4 comments about Every Secret Thing: My Family, My Country.

1. i only read a small portion of Every Little Thing - having sat sobbing throughout A World Apart - the poignant movie version.
   
   i followed the comings and goings of both joe slovo and ruth first, and was myself in exile in lestho, when father john osmond had his hand blown off by parcel bomb; in detention, when albie sachs had his hand blown off in moçambique; under restriction back in johannesburg, when ruth was assisinated in moçambique; in my second stint in exile in botswana when jeannette and katryn schoon were murdered by parcel bomb in angola.
   
   the pathos deliverered in A World Apart wrenched my insides apart, for many of the questions gillian had for her father, my own daughter - separated from me being in exile - she in johannesburg, she pleaded me for, for clear answers. her young enquiring mind was never satiated with whatever i had to proffer.
   
   the sad thing about these situations is that we have no clear answers - no magic solution, for when gross injustices prevail within a "civilised" society, some of us who heed the call - take up the challenge to right these inhumane wrongs. we are forced to forgo our own comforts and loved ones. the call of the multitudes, far exceeds those of our own personal loved ones; for we reach/strive for that day, when all our children - black, white, brown or yellow will be able to live as proud children under one free and democratic governement. only then will we all be opportuned to live out their dreams and aspirations as proud citizens of the world - an integral part of humanity ...
   
   and it was this message that tore at my gut, my heart ... my troubled mind - that made me feel a little more proud of the many sacrifices so many of us were forced to endure. that our children and loved ones had to be denied our love and support and guidance that we as responsible adults/parents should have been fulfilling, can never be repayed; for within our offspring, the emptiness of both parents being there for them - when most needed has come and gone ...



2. Gillian Slovo is unapologetic in her rather petulant story of a neglected childhood. While her parents pursued Communism and pushed against the apartheid government of South Africa, all the while earning a good income with her father's lawyering, she and her sisters suffered especially her ambitious mother's indifference, imprisonment and lack of home life "quality time".
   
   Ruth First, daughter of Polish Jews, ambitious in her own right and extremely intelligent and sharp-tongued, married Joe Slovo, also Jewish, of Russian origin, with struggling parents. It was a climb up for him, with the steady rise of his income as a lawyer in post-WWII South Africa under white rule. His children lived well, enjoyed the blacks as servants, and attended private schools. The parents ran hither and to as Communists tend to do.
   
   What makes this book uncommonly candid from a red is that the daughter, while unequivocally defending her parents' "struggles", openly begrudges their self-absorption and cause-related time-consuming party activities. When her parents become wanted criminals, the father escapes over the border and the mother ultimately goes to prison. Understandably, our writer, the daughter Gillian, is annoyed. She and her siblings avoid mentioning their parents in any of their schools, but her Russian-Jewish name betrays their origins, their parents' political proclivities, and brands the daughters as traitors.
   
   The inside battle of any political movement will always take its toll on the activists' children. This part of the book is almost comical in its self-centeredness, but we all can relate if we have had parents with any reasons for indifference or neglect.
   
   What I enjoyed was reading how her parents had come to such political ideas, why they dove in to the blacks' cause so valiantly, and how they throve on the injustice to others. When push came to shove, the mother takes the daughters to England, since the Communists and others of their ilk have made South Africa a blood bath for whites. To this day, the nonblacks of that country are fleeing in huge numbers, not the least of which are the descendants of the persecuted Jews of Russia and Poland, who classify themselves as "white", yet still oppressed in spite of great economic priviledge.
   
   The effect of Communist ideas on emerging nations has been catastrophic, but rare is the book that tells openly how devious and traitorous its proponents can be. The end result always seems to send them scurrying out of the nation in which they had once prospered, to go to yet another free nation and stir up further unrest.
   
   Rest assured that they would not move into a black neighborhood in England or America, no matter their anti-apartheid views!
   
   Thanks to Gillian Slovo for revealing the inside scoop on these infamous Reds.



3. A great read that poses the difficult question: what ought to come first--one's children, or one's cause? Especially challenging when the cause is the end of apartheid. Gillian Slovo is bitter that she didn't have her parents because they were busy trying to free South Africa. Understandable from an individual point of view, but the contribution of the Slovos to the anti-apartheid movement was invaluable. I don't know the correct answer to the question, but I do know that this is a good and engaging tale.



