5 comments about The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story.

1. This should have been a compelling story. Instead the reader has to piece the details of the crime together as the author goes off on endless tangents. These tangents are supposed to illustrate historical and folklorical Ireland. The crime surely could have been a very fascinating read if it weren't for the abundance of nonsense that overhwelms it. Some of the history and folklore is certainly relevant but there is much too much. I found myself skipping through stories of Oscar Wilde (?!) just to get to the next portion of the murder tale. This book is unclear and verbose at the same time. A decent true crime writer could very easily have made this incredible story into a readable account..even while including history.



2. THE BURNING OF BRIDGET CLEARY catches the eye immediately with its eerie (hardcover) illustration of a ghostly woman floating in midair superimposed over a man's stern, shadowy face. Lovers of all things Irish will find this horrifying true story of the life and death of Bridget Cleary of County Tipperary particularly disturbing, set as it is in the bucolic Irish countryside of the late 19th Century.
   
   Visitors to Ireland will be aware of what author Angela Bourke calls "townlands." An inexact term, it describes rural places that are not on any map. Certainly not towns, nor even villages or hamlets, these places consist of a few adjacent farmsteads and perhaps a freestanding house or two, set off from other such places by fields, and perhaps by a large boulder carved with the name of the place. Populated by only a few families, who living cheek-by-jowl for hundreds of years are interlinked but independent, such places exist "there but not there," a reality which has informed the Irish mind and character for generations.
   
   Ms. Bourke, a lecturer in Irish history, uses the death of Bridget Cleary as a paradigm for cultural change and disruption. Bridget Cleary died in 1895 because the "modern" Social Darwinist linearly organized, scientific, English-speaking and aggressively concrete universe of the late Victorian era butted heads with the "traditional" non-linear, symbological Gaelic-speaking world it was supplanting.
   
   At first glance, Bridget and Michael Cleary would seem to have been thoroughly "modern." Both Michael and Bridget were educated and literate. She was a trained dressmaker who owned her own Singer machine. He was a tradesman, a cooper, who worked in a large commercial brewery. For their time and place they were affluent. They lived in the newest and most modern house in Ballyvadlea, a place in the south riding of County Tipperary.
   
   There were a few disquieting elements in their lives. They were childless after six years of marriage, the focus of much stigma in staunchly Catholic Ireland at the time. They were close friends with William Simpson, the despised local "Emergencyman" or landlord's agent, a Protestant. Ballyvadlea, though only a few miles from the modernized town of Fethard, still had a percentage of primarily Irish-speaking inhabitants amongst its small population.
   
   Bridget was contemporaneously described as "very pretty" (the local collective memory nowadays describes her as "sexy"), and stylish (she made her own fashionable clothes and wore gold earrings). She was also described as "stubborn" and "headstrong," probably a difficult and somewhat vain young woman. These traits could not have endeared her to the people of Ballyvadlea, mostly her rustic relatives, among whom she had grown up. There were also backbiting whispers that the attractive, engaging Bridget might have been having an affair with the handsome, dandified William Simpson, a rumor which, even if untrue, would have caused outrage in their spouses, both of whom were older.
   
   In March 1895, Bridget caught a cold which soon developed into a serious respiratory infection. The odds are that today's modern medicine would have stopped the illness in it's tracks. Antibiotics not having been discovered, the Clearys were forced to rely on an assortment of patent medicines, and sought the aid of the local Health Service Doctor, a notorious drunk, who did not come when called.
   
   In the interim, the untreated Bridget became more and more "demanding" and "excitable." This is understandable, considering that any minor illness could become a life-threatening condition very easily in that time and place. Bridget was no doubt frightened at the possibility that she might die. Unfortunately, Michael Cleary's father passed away suddenly at this point, adding to the overall level of tension in the house.
   
   The five days the doctor stayed away allowed Bridget's illness to run rampant. Finally arriving, he prescribed some medication and went on his way. When Bridget did not improve, Michael revisited the doctor, a confrontation which ended in a shouting match. Disgusted, Michael chose to visit the local "quack doctor" (traditional herbalists were so called because of their association with farmyards). When the quack visited Bridget, whom he knew well, he reacted to her appearance and behavior by saying, "That's not Bridgie!" a comment which soon convinced the locals that the woman in the sickbed was not Michael Cleary's wife but a fairy changeling.
   
