is something most of us have experienced at some point.
   
   The book weaves about with hilarious and heat-rending tales of small-town life; Haven Kimmel retells the story of childhood with some rural Midwestern distinctions--the fear of tornadoes, the occasional run-in with an angry bull, a perfect wonderment at the number of cats and dogs on a farm (let alone the barn animals) and a general familiarity with farm life, horrendous blizzards, and of course, the rite of passage in which we play with tape recorders. This is a quick, light-hearted read, though it contains some darker overtones. I highly recommend it.



4. "She Got Up Off The Couch" was our most recent book group selection. A most lively discussion that marveled at the resilience of Zippy and especially her Mom. The ending left us wondering what's next.... It seemed that a lot was said by what was left unsaid - specifically about her Dad.



5. I'm so glad Kimmel wrote this book. After reading ZIPPY I wondered what became of Kimmel's mother. For right or wrong, I always think back to both ZIPPY and SHE GOT UP OFF THE COUCH when reading Haven Kimmel's novels; I always think I see parts of her characters (and certainly her landscapes) in the nonfiction books.

5 comments about Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad.

1. I purchased Desert Flower about five years ago from a street vendor in Brooklyn. I'd have to admit that I purchased the book simply because of the pretty face on the cover. I recently grabed the book of the shelf to read the story behind that pretty face. Oh! my God. I can't remember the last time I was touch by a story like this one. It's been a week since I've read the book and I'm still trying to get it out of my system.
   
   Scream in silence is the first thing that came to my mind when I heard what these women are going through in Somalia and other countries that pratice female Genital Mulitation. To deny a woman of something so natural and beautiful, I think is the worst act ever commited against women. It's as if the women are there only to service the men: cooking their food, washing their clothes, taking care of their children and she's still obligated to satisfy him sexually regardless whether or not she enjoys it in the process.
   
   Loveless sexless and most of all painfull is the best way I can describe these countries that practice Female Genital Mutilation. Shortly after these women are born, they're sexually mutilated , and have to deal with all the medical complications that follows: From trouble urinating, severe menstual cramps, painful sexual intercourse and painfull childbirth. Pain seems to play a major roll in just about every aspect of their lives. These women are hurting and and screaming in silence.
   
   A woman's body is very delicate and sensitive. Without provation women sometimes experience or develop problem with their sexual organs. So, why make matters worst?
   
   As the old saying goes, people will only go as far as you allow them. until These women work up the strength and say enough! is enough! and also recognize that they're the one with the power This nonsense will continue. Throughout history men have been known to buy, beg for sex and sometimes take it involuntary. That in itself should give these women strength to stand up to these men and stop multilating their daughters to satisfy these selfish men. These women should take control of their mind and body.
   
   Waris is definitely a child of God. There is a special purpose for hebeing here on this earth. It was not by accident that she made it safely out the desert and jungle after encountering a lion. Waris has achieve what many women will never achieve, a successful modeling career and inspite of her situation, gave birth to a healthy son without complications. Keep on counting your blessing Waris. The Lord is not done with you yet.



2. This is the most emotional, extraordinary and shocking autobiography I've ever read, and the one I'll never forget and will always be in my mind.
   
   Some passages of the book are so shocking, you get sick in your stomach for a few seconds. But every time I had that feeling, I thought: what's this feeling compared to the pain they've gone through? So I kept reading and was astonished that FGM is still existing.
   
   I'm now a proud member of the Waris Dirie Foundation and every month, I give a little amount of money to help these little girls and the battle against FGM.



3. I looked for a book off my shelves that I hadn't read yet and came upon this one-- one I've been meaning to read ever since I first heard of Waris Dirie a few months ago when she disappeared for a few days and made the international news.
   
   As I had a few hours to wait for my son to finish his pottery class, I dove right into this book. And, it was very good. I was able to finish it before my son's class was over 2 1/2 hours later.
   
   Waris' life has definitely been interesting and, in some cases, very sad. Born in Somalia, she lived with her nomadic family for her first 13 years. As she notes, all ages are estimates, since they didn't really pay attention to birthdays. She begged her mother to be circumcised when she was five years old-- obviously, she had no idea what that meant, at all-- she only knew it meant she was considered more grown up. And, this was the kind you read about-- the kind that removes both the inner and outer labia and the clitoris. The woman that did the "surgery" sawed her with a rusty bloody broken blade that she spat on and wiped dry before cutting. Waris' circumcision left her infibulated-- with only the smallest opening that made menstruation and urination extremely painful.
   
