5 comments about The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath.

1. Having first read Plath a decade after her suicide, and in a period of my life in which I was very concerned about my own mother - a nurse, artist and writer who carried the diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia - I scoured Plath's poems for clues as to what caused her to kill herself.
   
   Until this book, I had not read Plath since the 70s. I have since come to some of my own conclusions as to what caused or contributed to her death, and will continue my research.
   
   Plath and fellow Confessional poet, Anne Sexton, are worthy of intense scrutiny and examination into the poetry and into their lives.
   
   These women, like my mother, were born during an unenlightened time, and suffered in part because of the times in which they were born.
   
   A riveting read.



2. I am currently reading this book, so I haven't finished it. I am savoring it the way people savor fine wine. Also, I connect with this book and Sylvia Plath on a very personal level. What I believe we have in common are three elements, borderline personality disorder, creative aspirations and a hatred of our mothers. Borderline personality disorder is routed in warped maternity. In the last section of Sylvia's journals, December 58 -November 59, after being given her therapist's permission, she confesses, "I hate her doctor." She's talking about her mother.
   
   I am reading this book as a case study in borderline personality disorder, but that's not to reduce the excellent writing it offers. You get into Sylvia's psyche in a way only a journal can.
   
   The overwhelming tragedy of Sylvia Plath's story is that she never was able the reap the rewards of her singular artistry. Also, one is left wondering about the material that was deleted by her husband Ted Hughes. In protecting himself from public scrutiny, he robbed her reading public.



3. This is clearly some of the best writing ever. Sylvia's journal, like all journals, was an outlet for her emotions, but she was using her journal as an opportunity to practice her creative writing. Many of her entries are worthy of stand-alone essays. Having read many, many journals; compilations of selected letters; and, biographies and autobiographies; I would have to rank this as perhaps the best I have ever read. Comparing Gertrude Stein, Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath is like comparing apples, oranges, and peaches. They are all wonderful in their own right, but today I prefer Plath and peaches.
   
   The reader will get much more out of this book by reading one or two biographies of Sylvia Plath first.
   
   The index is outstanding (26 pages of small font); the end notes are excellent (29 pages). It is a toss-up whether the journal would have been better served had the end notes been footnotes. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
   
   This book is one of the few that I recommend buying at the publisher's price rather than my usual recommendation to wait for a discounted copy. Instructors for college creative writing courses should put Sylvia's journals on their highly recommended list.



4. before this book, i had only read the bell jar, and as good as that book was,now i know what a capable writer she was. there is so much passion in everything she says, you can tell when she's excited or sad or whatever. she uses great description for such a young age, and has such a sense of humanity...she would have been a amazing person to know



5. some college professor said that every single year, at least one out of a class full of girls studying sylvia plath will feel that she is sylvia plath reincarnated.
   
   what's funny is that after reading only a few pages, i absolutely understand why, to an almost humiliating degree. that in itself really explains this book. something about this is really affective - everything she says sounds just like something i've written, thought, or experienced in the past. i haven't gotten through the entire book because it often makes me feel uncomfortable with how much i relate to it.
   
   this is most definitely worth your time and your money.

5 comments about The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.

1. I had a copy of this book as a child and lost it so was thrilled to find it on Amazon. It's not the best quality paper, but was just fine.



2. Bought it as a gift, wife said she found it interesting. Of course it had more meaning because we had been in Saltzburg.



3. Maria comes alive as a very sincere godly woman. Devoted to her Lord, Family, Friends, and Country. To read this book was to understand a deep trust in your God, a faith beyond imagination. If you enjoyed the movie for the family values and inspiration you may have received, you will enjoy the book that inspired the movie. I will recommend this book to all of my Christian Mommy friends.



4. Excellent writing--My mother has enjoying reading the book. I have enjoying reading it also.



5. You will enjoy this true story of the "Sound of Music" family. It is both historical and charming. The family's adventures and trials will keep you turning the pages.

5 comments about His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina.