   Bridget Cleary's "treatment" then degenerated into a kind of exorcism, which involved forcing her to ingest various foul decoctions of herbs, dousing her with unspeakable liquids, subjecting her to ongoing verbal and physical abuse, the drawing and twisting of her body, and the infliction of pain by various methods in order to drive away the changeling. In the end, her husband immolated her.
   
   The contemporary press leaped on the lurid tale of "The Tipperary Witch Burning" with as much interest as the story would excite today on any media network. Bridget's death made headlines throughout the world. Ms. Bourke argues convincingly that the horrified reaction of the Great British public to the "primitive" mentality demonstrated by Michael Cleary (and by extension in the British mind, all the Irish) was a major element in defeating the Ireland Home Rule bill then before Parliament.
   
   Bourke is also convincing in demonstrating that the burning of Bridget Cleary had more than just political ramifications. It was a pyrrhic victory of the timeless and magical world of ancient Irish traditions over the regimented modern world of the emerging twentienth century. It was specifically a patriarchial act: The men of that traditional world acted to punish a young woman who had stepped beyond the invisible but very real bounds that constrained females in their culture. It is telling that the people of Ballyvadlea let the British authorities themselves bury Bridget, a lifelong neighbor and relation.
   
   Now remembered mostly in a Tipperary children's rhyme, THE BURNING OF BRIDGET CLEARY is a fascinating look at a world in the midst of transition.



3. You would hardly believe that this is not a novel. The story is gripping and the author's telling of it is masterful. Bourke not only relates the facts of the case, she evokes the spirit of the age. What is more, she skillfully portrays how folk beliefs and superstitions are intimately intertwined with power and the status quo. In a quasi-religious kind of way, the folk beliefs of the community in the novel form the basis of control. In our 21st century world, driven by empirical evidence, the rule of rational law is paramount. In the absence of such laws, folk beliefs functioned to shape society and were used to legitimise the punishment of those who stepped outside the bounds of the status quo. This book is truly fascinating and a must-read for anyone interested in human belief systems and the way they shape society. On top of what we can learn from it, it is also just a truly wonderful story, horrific, poignant and altogether human.



4. Just in time for Halloween, I finished reading The Burning of Bridget Cleary. The book is a very good narrative and analysis of the mysterious death of 26-year-old Bridget Cleary on March 15, 1895 in Ballyvadlea, Ireland. Apparently Bridget was believed by her family to have been taken away by "the fairies" and a sickly changeling left in her place. In the course of trying to determine if the Bridget in his house was really his wife, her husband Michael exploded into a rage and Bridget either caught fire or was intentionally ignited. Author Angela Bourke expertly places us in the politics and culture of the time, helping us to understand what might have caused seemingly rational people to behave in a way that is nearly inexplainable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, folklore, true crime, the supernatural, or sociology.



5. A 113 year old murder mystery equal to the tale of Lizzy Borden and almost every bit as violent as the actions of "Jack the Ripper." The Burning of Bridget Cleary by Angela Bourke becomes a contemporary 19th century postscript of the "Salem Witch Trials."
   
   Unlike those cases of notoriety, the main suspects in this case were ..."Irish Fairies!" Irish Fairies that is, with the assistance of poor Bridget Cleary's husband (and several family members).
   
   In 1895, Michael Cleary beat, and then set his wife, Bridget on fire in their "salubrious Irish cottage." Michael took it upon himself to "exorcise" the Fairies from her with a good dose of cleansing fire and just for good measure, added an accelerant of paraffin oil from a near by lamp. Surely the Fairies vacated the premisis after that but, unfortunately ... so did the life of Bridget.
   
   Superstition, premeditated murder or, lustfull kiling...you be the judge.
   
   The reality of a hangman's noose ironically over shadowed the world of demonic fairies and Michael Cleary (and family members) withdrew their plea of "Not Guilty" and opted to plead to the charge of "Manslaughter"( at least, the suffix portion of that word describes the real act).
   