   She does discuss this, one of the most abhorrent practices, but she also discusses much more. Much of her life was very happy-- although they were very poor. She loved both parents but ran away when she was 13 (through the desert with no shoes or water) or so to avoid a marriage to a much older man (for the price of five camels!).
   
   Through an odd chain of events, she was able to go to London to be a servant for some wealthy relatives. And, when this family planned to return to Somalia, Waris decided to stay in London. She was very soon discovered by a photographer and almost immediately became a top model.
   
   Waris' tells her story in simple, yet stark language-- she speaks her mind and is a likeable and strong woman. Her memoir is definitely interesting and she's very open about all her feelings and thoughts. The only thing I would have preferred she talk about more were her feelings about Islam. I realize that genital mutilation is not mandated by the Koran-- it is only a tradition in many of these families. However, her thoughts about her religion and some of its laws and archaic practices that affected her family (polygyny and its treatment of women, for instance), would have made the book a bit more intriguing. She didn't go into this at all.
   
   All in all, this was a provocative memoir of someone raised so entirely differently than those of us in the West. Her introduction to our foreign culture- so different than her own- made for a very thoughtful and affecting read.



4. This is the autobiography of Waris Dirie, an international supermodel. Waris grew up as part of a nomadic tribe in Somalia that still practices female circumcision, sleeps outdoors, subsists on camels milk, and marries off young girls at 12 or 13 to much older men. It was very interesting to read about her experiences as a child because her upbringing was the same as the upbringing of children 1000 years ago in Somalia. Waris' description of her circumcision and the problems she experienced afterward were poignant and terrifying.
   
   Waris clearly has a good sense of humor. It is interesting to read her perspectives first of Mogadishu and then of London. It is fascinating to hear about how she became a model. Unfortunately, the book degenerated in the second half. Waris becomes conceited and less likeable. She also seems a bit selfish in her behaviors towards her friends.
   
   This book was a good read because of the first half but the last hundred pages was a big disappointment.



5. Desert Flower is as an excellent introduction to the nomadic culture of the Somali desert. Somalia, as described by Dirie, is a beautiful and dangerous place. The people who inhabit the desert must use all their strength to create a life using only sand and the little water that can be found. It is this strength that enabled Dirie to survive female genital mutilation, her flight across the desert to avoid an arranged marriage, living as a servant in England, and finally achieving success as a model.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed this book, finding it to be easy to read and well-written. Dirie manages to describe the more intimate events in her life with just enough detail to get her point across. She is factual, but not over the top. I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Desert Dawn.

3 comments about Ida: A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching.

1. I wanted to read about this wonderful woman I've heard so much about. I also wanted to read about her since she lived during the same time as my great grandparents . I've been studying the family history and I get a great since of what their lives were like. A must read for anyone wanting to know the history of that day. Lots of things happening then apply to our current history. Written in excellent style and great understanding.



2. Giddings' biography presents the life of a woman whose courage and intelligence transcends the time in which she lived. Wells story resonates with the troublesome duality of being black and intelligent during a time that most of society saw African Americans as less-than-human. Moreover, Giddings' research builds step-by-step to grow an illustration of Wells resplendent in its examples of unintended consequences. Each violent action by the racists unintentionally shines light on Wells poetic writings that casts each action in its stony hatred for all humanity not only black humanity. Consequently, Giddings' prose flows through each active time of Wells' career as a journalist and writer of civil rights chapbooks almost as though she were channeling Wells herself since Wells story builds from one hair-raising escape from one bigoted southern town to the next. Pick it up.



3. Ida: A Sword Among Lions is a great biographic start for students of history. It provides thought provoking and pain staking details of a hurricanic time in American history...and Ida B. Wells-Barnett was the eye of the storm. She uprooted anyone or anything that stood in the way of justice for African-Americans- from lynchings to women's suffrage, jobs and politics. As a woman, she was before her time in aggressive-ness, assertiveness, and intelligence. I would dare say that the majority of her problems with her contemporaries were gender related. Giddings took a complicated and complex woman during a crucial era and produced a compelling contribution to African American history and the history of the Women's Movement. The book was too long, but will wet your appetite to learn more about the people, places, and events so thoroughly documented in this biography.

5 comments about Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish.