1. This book went straight to the heart. For any of you faced with challenging children, this book shows a mothers journey of never giving up through life's challenges with raising a challenging child.



2. This is not just one mother's struggle to help and understand her bipolar child, it is a commentary on the state of help for mentally ill adolescents. The one mother, of course, being the famous and wealthy Danielle Steel who had resources beyond most parents wildest dreams. Yet she encountered numerous educators, psychologists and psychiatrists who were incompetent and disastrous. But this book is also about unconditional love, being resourceful and never giving up. As someone who has worked in both mental health and education, I am so sad that when kids don't fall into the cookie-cutter mold (although Nick was far from that), there is such a hodge-podge of often inadequate help for them. I highly recommend this book and think Danielle Steel has really given readers a wonderful gift in sharing her story.



3. bought this book for girlfrind, she has a sizeable collection of danielle steel, an her comment when finish reading it was "that lady speaks from the heart" .she being one who knows her danielle steel,an commenting on them to me, this was one of her better recommendations. Enjoy!



4. This book is such a deep, feeling, compassionate true story of the pain and suffering Danielle Steele and her son Nick experienced. It is honest, very, very human and shows human suffering in such a clear manner that you can feel the pain of Danielle, Nick and the rest of the family and close friends. I have a son with a similar diagnosis as Nick, and it has helped me to better understand him and myself, and realize that I am not alone on this journey to support the son I love so very much through his painful experiences. Every person should read this to understand how love and bonding with others that have emotional problems is so painful - and if one is in that same situation, this book helps you relate and learn and perhaps realize there is no guilt, no blame - it is just the way it is and you can only do so much for an ill person. But what she points out so strongly is the bond they had and their love for each other, which gave her son the energy to be as productive as he was during his lifetime - and just so awful that the pain was so horrid that he had to end it all - But when you take this journey with Danielle and Nick through this book, you can feel the pain Nick had and understand a bit as to why. I recommend this to anyone who wants to understand humanity a bit more than they do - so they can help those who need the extra step of care and understanding to help them through their horrid journey of life when they are emotionally ill. How courageous and wonderful of Danielle Steele to share this with us, and open herself up to her feelings, her insecurities and her emotions. Thank you, Danielle - and thank you Nick and helping us understand your pain through your mom.



5. This really is the greatest nonfiction story I ever read with such a tragic ending. His life was so troubled, but it is truly inspiring. It makes you look inside yourself and those you love, and realize that there are some things we can not change. Those things that we can change, however, are often overlooked when the cries for help are accidentally ignored. This happened to Nick Traina. I do agree with other users that it seems that his mother, although full of love, does feel a lot of guilt. No one could have told his story better than himself, of course, but it seems unlikely that anyone else knew him better than his mother. Very touching, and I am happy that his legacy continues to inspire and live on. R.I.P. Nick.

5 comments about Prozac Nation (Movie Tie-In).

1. I found this book to be interesting, insightful, and blatantly honest. I originally bought it for my own sake, because I have bipolar disorder, but I found it was nice to know someone else could go through the same escalated highs and lows and turn out just fine. I've read other reviews that bash it and say that she repeats herself over and over again, and that her work has no point. THAT IS THE POINT. Wurtzel expresses that as soon as she thought she'd be alright at one point, she'd end up right back where she started, and worse. I understand this and at no point did I feel irritated with the book or her writing, because I could relate. If you think just reading her accounts of ten years worth of atypical depression was annoying and irritating and frustrating, try living through them. She was trying to connect on a deeper level with people who have been through it, and the people that surround the sufferers. If you don't have an open mind or have no experience with severe depression, I don't recommend you read this book. But I found it highly informative and interesting. A good read for anyone who has loved someone with depression, or someone that is suffering from it, that thinks that no one can understand what it is like to feel completely and utterly alone. She does an amazing job describing it, with the back and forth feelings and chaotic storyline. She hits in right on the mark.