   For that plea, Michael Cleary received 5 years and was subsequnetly released early for "Good Behavior."
   
   Angela Bourke did a superb job of introducing the reader to the cultural aspects of Irish lore, and superstition (especially in Chapter 2). She weaves this world of Fairies and Celtic superstions throughout the book and it's tragic story. However, much of her information seemed out of order and tended to bogg down the flow of the case story that she was trying to portray. It was as though, the book became a mixture of college text, and historical biography. Despite the interesting information put forth by the author, the book is not necessarily a smooth read. Had Ms. Bourke utilized a different style of writing, the story would have been much more exciting to follow.
   
   If, you are a student of turn of the century murder cases, or a collector of Celtic lore, then this book would be a good one to have at least, for reference material.

5 comments about Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend (Missouri Biography Series).

1. I purchased this book to read about how Laura Ingalls Wilder became the celebrated author of the Little House series of books. I was very disappointed, therefore, that this uninsightful, dry, fragmented, and repetitious tome read more like a bad history book with too many statistics, facts and figures, rather than character analysis, leaving me with no more knowledge of Laura's character than before I read it. For example, after describing ad nauseum all the organizations and activities one could possibly participate in their town, the author states that we do not know if Laura and her family enjoyed any of them. It was frustrating to constantly read the words "probably, maybe, if, we can presume ....." The author makes too many assumptions and repeatedly expresses his inability to accurately understand and relay Laura's personal feelings due to the unfortunate lack of diaries, letters, and journals left behind by Mrs. Wilder. Relying too much on her daughter, Rose's writings, he portrays Laura as an overprotective, condescending, controlling mother and a domineering wife who refused to vow to obey her husband during their wedding. Miller is not quite sure he even believes Rose's unflattering portrayal of her mother, because she was mentally ill and emotionally unstable herself. This book contains so much one-sided information about Laura's daughter that it should instead be titled Becoming Rose Wilder Lane.



2. I found this to be a good book, although I wish the author would have personalized Laura a little more. The ongoing battle between mother and daughter might have been overemphasized, but one comes to learn that this probably worked for both of them. I found a lot of good information, but the statistics were a little much. I found myself reading between the lines and wanted to get back to the meat of the story...Laura.
   
   I recommend this book to any Wilder fan, for it does give us a glimpse into the woman she really was. Like anyone else, Laura was only human, faults and all.
   
   Meloni Cassidy
   Author of Everlasting Journey



3. This would be a very interesting book if I had not already read all the little house series plus the book where she went to Mansfield from DeSmet and the one where she went to visit Rose in San Francisco.
   
   This is best read before reading the other books. The books by Laura Ingalls Wilder give more detail than any of the birographys by any other author.



4. This is the real-life Laura and family. Biographer John Miller provides tremendous detail in a smooth, quick and fascinating read. Gives a lot of historic context from the time of Charles and Caroline's childhood through the 1950's, and many new tidbits about Laura's actual childhood. The most thought-provoking and disturbing section of the book is toward the end, covering the period between 1925 and Laura's death in 1957.
   
   Rose, having worked and travelled all over the world as a successful author, came home to Rocky Ridge for some 9 years in the late 20's and early 30's. While there, she suffered frequent depression, writer's block, financial trouble, and a frustrating relationship with her mother, Laura. Yet it was at this time that she helped Laura begin the Little House books, the first of which was published in 1932. The collaboration between the two on the series has been a topic of contention among scholars, critics, and fans from the beginning. Here we learn the truth, book-by-book, on who wrote what, and how each felt about her role in the partnership.
   
   This truth is enlightening and yet Rose's sad mental state and resentment toward Laura is a bit heartbreaking for fans who still believe in Pa's beloved, spunky, hard-working, Plum Creek-swimming, Nellie Oleson-hating, hay-making, bible verse-reciting, school-teaching, buggy-riding, half-pint who wanted nothing more than to send her blind sister to college.



5. This is by far the best biography on Laura Ingalls Wilder available. This is a scholarly, indepth look that goes beyond her books and looks into what made her a writer. Written for adults.

5 comments about Breathing Space: A Spiritual Journey in the South Bronx.