1. This book is a very fast read but perhaps a bit misleading in its intentions. Or perhaps it's more that I felt misled about the contents. Either way, this book wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it is still a nice, quiet little book that discusses the Amish lifestyle and its effect on the author.
   
   Sue Bender became fascinated with the Amish way of life during the 1980s and eventually found her way into the homes of two separate Amish families in order to experience more of their culture. She spends a good deal of time explaining how her journey is an analogy for the Amish quilts she admires. While the premise of the book is interesting, Bender lets us know as we read that her fascination is also a personal spiritual journey into more meaning for her own chaotic life. Expecting to find more on the day to day life of the Amish, I was let down when Bender chose to focus more on herself. However, the parts that do describe the Amish lifestyle are objective and well-done, and Bender shares her surprise at the many things the Amish actually can do within their community. Her visits do sound delightful, and she did seem to receive the peace she was looking for.
   
   If you are hoping for a book that delves into the Amish community and allows us as outsiders to see and understand the inner workings, this book only partially does that. However, overall it's an interesting little book that is heavy on personal feeling and light on the Amish.



2. I felt this was an extremely well written and moving little book, and I have recommended it to many friends. In fact, I bought copies and sent them out. It made you stop and think about your own life and how we complicate and prioritize.



3. I bought this book because it was mentioned in another book I was reading. I have always had an interest in the Amish from an anthropological point of view and this was not a disappointment at all. Sue Bender runs across antique Amish quilts and is fascinated by their unique simple designs and bold colors. For years she has her contacts on the look out for more examples of this beautiful "art" that is so functional. Then she discovers the "faceless" dolls that Amish mothers make for their daughters. The dolls have no facial features because the Amish proscribe to the "no graven image" commandment very strictly. She was delighted with the doll sent to her by an Amish woman with whom she started a correspondence. She then decided she wanted to live among the Amish for a time. She was told they would not take her in; however, a small ad in an Amish paper elicited a response from a family willing to have her live with them for a time. So her journey began. Her impressions did not always fit with her romantic illusions of the "simple" life and she learned much. After several weeks, she goes home to digest what she has learned. Then, she decides to go back and try the experiment again with a different (very different) family. She learns even more. All stereotypes are mostly shattered as she lives with a midwife, her large family and her chiropractor sister and she leaves much richer (emotionally) than when she arrived.
   
   I enjoyed this volume very much. It had an excellent layout and is a fast read. The impressions are honest and introspective and Ms. Bender is kind enough to wrap the most important lessons learned into a nine-patch quilt for us at the end. There are many fine ideas we can take with us at the conclusion of the story not the least of which is how much we have in common with the Amish as opposed to how different we are. It's a book I will return to again and again for insight.



4. After Sue Bender forcefully insinuates herself into an Amish home, she proceeds to criticize and judge the family. She comments on their "bad choices" - chief among them in my view is their decision to let her into their home. She is rude, condescending, preachy and shrill. She eats the family's food and then criticizes both the food and the woman who prepares it for her. She demands fabric for a "craft project" and then kvetches when her host doesn't respond. She proceeds to purchase 1/8 of a yard from 25 bolts of fabric from a polite storekeeper. I looked up halfway into this book and told my husband "God, I hate this woman". I hated this book too. The book mostly focuses on the author, not the Amish community that she invades. We learn that the author is self-absorbed and shallow with a healthy sense of entitlement. The author's fixation on the Amish "faceless" dolls is telling - they represent her void of self-awareness. More disturbing than the book is the biography listing the author as a "therapist".



5. I received this wonderful book as a surprise gift. Knowing very, very little about the Amish and certainly never having read about them before, I was fascinated by the glimpses of their lives offered by the author.
   I believe that the title is incorrect or at least, misleading. From the first pages of the book, I was under the impression that the book was about quilts and the journey with the quilt not a book about the Amish or women in general.
   I am surprised that so many reviewers were annoyed by Ms Bender. Even though I did not always like what she wrote, I appreciate her frank and honest comments, which at times read like a private diary.
   Is it necessary to love the personality of an author, or more to the point, may we simply enjoy writing for writing's sake and overlook the personality of the author?

5 comments about A Remarkable Mother.

1. I purchased this book for my 86-year-old mother for Mother's Day.
   She said she enjoyed it very much and learned more about Mrs.
   Carter than she knew.



2. Loved the book. It was an easy afternoon read. My husband and I took turns reading it to one another while sitting on the dock sipping cold beer. It is one of those days you hold in your heart. Laughed, cried and hated to see the end. Miss Lillian was some kind of woman!