2. It is difficult to say whether this is a great book or a disaster. Some paragraphs are beautiful, while others lead the reader into a big confusing wad of meaningless words. It think Wurtzel tried too hard to be poetic and forgot to make sense in many scenes. Furthermore, the route of her symptoms, her childhood background, her fear of abandoment, the way she associates with people, etc. leads me personally to believe that she was suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder which would explain a LOT more of her behavior than depression ever could, and depression often coincides with BPD. Whatever the case, it is a good read, partly, but if you are reading it solely with the purpose to learn about depression this is most likely not the best work of art to find it in.



3. I've gone through my share of depression, as many others have before me. As bad as I thought I had it, after reading this book I realize just how lucky I was.
   
   Wurtzel's book was gripping, using very raw and blunt language, which I connected with easily. And such a quick, easy read. Made me want to continue nonstop until it was over. It was great in that it gave me a much better understanding about MY depression, about how bad it could have gotten, and about how lucky I am in that I was never committed, never on any drugs. It helped me understand other people and to have more sympathy for them, rather than bashing them over the head with my logic in that "it's all in your head...just try thinking a different way and you'll see a difference." I realize that is exactly what people who are like this want so badly, yet it's out of their reach somehow.
   
   Prozac Nation, I think, should be required reading (if it isn't already) for high school and college students in order to get a better understanding of depression in general, rather than doping them up and distracting them with activities. But that's just my opinion.



4. This book is a memoir that holds true today. Anyone dealing with depression themselves or in their family must read this book. It helped me realize many things about myself that were critical to my healing. I loved it. It was real, raw, and interesting.



5. This is one woman's memoir of severe depression, dating from her teenage years though young adulthood in the days before prozac. Elizabeth Wurtzel was a young, talented, and deeply depressed student and writer in the 1980s. This is a memoir with little happiness and hope, much like depression itself. In order to cope with the pain Wurtzel drowns her sorrow in drugs, alcohol, and sex. She acts out in inappropriate ways. There's no nice ending, at least until the epilogue. Wurtzel's memoir shows how hard and despeate depression can be.
   
   Elizabeth Wurtzel is clearly a very smart woman and a talented writer. That said, the most difficult part of this book to stomach is not the gut-wrenching descriptions of major depression, but rather, Wurtzel's refusal to recognize the significant socio-economic advantages she has had. Most significant of these are her Harvard education and her plum writing internships. The issue is not that she "should have been happy because she had so much," rather, its the fact that Wurtzel paints herself as a disadvantaged young woman, which she simply does not appear to be. Presenting herself as something of a child of deprivation simply doesn't work, and the book would have been stronger had it not made such suggestions. Much more interesting is how the culture of high expectations shaped her depression.

5 comments about Edie: American Girl.

1. I believe this is a great book about Edie Sedgwick, it's very well documented and original, you can read a lot of opinions, versions, from her brothers and sisters, to her friends and companions. I enjoyed it very much!
   
   The beginning of the book talks about the ancestors of Edie's family (the narration is a little bit slowly in that part, and personally I only wanted to read about Edie), anyhow you'll find this information very useful in the next chapters to understand the whole life of this amazing girl. The price is amazing, is a big bargain!.
   
   The book is a little bit bigger than the other kind of books we're used to read. Isn't paperback completely, don't know what material. It has a lot pictures, all in black and white, very helpful to the beginners or novice people that are interested in Edie's life.



2. This book is interesting. It is a little hard to follow because of the way it is written and some of the pictures are a little vulgar but I guess that sums up Edie. It is worth a read for anyone interested in this poor girl. There is something so so sad but so fabulous about her.



3. Great photos, great commentary from those who knew Edie on the most personal levels. Great and eye opening accounts of what it was like to live in the sixties, the drug use, the sex, the music, the scene. Really great book that I'm thrilled to add to my library.



4. When the movie "Factory Girl" (god-awful by the way) came out, it renewed my interest in this book and Edie Sedgwick. My interest in her dates back to when I first bought this book, way back in 1982. The test of a great book is that is grows richer and deeper upon re-reading. And this one does.
   