1. Heidi Neumark was pastor for many years at the Transfiguration Lutheran Church, in the south Bronx area of New York City. Her congregation was fairly typical of what any lower-income inner-city parish might be -- Hispanic, African-American, people in need, people experienced in poverty and violence. The title comes physically from the idea that, in the midst of one of the wealthier cities on earth, the children have the highest incidence of asthma in the nation. However, beyond this physical description, the daily stress and strain of inner-city living, with gunshots, drugs, crime, poverty and oppression continually surrounding, makes breathing easy a difficult task.

   Neumark recalls some of her difficulties with her own spiritual practices. Drawing on the advice of spiritual masters of the past to incorporate distractions rather than attempting to block them out, she would try to add the stress to her prayer life as a working component -- however, when weapons fire seemed to ricochet every time she went to pray, it became difficult if not impossible.

   In the face of all the difficulties, there was hope and renewal at Transfiguration. Neumark shares the stories of many parishioners, as well as her own internal struggles and personal experiences, that show the way the spirit of God is alive and active even in the worst of conditions. Neumark highlights the irony of the situation at times -- in the South Bronx, there is plenty of money for state-of-the-art prisons, and keeping juveniles in the system is big business, but the money for education and real plans for improvement is non-existent. This kind of societal choice in the face of residents can be demoralising, to say the least. And yet, at Transfiguration, there are elements of hope, determination for outreach and care to address the issues that the governmental powers neglect.

   Quite often, those helped by the church were not church members themsevles. Transfiguration being an urban church, Neumark was frequently approached by those in need, looking for any available help. Milly, a young woman who suffered from the asthma so many bear in the area, was one such person, whose connections with Neumark and the congregation provided a much-needed space for Milly to turn her life in a positive direction. Like many things in the urban church, change was slow and often painful, but Milly (and many others) relied on the church.

   The stories are difficult to read, difficult to understand in a human sense. But the spirit that pervades Neumark's work is a joy to behold. Read with care, and read with prayer.




2. I don't know where to begin in describing my admiration. The book is remarkable, blending bible studies and religion with politics, etymology, and common sense in telling compelling, well written stories. But even more than that is what the book shows about Heidi Neumark- her courage, feeling, and remarkable commitment to justice and humanity. Some people are committed to humanity as a nameless, theoretical mass. Her commitment is far more difficult and meaningful since it is to real people, one person at a time. The world is lucky to have someone like her. I wish that the rich and powerful could all be required to read this book.
   
   The Publishers' Weekly review says that the book will "appeal to people of faith across the political spectrum." In fact, as someone at the other end of the faith spectrum, it appealed to me, in both senses of the word "appeal."



3. This book was absolutely wonderful. I recieved it from a friend of mine who was an intern under Pastor Heidi -- and am very glad that he sent it to me. It is a bold book and a much needed to hear story. She writes in a compelling manner and has rich experiences to share with the reader. I thank her and the congregation at Transfiguration for sharing this blessing.



4. Breathing Space takes you on an insider's tour of the South Bronx. Heidi Neumark describes the devastation with an unflinching honesty, but unlike purveyors of "urban porn," she also helps us see the hope, beauty and possibility embodied in her neighbors and parishioners. We are introduced to them in their full humanity. And through their stories, Pastor Neumark's readers are invited into a deeper understanding of a world few of us could otherwise imagine or relate to. It's an understanding that doesn't gloss over the outrageous waste and loss, but it's communicated with such warmth, humor, grace, and power that readers can't help but be inspired.



5. I laughed and cried and "related" to this memoir. I am a teacher in a low socioeconmic area and I so related to this "mission". Thanks, Heidi.

4 comments about A Frontier Lady: Recollections of the Gold Rush and Early California.

1. Sarah with husband and daughter, Mary, move to California in 1849. Trusting the God of the Bible, the Royces experience life (and almost death) on the trail to California. Second to the last party to complete the trip into northern California before winter, they eventually settle in Grass Valley. Her son, Josiah Royce, becomes the famous Harvard historian and philospher with new ideas (Royce Hall of UCLA), but his mother, Sarah, retains her faith in the God of the Bible. First hand look at San Francisco and northern California in the 1850's. Sarah is my great-great grandmother and Mary, the little girl in the story, is my great-grandmother. Easy reading and great book to take on a plane. We buy and give these books to many guests at our company ...they are very popular.