3. This was a quick read, but well done. Mr. Carter's mother was definitely her own woman, but Mr. Carter treated her always with respect and love. A great tribute.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was lovingly written by a son who adored, respected, and loved his mother very much. Lillian was such a force in the White House, and it sounds like everyone from every country who ever met her just loved being with her. She's was a woman that we could all learn from....she didn't take from anyone...even the President. The book was inspiring to me...she went into the Peace Corps at 70....enough said....very good book!



5. Very quick service. I got this book for my mom for Mother's Day and she loved it. I recommend it to anyone and use Amazon.

5 comments about American Jezebel: The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans.

1. It is marvelous to read details about the nation's first feminist,Anne Hutchinson, a woman who ought to make more appearances in classrooms. LaPlante's writing keeps the story moving, although it was disconcerting at the beginning of the book to have her give 1637 as the date when Harvard was founded. The year was 1636, which may change her reference to Hutchinson in that connection. That's minor, however, compared to bringing to life a woman who stood up to the austere and determined men of Boston, founded a place in Rhode Island and then had her life ironically ended in a massacre by Indians when she had been a champion of at least some Native American rights. Few Americans who travel the Hutchinson River Parkway on a daily basis probably know where its name came from, but perhaps LaPlante's book will widen that awareness. Like Abigail Adams, Hutchinson was a powerful woman at a time when women were not supposed to have any power. This book is particularly interesting to me because, like LaPlante, I'm a Hutchinson descendant.



2. The genealogy given in the appendix of this book shows the author thirteen generations directly removed from the book's subject, Anne Marbury Hutchinson. Anne's descendants are also said to include Franklin Delano Roosevelt and George Walker Bush. Other books about Hutchinson have been written, but this one is probably the most thoroughly researched.
   
   Eve LaPlante says she is a journalist; it appears that she has published a couple dozen freelance pieces as well as three other books. She also says that this is a non-fiction book. Although there is quite an extensive bibliography, there are no citations within the text, and one wonders how she knows so precisely that the sky was clear at sunrise on November 8, 1637 (p. 70), to pick an instance of literary embellishment at random.
   
   One expects a journalist to understand the difference between an institutional view and something said by a member of that institution. Thus, on page xxi, she says, "According to Harvard University, it is she rather than John Harvard who 'should be credited with the founding of Harvard College.'" She puts things better into context on pages 133f. Harvard Professor Peter Gomes calls Hutchinson the "midwife" to the College, and explains why this is appropriate. (In addition to this unintended and symbolic role, Hutchinson was a midwife in her "normal" life.) Prof. Gomes teaches the history of Harvard and is probably more qualified than any other to offer such an opinion, but to say that "Harvard University" holds this view (indeed, any view) is no more accurate than to say that the New York Times does simply because Ms. LaPlante has published there. And while both Anne Hutchinson, indirectly, and John Harvard, more directly, played important roles in the establishment of the College between 1636 and 1638, the politics are far too complicated to ascribe the title "founder" to any one person.
   
   The book is somewhat uneven; the story of Anne's trials is quite drawn out and interspersed with many flashbacks, while the commentary once she has died seems to be as rapid a recitation of whatever notes and thoughts were left over as can be stitched together. It is evident where the author's heart is.
   
   Because of these mechanical issues, I cannot give the book a full five stars. As a period piece on Massachusetts in the 1630s, it leaves a bit to be desired. But as source material on her subject with enough documentation to be able to read between the lines why she believes what she writes, it is unlikely that any other author will have the same passion for the subject, the wherewithal to carry out the research, and (mostly) the ability to pull off a moving story.



3. I'm mystified by the rave reviews here. Hutchinson is indeed a fascinating figure, but LaPlante's oddly-arranged book obscures more than it illuminates. LaPlante presents Hutchinson as a proto-feminist rather than a zealous religious dissident. Although LaPlante acknowledges that Hutchinson exhibited as much moral certitude as her prosecutors -- she believed, for example, that she could personally identify those chosen for salvation by God -- the majority of the book either downplays the significance of theological dispute in favor of gender politics (John Winthrop was primarily motivated by a desire to keep women in their place, etc.), or twists itself into knots trying to recast arch-Calvinist Antinomianism as a progressive movement. Incredibly, there is no serious discussion of theology until 50 pages into the book.
   