   At first, this was simply the story of a notorious party girl. Upon re-reading (I've read this countless times), "Edie" becomes the story of how the thread of mental illness traveled through generations. This book is truly unforgettable and haunting. And I'm sure, while suffering another bout of boredom, I'll read it again. - Siouxie
   P.S. Someone should give this book to Britney Spears. She's traveling the same path at age 25; Edie was dead at 28.



5. Book came very quickily (within 2 days) in excellent condition. I would buy from this resource again.

3 comments about My Maggie.

1. As a Chicagoan, I really loved this book. It characterizes the city's ethnicity and cultures, but this story will be of interest to anyone who has a friend or relative struggling with a serious illness.
   
   This book is actually a "Love Story" about people I know and think highly of. It tells the story of 2 people who met in grade school and fell more in love as times went on - both good and bad. It also tells about the "support group" of friends surrounding them and the big difference it made in their lives.
   
   I'd highly recommend this book to anyone.



2. Someone once said of Extraordinary Comebacks that when you're feeling down, 'read a few of these stories to see what's possible.' My Maggie is the nonpareil story in that regard, and if we're fortunate enough to create a volume two, this is a story that must be included.
   
   No one, and we mean no one we've encountered in these researches of comeback stories, did more with less than the extraordinarily courageous, indomitable Maggie King. As a counselor, Maggie had the power to change lives, and now that Rich has captured her essence in this biography, she will keep on doing that for many years to come.
   
   As Rich King would say simply, she would like that.
   
   You see members of your TV news teams every day. They come into your home, like family or friends. You think you know them (you don't), and that their lives are pretty charmed (sometimes), and breezy and effortless and glib as the jokes at the end of the late night itself (not for sportscaster Rich King or his Maggie).
   
   Behind the video image, Rich King was bearing the weight of the world for many years, and we, his viewers, never knew it. His wife Maggie was engaged for years in a titanic struggle against blindness, and hearing loss, and all that entailed, as as a result, so, too, was he. When breast cancer, then ovarian cancer joined the battle, it was nothing less than a life and death struggle.
   
   This book will knock you flat on your back. It will make you appreciate every moment that you have your sight, your hearing....and your life.



3. It was excellent! I would definately recommend the book. The author wrote it like he was talking directly to me.

5 comments about Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back (P.S.).

1. I don't have a kid, I don't have drug or abuse issues, I'm not a woman. The only reason I picked this book up was because it was in my girlfriend's car when I borrowed it. I see why she loved it. The story is suspenseful, funny, heartbreaking, both women are complex and compelling, but mostly, the writing is simply terrific. I read a great deal of non-fiction, including memoirs, and the writing is far better than any memoir I've read. Huge recommend.



2. Very gripping story, I didn't want to put it down. Claire is a little wordy at times and I found myself skipping paragraphs, but overall I loved it. Really makes you feel for the authors and understand their pain from each side.



3. This book was recommended to me by a friend because I have a past similar to Mia's and it did more to help me understand and overcome it than ten years of therapy (though my friend had a really normal childhood and loved the book as well). The writing is absolutely beautiful, very honest and powerful. Definitly a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.



4. This is a strange memoir written by Claire and Mia Fontaine (not their real names) about bizarre WWASP schools (prison-like residential teen boot camps) and how they helped Mia conquer drug addiction. However, this book almost seems like a pro-WWASP book to counter all the negative press WWASP schools receive. A lot of this book was unbelievable, too. Weak writing. I'm not sure I believe that Clair Fontaine actually is a screenwriter, either. Could be the next literary hoax.....



5. Wow! I am one of those people that always has a book in her hand and I have to say, this is the BEST book I've read in years. It is all together brutally HONEST, FUNNY and HEART-WARMING. The writing was PHENOMENAL. And the people in the book were all so REAL and LOVABLE. Just like the person in the last review, I absolutely could not put this book down. I was actually upset when I got to my subway stop and would have to stop reading for 5 minutes. Now that I have finished Comeback, all I can do is hope that Claire and Mia Fontaine PUT OUT ANOTHER BOOK - Please! and soon! I can't wait to hear more. I really miss Claire and Mia.