2. This little gem of a book should be on the shelves at every library. Aside from the likable Sarah, the wonderful social history is very absorbing for those interested in women's lives during the 1850's. Even if you are not particularly interested in the Gold Rush, you will be interested in the experiences of one of our formothers. Buy this as a gift for your daughters.

   Joy Melcher, Civil War Lady Magazine




3. I selected this book from a list given in my college English class. The list of books were all nonfiction so I knew it would be a book based on fact. I knew nothing more. As I read, I could not put this book down. The story takes place beginning in Iowa the year 1849. "Gold fever" was born. The Royce family was on the move from their home to the great golden state of California. Sarah has more passion, faith, and drive than I've ever seen in a book. She is an example indeed of strength and inner peace throughout many challenges in a small amount of time. I was so grateful to see this book is still in print! It was first published in 1932 never meant to be a book at all. It was Sarah's gift to her son. She wrote about her journey using her journal she kept as they traveled. I will buy this book not only for my children, but for gifts as well. By the way, Sarah and her family end up living here, in the Sierra Foothills, and that is where I live! I've never read a story about the Gold Rush or the 49er's. I always thought it would be too depressing. There are sad times in this book, but as you read you can't help but believe with Sarah that they will beat all the odds.



4. As a historian an author of the book: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MISCELLANY, I rate this book with 5 stars for its excellent overview and in-depth look at the true lives of women who came to California during the Gold Rush. This is not a book filled with the fanciful notions of a romantic's point of view. No, this is a gut-wrenching look at the realities of pioneering California and the women who tamed the wild land and the wild men!

5 comments about House of Testosterone: One Mom's Survival in a Household of Males.

1. I stumbled upon House of Testosterone at the grocery store a couple of months ago, and couldn't pass it up! I am also the mom of three sons (no girls), and laughed my way through to the last page (where I cried). I have a photo of my oldest son at about age 4, dressed in his "Rainbow Man" outfit, very similar to the little guy on the book cover. My son had a red hand-me-down shirt with an appliqueed cloud and rainbow, and we just happened to have a pair of tube socks with red, blue and yellow stripes; and Rainbow Man was born. Every boy wants to be a superhero.
   
   As soon as I finished the book (now that my boys are grown and out of the house, I can finish a book quickly), I gave it to my younger sister, who is the mom of four boys, no girls, knowing that she would also enjoy it.



2. My hubby bought me this on vacation as a joke. From the very first page I laughed and laughed. My hubby and all 3 of my sons looked at me as if I was from another planet. I stayed up all night and read right through the whole book. It is great to know that I am not alone. Feeling left out and out of place in a home full of men. Like the author I am the mother of 3 boys (4) if you include my dear hubby. We also have a male dog and cat. This book was very entertaining and helped with the mom guilt of not understanding the men of my household.



3. Absolutely hilarious! I found myself laughing so hard, my husband had to come and check on me. Her expression of daily life in a house of boys shares the humor, exhaustion, isolation, and love that are part of every moms' existence. It's a fun, quick read that left me feeling like I am not the lone woman trapped in a world of poop humor.



4. When we found out we were expecting our 3rd baby boy in 4 years, family & friends immediately starting referring to our home as the House of Boys. Naturally for Mother's Day this year, I received a copy of this book. After a special homemade breakfast (compliments of my sweet boys), I wiped the left over syrup off my jammies, put the dinosaurs & race cars on the night table that our youngest son brought in to help me "eat" with, and picked up "House of Testosterone". A couple hours later after many laughs and even some tears, I had finished the book and was calling all my Mommie friends telling them about this book. My copy of "House of Testosterone" is now on rotation through my family & friends with boys or girls...Mommie's with girls can read it and appreciate it just as much as we Mommie's blessed with boys! :)
   It would make a great gift for a baby shower, birthday, next Mother's Day, or even for yourself! :)



5. I, too, am the mother of three boys and thought that this book would be right up my alley. Not so. It was boring. I mean BORING. I kept it in the bathroom to read in bits and pieces only on principal that I bought it. I was totally bummed. :(

1 comments about A Buffalo in the House: The Extraordinary Story of Charlie and His Family.