   Gender is naturally significant to the story (we are, after all, talking about a woman in seventeenth century Boston who brazenly challenged the city's Cambridge-educated male leadership). But the reason for Hutchinson's banishment -- like that of the more influential and sophisticated Roger Williams a few years earlier -- was theological, and the faith of Hutchinson and her slippery mentor John Cotton (grandfather of Cotton Mather) was no more rational and no less fanatical than that of Winthrop, whose tendency to seek conciliation actually marks him as a rather moderate fellow by Puritan standards. Unlike Williams, whose radical separatism led him to become one of the first notable advocates of religious freedom, Hutchinson was primarily concerned not with political liberty but with denouncing those who she believed to be under a "covenant of works." This category included all the ministers in Massachusetts except for Cotton and her brother-in-law, John Wheelwright.
   
   LaPlante is evidently not an expert on Puritan New England, and she has trouble with theology. To give one example, she employs the word "orthodox" as a general term of abuse -- using it at one point to describe the Puritans' Anglican opponents in England, and at other times to describe the Puritan leadership in Boston. Like Howard Zinn (who blurbs the book), she sympathizes with the underdog to the point where underdog status alone is apparently an indication of righteousness. In retrospect, we can see that Hutchinson's religious views were no more enlightened than those of her enemies; Hutchinson was ahead of her time only in her belief that women are as able to interpret scripture as men, and in her relatively humane views regarding Native Americans (which she shared with Williams and Samuel Sewall, among others).
   
   Of course, historical figures should not be chastised for every transgression against contemporary sensibilities. But as someone with no dog in the fight between between varieties of seventeenth century English Protestantism, I was irritated by LaPlante's verbal gymnastics on behalf of her ancestor -- especially after she declares in the intro that her work will avoid the "exaltation" found elsewhere. While we get a sense of Hutchinson's admirable qualities, including her sparkling intelligence and stubborn bravery, criticism is limited to the occasional throw-away sentence, and there is little in the way of psychological insight. LaPlante's Hutchinson is opaque and two-dimensional -- a symbol rather than a human being. LaPlante is not (thankfully) one of those historians who dismisses all historical figures as benighted and morally backwards, but she makes an equally serious mistake in attempting to transform a proud, complex, and extraordinarily devout woman into a straightforward, easy-to-digest hero for contemporary readers.
   
   Three final points, two negative and one positive: (1) LaPlante has an unfortunate habit of substituting her own language for that of the protagonists, leading to some confusion about who is saying what. Quotes end abruptly, replaced by LaPlante's paraphrasing. I suspected at several points that her summaries were generous to Hutchinson (facilitating her transformation into a Puritan version of Susan B. Anthony) and less than charitable to her opponents. The book is at its best when LaPlante isn't speaking at all, since her commentary adds little to the drama. (2) Although LaPlante does voice some minor criticisms of Hutchinson, the general tenor of the book is hagiographic. Many of the quotes that LaPlante culls from other histories of the era seem to have been included only because they are highly complimentary of Hutchinson. LaPlante defends her subject in an almost lawerly fashion, informing us, for example, that "Harvard University" credits Hutchinson with its founding (actually, one Harvard professor!), and that Hutchinson founded Rhode Island (only very technically true, since Williams had settled Providence a year earlier). These are minor details, but combined with the suspicious paraphrasing, they undermined my trust in the author. An honest defense of Hutchinson would have been fine, but this book attempts to lionize its subject using sleight of hand. (3) I learned some things from "American Jezebel" that I had not found in other books on this period. Particularly interesting were LaPlante's discussions of Lincolnshire and Boston, England.
   
   For better books on pre-Revolutionary New England, I suggest Philbrick's Mayflower, Morgan's Puritan Dilemma (on Winthrop), Gaustad's Roger Williams, and Richard Francis' wonderful book on the admirable Samuel Sewall (another LaPlante ancestor on whom she has apparently written). American Jezebel isn't worthless, but it would be unfortunate if anyone picked up their whole education on the Puritans here -- as many of the other Amazon reviewers seem to have done.