5 comments about The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story.

1. This was a book club selection that was unanimously voted "thumbs down." Since the inception of our club, this was a first ever voting event. We are a diverse group of (mostly retired) women, educators, businesswomen, homemakers, etc. We felt that we could have saved our time by reading Mrs. Astor's "Footprints" instead since so much of the author's writing referenced this publication. We, as a whole, felt it was simply a chronicle of a name-dropping, superficial, pearl-wearing, aristocrat we couldn't have cared less about. It did not hold our collective interest and most were too bored to finish the book.



2. This book was what I wanted to know about Mrs. Aster's life and her charitable giving. I was very interested and enjoyed the book.



3. One would think it couldn't be done. But the author has turned the dazzling Mrs. Astor into a consummate bore.
   
   I think we'd better wait for the next biography.



4. Overall, a good comprehensive look at Brooke Astor's life and trials. I didn't know much about Mrs. Astor other than from the newspapers so this gave much further insight as to her life before Vincent Astor and aspects of her childhood.



5. "The Last Mrs. Astor," by Frances Kiernan, is rightfully subtitled "A New York Story," as the last Mrs. Astor did, indeed, have a lot to do with building the New York we have today. Kiernan, a former editor at The New Yorker, and author of "Seeing Mary Plain: A Life of Mary McCarthy," is herself a New Yorker, and had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Vincent Astor several times, and interviewing many friends, and family members. Her book is nicely done -- and why wouldn't it be--and although short, appears to have been thoroughly researched, though other reviewers have pointed out copy editing problems within. The book is, however, noticeably "tactful and admiring," as the author herself says of the newspaper coverage for Mrs. Astor's 100th birthday; it's not going to give you the real inside scoop on New York's famous, longtime benefactor: and surely Mrs. Astor would have preferred it that way.
   
   Although Mrs. Astor, Virginia -born as Roberta Brooke Russell, only child, daughter of a naval commandant and an ambitious, flirtatious Southern belle, always did have a taste for flirting, dancing, and fun. The author quotes Mrs. Astor's good friend, television journalist Barbara Walters, as saying: "She is very kind. She is also very witty and likes being slightly wicked. She will tell a story about some young man she was sitting next to at dinner who was trying to impress her. The man said,'Mrs. Astor, how many lovers have you had?' And she said, `That's how I count myself to sleep.'"
   
   Mrs. Astor's first marriage, entered at a young age, was not a happy one: her husband drank excessively and abused her. Nor was the son, Tony, born of that marriage, who would be her only child, going to give her much joy. So she took her leave of that unsatisfactory situation, without, unfortunately, stopping to nail down alimony for herself. She moved to New York, as a single mother, and became a hard-working, talented editor at Conde Nast's magazine "House and Garden," and so supported herself and her son. She was in New York at an exciting time, after the First World War. She met Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, Osbert Sitwell, Aldous Huxley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Linda and Cole Porter, Ezra Pound, Max Beerbohm, and the actor Brian Aherne, with whom she would have a close relationship, among others. As she worked at Conde Nast, she also became acquainted with the very beautiful young society widow Claire Booth Brokaw, an editor at Vogue, who was stiff competition in the contest of young society women looking for their next rich husband: Brokaw would eventually marry Henry Luce, founder of "Time" magazine. Astor remarked that although the other woman was more beautiful, they liked, found appealing, and were found appealing by very different men: there was no problem.
   