1. This is a short afternoon read that is ultimately entertaining and heart-warming. The story of Charlie the Buffalo made me laugh out loud several times---and a couple times led to a catch in the throat. The dedication of Charlie's human family seemed to know no bounds---having a 400 lb buffalo calf running loose in the house would require more patience than I possess---I believe. Good story of love, perseverance, and courage.
   Great beach book---light and splendid---I liked it so much I gave a copy to someone who doesn't read too much--and they liked it too!

5 comments about The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman.

1. I am just a general reader who happens to enjoy well-written history. I've never read much at all about the Vikings but the NY Times review of THE FAR TRAVELER was enticing and I was not let down by its promise. Nancy Marie Brown has reached back to a place and people obscured by time, doing a decent job of erasing some of the fog and cold desolation that obscure the Dark Ages and Medieval Epoch in Iceland and Greenland. She also succeeds in revealing a lot about contemporary archaeological practice and thought.
   
   Brown turns first to the Sagas, the 10th and 11th century tales of Vikings, for inspiration. Though embroidered, the Sagas, written down some generations later, are regarded as holding historical memories. Brown focuses on one woman who appears in both the Eirik the Red and Greenland Sagas as her guide, Gudrid, who traveled from Iceland to Greenland to Vinland, back to Iceland and remarkably, in later age, on a pilgrimage to Rome. Her son Snorri was very likely the first European child born on North American soil, circa 1005. Her personal story reveals much about religion, economics, gender relations, values, world view and other aspects of her culture. Born late in the 10th century AD, she witnessed the spread of Christianity and the fading of the violent marauding male economy as the domestic textile industry spun by women on the farm began to reposition Iceland in the world trade scene. Brown travels to all of the places Gudrid did, reads scholarship on her topic and participates in archaeological digs and recreation of weaving studios.
   
   The digs at L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland, have been reported on before, but Brown brings a fresh fascination to them in the context of Gudrid's life. She provides strong descriptive passages of the places she visits and there is one map in the front of the book. It would have been nice, however, to have had some illustrations. I would also like to have known a little more about Brown's own context and interest in this subject.



2. Brown gives us a lot of interesting information about Gudrun's life and times in "The Far Traveller." But what is even more interesting is her description of being on archaeological digs in Iceland, describing what archaeologists have to do to torture more information out of the physical remains of the past. Brown's focus on what archaeology has contributed to our knowledge of the Vikings, as well as archaeology's limitations, make this a more fascinating read than the account of what we think we know about Gudrun could have done.



3. This book enlightens a period of history not well known to date. It is very interesting reading, especially for anyone with Scandinavian roots. The research the lies behing this work is remarkable. I highly recommend this book.



4. This is an extraordinary acheivement. The author follows the character of Gudrid throughout her journeys through in Viking world of the late 900s and early 1000s and, along the way, paints a vivid picture of life at that time. The writing is engaging and apparently effortless, but the research that supports it is massive, as described in 35 pages of footnotes and references at the end of the book. The author's passion is clear throughout, and further evidenced by her having worked as a volunteer archaeologist one summer in Iceland to excavate Gudrid's home. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the Vikings.



5. Fascinating!!
   
   I only wish more photos, diagrams and website links and/or information (on those specific archeological discoveries and digs) would have been provided, so that we could have researched it a bit more, and tracked any furhter progress.
   
   The listings of the incredible array of artifacts found in these archeoligical digs would have also benefited by some drawings and photos.
   
   That being said, this is a wonderful book that brings the action to life -- I can almost see the ship rise and fall with the waves. The natives (skraalings) and the landscape of the new world is rendered in vivid word pictures. The descriptions of the Viking farms in Greenland and the hazardous trips sometimes needed to be made to reach those farms, gives me a sense of the tremendous resiliency and resourcefulness of those heroic people way back then.
   
   Exceptional -- but would definitely benefit from photos, diagrams, links, -- even a rendering of what Gudrid may have looked like.

3 comments about Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life.