4. American Jezebel, a scholarly work about the life of Anne Hutchinson, told through an examination of the primary sources of documentation about her life, is a well written and compelling biography of one of the true founders of what became the United States. That our educational system does not give the same attention to Anne Hutchinson's life, as is afforded to the "founding fathers", is compelling proof of the sexist nature of recorded history. Eve LaPlante, though a direct descendant of Anne Hutchinson, handles this work with both objectivity and thoroughness. Her book filled in a large gap in my knowledge of early New England. After reading this book, you will never again think of Massachusetts as that charming land of happy pilgrims and may develop, as I have, a deep antipathy for John Winthrop, a man revered in our history books, largely as a consequence of ignoring his cruelty to greater persons such as Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer.



5. Anne Hutchinson is one of those figures of American history I'd catch fascinating glimpses of - the Hutchinson River Parkway (named for a woman!), a few lines in Paul Johnson's History of the American People, a portion of a lecture in a Women's Studies course - but could never find her whole story in an accessible form. Until now.
   
   Eva LaPlante has the luxury of a well documented life in Anne Hutchinson. From her birth to her death, Anne was the rare non-royal woman of her time to leave her mark and her words. The centerpiece of this book is Anne's trial for "traducing" the ministers of Boston. Defying the conventions of acceptable behavior, Anne held her own, defending her own actions and quoting scriptures to support her claims. She very nearly won and even LaPlante has to admit that Anne pretty much grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
   
   But the Anne Hutchinson in these pages would have gladly taken honorable defeat over kowtowing to those she believed were corrupting the word of God. It's not easy to enter into a world where extremely fine points of religious doctrine excite such passion and controversy but LaPlante wisely uses the trial transcripts to let Anne's own words convey the passion. This was life and death, not of teh body but of the soul to Anne.
   
   LaPlante also does an admirable job of placing Anne's boldness in context. She was an educated, forward-thinking woman in an age when women were allowed no public voice. The mere idea of Anne "preaching" was heretical, let alone her content. I thought LaPlante avoided over-reaching the case, however, as she doesn't claim that Anne was the "first feminist" or other slightly silly claims. She keeps Anne's acts in their time and they are all the more compelling for this.
   
   The book has two narrative strains, the first is the trial and the second (woven around the first) is the chronological story of Anne's life. This can make for a disjointed feel but I adapted to the flow by chapter 4. The are no photos in this book but the maps included are fascinating. For those interested in early American history, religious history and just who "The Hutch" is named after this is fine popular history.

5 comments about The Burgermeister's Daughter: Scandal in a Sixteenth-Century German Town.

1. The Burgermeister's Daughter is a fascinating and highly readable study of a ... scandal that errupted in the German city of Schwabish Hall during the early years of the Reformation. The central figure, Anne Buschler, the daughter of a former Burgermeister and long-time city councilman, was a girl who liked to test the limits and would often have tongues wagging over her--for that day and age, at least--wild behaviour. It came to the point where she was having intimate relations with two guys, Erasmus of Limpurg and Daniel Treutwein. When this was discovered by her father, he disinherited her; but instead of allowing herself to be cast adrift in this manner, she fought back and thus ensued a protracted legal battle against her father, and, after his death, her siblings. In the end, we are presented with an extra-ordinary glimpse into the lives of (upper class) Germans during this era, German culture and society, the status of women, and the intricacies of the German legal system. It's a rare treat to find a book that is so meticulously researched but so readable. Highly recommended.



2. Stephen Ozment is my favorite historian, and this is my favorite of his books (closely followed by Three Behaim Boys). The story of Anna, both the love story and the tragedy of her later life, are fascinating. Ozment has a talent for making history real, present, and accessible, and this book is a shining example of what an in-depth historical study can be. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in 16th century history, women's history, or the history of law.



3. 
   There are few stretches of the imagination by which Anna Büschler can be called typical of her time and place. First, she was a member of the embryonic bürger urban middle class in a society that was overwhelmingly rural and peasant. Secondly, she had the audacity consistently, and vocally, to defy authority. And finally, but most importantly by the standards that early modern historians, there is actually a fairly large record of what she did and what historian Steven Ozment argues was the consuming passion of her life: undoing the wrong done to her by her father disinheriting her in 1527. Through Ozment's interweaving of the social, political, and legal minefield which Anna was forced to navigate in her attempt to redress the wrong done to her by her father--an extremely interesting man in his own write--after he found a cache of love letters she both wrote and received. The reader is also given a bird's eye view into the workings of a fairly typical German town during the renaissance, Swabian Hall, and how its residents felt about the operation of the legal system in her regards. This is micro-history at its best.
   