   Astor married again, to Buddie Marshall; it was a happy, fairly long-lived marriage, and although Marshall never adopted her son Tony, the boy did take his last name. Unfortunately, Marshall died, leaving her a widow in her late 50's, not the best age at which to snag another rich husband. But Vincent Astor was around, of a rich and famous old New York family: some years before, Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor had made herself the gatekeeper of New York society, admitting only a select 400 people to her celebrated balls. Vincent already had a wife: but he was reputed to drink heavily, was not considered too pleasant a man, and his current wife wanted out. She thought her best route to leaving with alimony was to find him his next wife, and there was Brooke. For better or worse, Vincent lasted only five more years, leaving Brooke a relatively rich, healthy energetic widow in her early 60's. Vincent left the little-known Astor Foundation behind.
   
   Brooke gained control of the foundation, and used it to pursue her charitable interests. It is fair to say that such essential New York institutions as The Metropolitan Museum, The Bronx Zoo, Central Park, the South Street Seaport, and The New York Public Library, among others, would not be what they are today without her generous support. Along the way, she wrote five well-reviewed books, and published many articles. She was 99 years old at the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and not what she had been, but then, too, she threw herself into the struggle to help her adopted city recover. Kiernan quotes Brooke's old friend Freddy Melhado as saying: "There's a term for a racehorse of known quality....The sort of horse you can always bet on. Does not disappoint."
   
   Unfortunately, at the end of her life, as many readers will know, Astor's son Tony Marshall gained control of her affairs, and dishonestly abused his power, greatly mistreating his mother. As Shakespeare said in "King Lear," "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child." It's tempting to continue with Shakespeare, and quote him from "Macbeth," when Malcolm says of the Thane of Cawdor, "Nothing in /her/ life became /her/ like the leaving it," as her sad story, late in life, threw needed light on the problem of elder abuse, and undoubtedly helped many others. But it wouldn't be true: for most of her long life, she was a becoming ornament of New York social and civic life.

5 comments about Forget Me Not: A Memoir.

1. I bought this book a week after it came out and have read it 2 1/2 times since I bought it. I have made many references out of this book in conversation and have learned a lot about the people in the climbing world as well as different areas to climb. This book has also inspired me to become a better climber, thanks to Jennifer. Being a woman in the climbing world is competitive and you need much perserverance to 'hang' with the boys. This book is great for all types of people and offers a little something for everyone to enjoy and learn from. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone! One of my top favorites!



2. Jenni's book has the power to touch everyone who has loved and lost. She opens up her heart and her family so we can all share in and learn from their experiences. Nearly every page brought tears to my eyes, tears of sadness and longing, tears of passion, of joy. A perfect read to put things back in perspective,... or to find a new perspective.



3. Forget Me Not, was unexpectedly well done. When I first read the reviews I thought it would be just ok, because Jennifer's resume was that of a painter and not a writer, this being her first book. What I failed to observer was one can do great work when they have a strong passion. Michael Jordon is great at basketball player because of his strong passion for basketball. Jennifer Lowe-Anker wrote a GREAT, MUST READ book because of her love and passion on the subject. I hope she writes another book, I will buy it!
   
   Forget Me Not wrote on subjects I enjoy (i.e. Himalayas, Mountain Climbing, Montana, and Outdoor Adventure), and in words I felt turned brought out pictures and emotions of living her experiences married to a superb mountain climber . Every page shared her internal and external challenges and emotions of living the life of a mother, wife, adventurer while married to one of the greatest mountain climbers that ever scaled a peek.
   
   It's a book that sticks with you well after you finish. Like Alex Lowe's life, the book was too short, it left me wanting more...



4. Absolutely a wonderful book about real life events which makes it all compelling.
   
   About love and relationships, and how the dangers of climbing affected everyone involved, Alex, the children and of course the author herself
   
   And ultimately a tale of loss and survival in how life continues despite the loss experienced.
   
   Extremely well written and engaging - if it was a work of fiction the storyline would have been powerful. It is more than that, it is unfortgettable and ultimately provides lessons we can all use.
   
   Very highly recommended.