4. This book is very well and sensitively written. It gives a very vivid picture of Ruth First and Joe Slovo, two very strong willed people who were dedicated to the anti apartheid struggle in the dark years of apartheid in the last 40 years before the first democratic elections in 1994.

   Here we get a true picture of how ths couple had sacrificed their family life for what they had believed in and how this had effected their relationship with their eldest daughter (the author). One cannot help but empathize with the author who makes no bones about the neglect that her parents had towards her relationship with them and how she truly wanted to know more about her parents who were rather secretive towards her.

   The book makes very exciting reading. My main criticism is that there is a tendency to jump backwards and forwards in the past. There seems to be a problem of continuity of style as passed anecdotes are retold at different stages in this biography.There is also a tendency to repetition. This tends to marr a rather good book which is recommended to all those who are interested in the history of the freedom struggle in South Africa.

3 comments about No Time to Die:: Living with Ovarian Cancer.

1. When she died in 1999, Liz Tilberis was only 51 years old and had battled ovarian cancer for several years. Her influence over the fashion world in the UK and USA was considerable and at the height of success she was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. Liz was able to chronicle her efforts fighting the disease before it claimed her and in the years since ... one thing is clear ... take time to live ... because as glamorous as life can be ... it is not immunity against a sudden illness.



2. Yeah..What she says..The other reviewer..Good. It's a ball and a blast to find out how other women survive. Jesus loves..Or..But she's a good storyteller. The head editor of Harpers-Bazaar..Yup..A busy woman. Don't want her to die..Vanes



3. I don't think this book was promoted very well when it was published. I just happened upon it in a used book store and picked it up because my stepmother had recently died of ovarian cancer-- and also because I'm always interested in reading about the fashion world. Tilberis sometimes came across as a bit shallow; she apparently took the whole fashion world VERY seriously, instead of viewing it with the detachment and "Well, it's a living" attitude of some fashionistas I know. Also, after describing her very long struggle to have children, which ultimately resulted in her adopting two sons, she seemed to have taken little interest in raising them; her husband pretty much was a single parent, while she lived and breathed Harper's Bazaar 24/7.
   But on the whole, I really enjoyed the book, especially the insider stuff about the fashion business. I also appreciated the thorough information that Tilberis gives about detection and treatment of ovarian cancer. By the end of the book she seems resigned to dying fairly soon, but is just trying to enjoy every day that is left to her. She died within two years of the book's publication.

2 comments about Boudica: Iron Age Warrior Queen.

1. This is one of the best books on Boudica yet, and if you only read one, this should be the one you read. There is relatively little known about the woman that has become so important in some many ways to so many segments of society, and what is "known" should be treated with caution. Hingley and Unwin do an excellent job of showing what we do know, what we don't know, and what we might know but should think critically about in the context of the story of Boudica. They manage to create an interesting story without compromising on the evidence, avoiding what so many do when they say all the right things about biased sources and then mostly ignore what they just said and relate what those sources say as fact. Instead, Hingley and Unwin weave the critical assessment of both written and archaeological courses into their discussion in a way that keep it relevant to the story they tell. This story is given substance by the up-to-date discussion of current archaeological research on the period, which provides as useful review for professionals and interested others alike. The second half of the book was also interesting, providing a review of the ways in which "Boudica" became transformed into "Boadicea", the cultural icon variously of the right, the left, and the centre. This is far more standard in this type of literature, but nonetheless valuable in terms of what it brings to the table.
   Probably most importantly, they manage to do all this in a highly readable fashion. Tackling the deconstruction of assumptions of Roman superiority, the inevitability of Romanization, and the uncritical use of written sources can often get mired down in jargon and so sail beyond what most people understand or care about. However, this book does it in a way that is both accessible and convincing. Nice job all around!



2. This book could not be given enough stars. It takes a fascinating episode in history, the revolt of the Queen of the Iceni of Britain in AD 60-61, and looks at it from historical, archaeological, literary, and mythical points of view. It shows how Boudica has went from simply the best-remembered of many contemporary British female warlords to variously being portrayed as a sadistic villian, a feminist hero, and a champion of British nationalism and politics. Overall, the book examines the real Boudica's role in history and her subsequent impact on modern Britain in a manner that is both informative and enjoyable to read. It is a fine source on Queen Boudica, the Celtic 'Woman of Victory' from every perspective!