   Anna Büschler should have been able to enjoy as comfortable a life as a middle class woman was able to have by sixteenth century standards by the time she was thirty years old. Instead, she found herself locked in her father's home, perpetually chained to a table leg. The chain of events that led her to this unhappy situation begins with interpretations of her past behavior. By her father's account, the legendary bürgermeister of Hall who had twenty years before brazenly petitioned the Holy Roman Emperor on behalf of the common people of Hall, the sexual relationships she had with a member of the local nobility and a mercenary were enough for him to label her as poisonous snake--imbued with the moral character of a whore. By her interpretation, she behaved as she did because her father had shirked his paternal duties and had not found a suitable suitor for her. After escaping from his clutches, Anna began a quarter century long fight to be compensated for the wrong he had done to her which would ultimately climax with the large cross section of Hall society which knew her interpreting her actions.
   
   Ozment's brilliance lies in how he explains Anna's behaviors in the light of sixteenth century moral and legal norms. While Anna was cavorting with her lovers, she was also playing with fire hot enough to consume her completely, and thoroughly burn her father's reputation. By modern standards, and the standards of several centuries preceding the sixteenth, the punishments for premarital sex were draconian in their treatment of the people who engaged in it. Furthermore, the reputations, and often livelihoods, of parents who were exposed as having promiscuous children could be completely destroyed by their behavior. These facts go a long way in describing the extremity of Hermann Büschler's initial banishment of his daughter from his home and then a bold, brazen, and extralegal kidnapping of her after she began legal proceedings against her father. What it does not explain is why a man with such large reputation takes such an action when he certainly had a political future to think about. Ozment thankfully does not dwell on the possibility of incestuous behavior between the two of them because he can not marshal the evidence for any such argument, but it is a question that he nonetheless raises.
   
   Throughout the narrative, Anna rightly comes of as rebellious, strong willed, and nonconformist in her behaviors. But, it is after she escapes from her father's imprisonment that the metal of her character becomes the most visible. She constantly and consistently fought against the marginalization which her disinheritance and her status as a woman imposed upon in every venue that she could gain a hearing in--even initially receiving a 5,000 gulden judgment against the city of Hall for its allowing her to be kept captive in her father's home under extremely suspect circumstances. Though this judgment would be overturned upon appeal and would have to spend the rest of her life fighting in the courts gain any of the money which she felt entitled to--and then only after she had found husbands who were willing to represent her and follow her through the murky recesses of 16th German law. Though only to a limited degree, Anna's story shows that women were not completely at the mercy of men during what is being increasingly regarded as one of the nadirs of women's status in the European history. As the court records which Ozment musters show though, Anna was not the only one, male or female, who questioned this status at least with regard to her.
   
   A retelling of Anna's story to the degree which Ozment was capable would not have been possible were it not for the fact that dozens of her letters between her lovers and herself as well as the depositions from the legal proceedings she used had not survived to the present. In this respect, Ozment has a leg up on other early modern historians because of a relative cornucopia of evidence. Where the extremely good micro-historical biographies written by Natalie Z. Davis and Carlo Ginzburg ultimately have to invoke some very imaginative connections to close their works, Ozment simply does not. For that reason alone he deserves to be read.



4. My son is a history major at college and needed this book for class. The price was affordable and a book he will have for many years to use in his teaching career.



5. This book was as interesting as my professor said. It was hard to put it down at night. Steven Ozment does a phenomenal job of interweaving history, politics, religion, and actual firsthand accounts of life in the sixteenth century.

5 comments about Redeemed: A Spiritual Misfit Stumbles Toward God, Marginal Sanity, and the Peace That Passes All Understanding.

1. I loved King's first book, Parched, which documented her upbringing in a puritanical New England town, her young adult descent into alcoholism, and her struggle back to the light - literally, because this woman spent serious time in some of the darkest dives in Boston. Sounds depressing, but it isn't, because King's writing is filled with a rare hilarity and humility that make the book a joy to read.
   
   In Redeemed, the reader gets to join King as she relocates to Los Angeles, specifically Koreatown, about as far as she could get from those cold and austere beginnings. As she struggles to make sense of her life, her career (a lawyer!), her marriage, and her physical and mental health, she finds a faith that grips her - and the reader - to the core. The contrast is both obvious and profound between the empty cross of her childhood church and the Catholic depiction of Christ on the cross, with wounded suffering on full display. Here King finds her home and her salvation, and we are all richer for sharing the ride. Highly recommended.