5. My husband doesn't typically cry. He's not opposed to emoting and doesn't think real men don't cry. He just doesn't find much to cry about, so when he tried to read a passage aloud to me from Forget Me Not, but couldn't make it through for the emotion clogging his throat, he got my attention. Likewise, when my sister spotted the book lying on my coffee table and picked it up to take a quick perusal but ended up having to take it home because she couldn't put it down, I took note. Their reactions to Lowe-Anker's book paralleled my own. Although our reactions were similar, the reasons were different. My husband was moved beyond words by the Lowe boys' loss of their father, whereas my sister was hooked by sheer adventure: "Why read somebody's made-up story when this adventure is so amazing and it happened to real people!"
   
   I read memoirs and biographies for their lessons on living. Lowe-Anker's memoir offers a look at the human spirit and its capacity for compromise, empathy, patience, trust, and forgiveness. Although this story is primarily supposed to be about Alex Lowe, I was drawn to the story of the plucky young woman who chose him as her mate and was struck by the tragedy of suddenly losing him. To be able to, to want to move on into a new marriage is a testament to the depth of love Alex and Jennifer shared. Long before I read this book, I happened across an image of one of Jennifer's paintings in a magazine. There were two horses; both were running, and launching herself midstride from one horse to another was a cowgirl. Now I understand the painting to be a leap of trust and faith in both the journey of a new relationship and in the heart of her new partner.
   
   Forget Me Not is a book that braids the strands of relationships, discovery, adventure, love, loss, and courage into a story you won't be able to put down.

5 comments about Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir.

1. Let me just get this out of the way, regardless of WHO YOU ARE, this is a really good book (plus the story has an amazing twist) . The people who feel they have to go on the defensive and gave this book a bad review, I feel sorry for. I read to open my mind, not to close it; THAT DOES NOT MEAN I TAKE TO HEART the veracity of everything I read . Small minds come in many different flavors, so please don't feel so special.



2. I'm sorry I cannot review this book as I have yet to receive it. Maybe you should improve your delivery serviuces to countries such as mine.!



3. This is a sad story of a little girl in which she is forced to set aside the crown of liberty and live like a beggar, but she fights to retain her dignity...
   Excellent Job, Great Audacity.



4. As a person of the same age as of this woman, who has lived in Iran until 1994, I have to say I find this book a bad piece of fiction, written for the Western audience and ready-to-be-sold to Hollywood to make a crappy movie.
   The truth is, in those years our life as a nation was miserable. Evin prison was full of political prisoners, and there was no freedom of speech. But things were not the way Nemat describes it. Her memoir is ridiculously fabricated with lies about everything you can imagine about Iran. People of age 15 were executed in Iran in those years, but for reasons more politically important than leading a strike in high school! Is she crazy? If the Iranian regime wanted to arrest every high-school student for their argument with their math teacher they could not rule the country. And that story about being saved by her interrogator: nothing can be more far from reality than that. This is more like an emotional Hollywood movie than the reality I have lived in.
   
   I cannot believe people here actually believe this nonsense. This woman is either a charlatan, or a psycho.



5. I have read the reviews that are good, bad as well as the very heated discussions about this book and I have to say that it is good that this book generated such intense reactions in mind of the readers as it did for me. Regardless of the accuracy of the author's account as I don't have the first hand experiences, I assume that most of the author's accounts of the general political and cultural environment in Iran are fairly accurate. My reaction is again, the disbelief over the oppression and violence towards women in the name of religion and traditions, and the conspicuous lack of uproar in the international community in the name of political correctness or "cultural sensitivity". I don't mean to minimize the importance of other causes that received attention, such as Chinese government against Tibet, but when it comes to women, the world seems to be rather silent. Books such as this, and other memoirs such as Infidel, Bookseller in Kabul, Wild Swans,and memoirs by FLDS survivors are important means to raise awareness, therefore need to be written and to be read. Having said that, I gave only two stars because the writing is very poor and flat and some recollections of her childhood experiences seem too romanticized and blantantly inconsistent with her developemental stages, which raised questions in me about the believability of her account, and eventually became distracting to me.