1. Georgia O'Keeffe's life was one lived with courage and beauty and Robinson does her justice by writing this beautiful and engaging biography. The author delves into O'Keeffe's life and the passion of her work by describing her family history, her evolution as an artist, and perhaps more important to O'Keeffe, her evolution toward becoming her true self. The extra and vital layer that adds even more depth to this biography is Robinson's description of the art scene and the philosophies of art circulating in early 20th century New York.

   This book would be of interest not only to those who enjoy O'Keeffe's work but also to those who are trying to become themselves, those who are interested in the history of art in America, or those who like to read for the sake of feeling beautiful words flowing through their mind.

   This book was difficult for me to put down and I didn't want it to end. Roxana Robinson's work is a gem.




2. "A Life" is the best book on painter Georgia O'Keeffe available. Every moment in Georgia's life is written about with painstaking detail. Nothing is missed. From her relationship with Alfred Steiglitz and his entourage from "291" to her intimate relationship with sculptor Juan Hamilton. I can't say enough how amazing this book is and how enjoyable it is to read.



3. This biography is factually complete, and worth reading for that reason alone, but I find two great flaws in the work: Ms. Robinson's voice intervenes loudly between the reader and the subject, and some of the judgments she reaches about Ms. O'Keeffe's actions, especially in regard to her relationship with Alfred Stieglitz seem disturbingly naive.
   
   Why not let readers draw their own conclusions about Ms. O'Keeffe on the basis of the undeniably good research Ms. Robinson has done? And how is it possible for her to believe that, for example, the choice Ms. O'Keeffe made in becoming Stieglitz's lover was a truly free and active choice? Though O'Keeffe was a woman of thirty-one at the time, and certainly deeply attracted to Stieglitz, she was very ill and totally dependent on him. (Chapter 15 in particular details this early portion of their relationship.) He spoke of her as a "captive swan," and the description of his taking her to bed and then taking photographs of her marks him perhaps as something of a predator as well as an artist. Ms. Robinson remarks, "Georgia's willingness to collaborate, however, is unsurprising: the series [of photographs] constitutes and commemorates an act of love." Perhaps so, but to ignore other the other aspects of the situation gives an incomplete portrait of these two figures. And, in earlier chapters, the author writes in some detail of Georgia's appreciation of the potential conflict in being both an artist and a model, and this for art which was not nearly as intimate as that for which Stieglitz was using her. Although Ms. Robinson remarks briefly her thought that Georgia was aware that her collaboration in this art was important, she doesn't truly offer insight into how this reserved and independent young woman came to this conclusion.
   
   I hope that someone building on Ms. Robinson's thorough research will write a more textured biography of this interesting and important artist.

5 comments about Pioneer Women.

1. Since I found that my great grandmother's brother and sister went on a Wagon Train to Nebraska from Bedford County PA in the 1870's and 1880's, I have benn interested in reading about Pioneer Families. This book was actual experiences of the women who survived in the early settlements of this country. How can we not be proud of their determination to survive and how much their faith in God played a role in their daily lives?



2. I read somewhere that a statistically large number of prominent Americans were born in 19th century Kansas. That was perhaps a result of the hard, but ultimately rewarding pioneer life that is described in these pages. Kansas and the West a century ago were in the vanguard of social innovation and progressive politics in the U.S.
   
   Author Stratton re-discovered the oral histories of 800 Kansas pioneer women collected by her great-grandmother in the 1920s. She has taken this mountain of material and organized it into 15 themes in 15 chapters, giving background on each theme and quoting the pioneer women. For example, one chapter details the long journey to the frontier of Kansas undertaken by many of the women and their families. Blizzards, fatal disease, fear of Indians and other dangers greeted them. Other chapters describe the social life of the pioneer women, the education of their children, frontier churches, and the famous Kansas crusades for suffrage and temperance.
   
   It would also be interesting to read some of the 800 oral histories. The author doesn't tell us where they are or if they are available to the general public. Certainly they should be made available as they are irreplaceable primary sources
   
   The role of women on the frontier has been a popular subject of women writers for two or three decades now. This is one of the better books on the subject -- and one that can be enjoyed by readers of either sex.
   