2. This is one of those books that came along just when I needed it. Heather King has a wonderful ability to make you laugh and think and just quiet down long enough to really hear someone else's perspective. You don't need to share her beliefs to be enriched by the honesty, humor and bravery, not to mention the beauty, of her writing. I've loved reading both of Heather's books, and I can't wait for more.



3. This book is a logical followup to Parched by Ms. King. Her sense of humor comes through at all times and even though I have never met Heather I feel she's a good friend. Along with the bumps and bruises in life she has obviously acquired a lot of knowledge. Books like this one give me faith in mankind and help me get through another day. Thank you Heather King and someday I hope we can meet!!



4. Heather King's book is a gem for anybody looking for grace in their own lives. I am a cradle Catholic and to read about Heather's embrace of Catholicism and reverence for its attitude towards life and mystery was truly refreshing. She shares her own story, struggles, obsessions, and insights with her readers. After reading her book, I felt more connected, understood, and whole as a person and as a Catholic. Heather has a tremendous gift of radical honesty and an eye for humor in what seem to be dark situations. She has an intuition for grace and a wonderfully poetic way of seeing daily life and expressing its beauty. Redeemed is a wonderful book in which I found part of myself and part of God.



5. I have had a deep attraction to the Catholic Church over the past year. Sure I've made spiritual retreats with Catholic friends, read Thomas Mertons The Seven Storey Mountain, and it doesn't hurt that one of my favorite records in the last 9 months is from a Brooklyn hipster rock outfit called the Hold Steady who write songs that depict the "beauty in forgiveness and redemption, especially in regards to the Catholic Church." (npr.org - The Hold Steady: Rewards And Redemption)Separation Sunday
   
   Heather King's Parched is a piece of spiritual testimony that not only shares her conversion experience, but also shares some insight about why these experiences are essential in order for many people to live a full life. I've also wondered like King, how some people can get along just fine without any concept of God, spiritual awakening, or even the slightest amount of religious conviction and seem to operate just fine? Meanwhile, as Redeemed depicts, the people who attain to grow in the spiritual life trudge through an existence marred with the constant realization of character defects, sins, shrouded in moments of despair and frustration.
   
   Fortunately Heather King equates her trials and tribulations with her triumphs over adversity by living in the spiritual life. It is the humble triumph over these spiritual adversities that instills hope in the heart of the reader and encourages us all to seek the redemption that can satiate us all.

5 comments about Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry.

1. Akiane's story has always inspired me. I directed a friend of mine to her website recently to show her the amazing art, and she told me after surfing it that it restored her faith in God. When I read this book, it only accentuated my love and admiration for Akiane. You don't have to be religious to appreciate this girl. Her story is still a powerful message of how faith can change your life. If you're an art lover, you'll be inspired by the reproductions of her paintings and be stunned by her use of color and imagination. Her art is so realistic, but so mystical too. If you prefer the written word, read dozens of Akiane's poems. They are guaranteed to blow you away.
   
   All in all, this book helps you remember that there is goodness in the world.



2. This book is a good introduction into the girl behind these amazing paintings and poetry. Her insightful artwork is reproduced well. This girl's visions and understanding of who God is and His heart of love for people of the world is astounding. (Especially when you consider her mom USED to be an atheist) The poetry is a little beyond me, but the art work speaks volumes.
   Lovely. Keep up the great work Akiane.. your goal is being reached!



3. The first time I saw this book, I was on a cross country plane ride and had the fortunate experience of sitting next to a kindred soul. She shared this book with me to pass the time. And the time passed quickly. After looking at the paintings of this young artist, Akiane, I had a kink in my neck because I couldn't turn away. But it was worth it. I ordered the book immediately and have enjoyed sharing it with my daughters and displaying it on our coffee table.
   
   Akiane is an artist and a poet and an inspiration. She believes she's been touched by God, and one look at her work will make you a believer as well.
   
   Michele Cozzens, Author of A Line Between Friends and The Things I Wish I'd Said.



4. Very inspirational and faith building book. Akiane has not chosen this path, she's only following where God leads her. There are always going to be nay sayers about anything, specially in this world of instant information. I choose to believe that she is what she says she is, and does what she says she does, because with God anything is possible.



5. This book is a great gift for anyone.
   It's beautiful poetry, art, and amazing story will inspire anyone.
   I have seen her interviews and her work is intriguing and her attitude is beautiful.
   The book is a must have!