   Smallchief



3. Pioneer Women is a remarkable book. A collection of writings from women who experienced our country when it was raw and their families young. The stories are captivating for all ages.



4. In a world where history is written by the winners, we often don't find accounts of history from a womans' perspective. This is a compilation of 800 verbal histories of women that lived through all the well documented times. It paints an intimate picture through the voices of the remarkable women that helped to build this country. The book is well written, with good flow. The chapters are formed well, and it ushers the reader smoothly through time. It would be a worthwhile read for a re-enactor. I bought the book at a local goodwill, and can't imagine giving it up. It has a permanent home in my library. I only wish there was a complete, unabridged, publication of the verbal histories available.



5. Anyone wishing to experience what Pioneer life [on any frontier] was like for their Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, etc. and their families, this is a must read! There are interesting descriptions of how the Kansas Pioneers built their Sod Homes on the Great Plains. [Pages 54-55]. The description of the Great Blizzard of New Year's Day 1886, that my Grandfather weathered and loved to tell the story [mid Page 92], was an accidental verification I had sought for years. Family researchers might glean some everyday 'Pioneer life' tidbits, tweeked to fit their state's history, to enliven their family stories. Afterall, all of these amazing Pioneer women experienced the same happenings of their day!

5 comments about Please Excuse My Daughter.

1. I'm not surprised that the reader who had the foresight to major in pre-med and then go on to med school wasn't wild about Julie. But for those of us who may have delayed adulthood, procrastinated about finding the right career, or slacked off in general, Julie's story is about the rise and vindication of the ultimate coddled kid. She has a funny, congenial way of telling the tale of how she meandered through life and ultimately found herself to be good at something and attractive to a successful and wonderful guy. Although Julie's life might not be a blueprint for everyone, it worked for her and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it.



2. I've finally discovered the answer to a question I've had for a long time: what exactly do housewives do all day long? Well, Julie Klam wrote a memoir. Yup, a bored housewife who was too lazy to go out and get a job even before she married has written a memoir about being absolutely "normal." And let me preface this review by saying that every memoirist, by getting their work published, opens themselves up to having their life criticized by the Average Jane.
   
   She grew up in a wealthy suburb, where she played hookey from school in order to go shopping with her mom. Later, she had trouble getting a job, so she chalks this up as "I was brought up to believe that women don't work." Please. Klam's just l-a-z-y. Then, she dates an ex-con who steals $17,000 from her, and badgers her next boyfriend, Paul, with constant e-mails about wanting to get married. The rest of the memoir is a boring series of wedding details, baby details, and complaints about how horrible Klam's life was now that she couldn't afford to get her hair colored and that her size zero jeans didn't fit. Poor Julie. Furthermore, she wants a job where she can afford to "go out to lunch and get [her] hair done and go into Barneys and buy five hundred dollars' worth of makeup." Then she goes on to complain about being forced to shop at Gristedes (a New York chain grocery store)! Someone please, please tell me this woman isn't serious. At one point, where both she and her husband are out of work, Klam asks, "why has this happened to me?" a refrain usually more suitable for someone who has suffered real things. Klam is a completely self-absorbed, parasitic twit who refuses to take responsibility for her actions and has no awareness for the people around her. What she needs is a good therapist.
   
   The book might have been saved by good writing; however, the writing here is stale and flat. Klam tries to be funny, but fails miserably. Klam could have explored some emotional truths in this, book, but all she does is recite a list of things she did or things that happened to her. And she tells us what er theme is, instead of showing us. Don't waste your time on this stuff; it's much better spent reading a memoir by someone who actually has an interesting life.



3. I loved this book! Miss Klam's writing is so accessible and touching. I feel like I know her. This book would be fabulous on film.



4. In this age of cheap laughs with little substance, it's refreshing to read something that's as funny as it is genuine. The adventures of Julie Klam come from a place of bracing honesty; at one moment hilarious, the next devastating. This is a new voice, one we'll be hearing more of in the future. Pay attention.



5. I just finished this book and LOVED it! My friend recommended it to me and now I want to recommend it to everyone else. I must have laughed out loud at least 100 times plus I found it very touching at points. You won't be disappointed, this is a must read.