5 comments about Monica's Story.

1. good book it kept my attention, was looking for more detail but all in all it was a good book...



2. Monica Samille Lewinsky appears to be either incredibly naive or incredibly childish. This book is not a page turner. If you are interested in her camps' POV... then you may like this book. The author says her "disorderly routine and her neurotic behavior over weight perfectly explain why she never cleaned the notorious blue Gap dress that was stained with the President's semen" (page 11).
   
   She is characterized as very naive. She documented every little detail as if it was major, which appears that she had a motive for the future use of this information. It gave me thoughts that she was contemplating possible blackmail, book deals, and/or movie deals.
   
   Yet again... she was either incredibly smart, naive, or silly.



3. This book was quite dumb, and all that it does is emphasize how dumb people can be. If you're a Republican right-winger who's more interested in a president's, a man's, sexcapades than what he does with the economy, then read on by all means. This mindless book was made for you.



4. Any woman in her early twenties, who has ever fallen in love with a man who is married and forbidden by conventional ethical and professional standards, will find empathy in this book.

   Whatever side of truth or political scenario this book attempts to portray, I primarily read it as a romance and enjoyed it more than ever. The book's appeal lies in the dynamics of the affair between the young intern and the president, rather than any political truth-finding. Maybe, there are too many 'truths' out there, and who are we to judge which one is true. This is Monica's version, so why quibble about absolute realities?

   The book certainly does a good job of revealing her a human figure rather than a man-hunting slut responsible for the impreachment of Clinton.

   Why marvel Marie Antoinette and Josephine, and not Monica? I admire Monica Lewinsky as a person who enjoys poetry, loves life, watches her weight, experiments with men, and most of all braves what the world thinks of her. I really think people ought to stop thinking of her as a sex symbol.

   Tragic as the love story's end is, Monica RULZ!!!




5. This book was quite ridiculous. Although I applaud the author on his efforts, the book was among other things boring and without depth. The story somehow tries to paint Monica as highly intelligent, sure of what she wanted and able to speak her own mind. But she is also supposed to be lost, confused, and have low self esteem. Am I the only person who sees the contradiction here?

   I honestly picked up this book simply because it was in the library and sounded interesting. I am not truly interested in either politics or gossip. Although I knew information about the Lewinsky scandal (who didn't?), I never defended one side or the other. I don't think Lewinsky is an evil women who should be burned at the stake. I also think that some people are too quick to criticize her without considering the fact that we've all done something we aren't proud of in our lives. I think she was truly in love with the President and that she didn't try to set him up. However this book goes way too far in trying to make her sound innocent. Any decent person will own up to the fact that they have done something wrong. But this book made Monica into the hurt little victim, without taking any responsibility for her own actions. The thing that bothered me the most was that no one ever considered Hilary or Chelsea seriously in the story. Monica somehow seems to almost completely write them out of the picture as if the family didn't matter. Of course she does mention that she followed Hilary's actions so she could know when the President would call her. For someone who is so intelligent it is surprising to me that she never considered what effect it would have on other people (namely the Clinton family) if she and the President actually did get married, something she often daydreams about in the story. Does she expect to just lovingly become Chelsea's stepmother? Although the author tried to avoid this he truly ended up making Monica sound extremely neurotic.

   In life there is usually no black or white area. Most situations can not be interpreted as completely right or wrong. All people live in a gray area, meaning sometimes they do the right thing and other times they don't. In this book we apparently meet the first person who doesn't, because Monica Lewinsky lives totally in the white area. I wish I had picked up a book with much more depth.

1 comments about Katherine Anne Porter: The Life of an Artist (Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography).

1. I can't believe no one else has reviewed this book yet, but perhaps it reveals something about the way Katherine Anne Porter has been devalued in modern US literary society, all the odder since I can remember a time when she was the toast of the literary world, even when her novel SHIP OF FOOLS had been dismissed people still said, but her short stories and short novels are of the highest quality.
   
   Darlene Harbour Unrue had her work cut out for her, but she had an incomparable advantage, she knew Porter slightly and so was able to make out what sort of person she basically was, so hard to discern from the long view. She was very beautiful in an odd sort of way, with prematurely white hair, great velvety eyes that looked purple in the right light, and a low speaking voice like Cleopatra's that made a lot of man (and Carson McCullers) fall in love with her the minute she parted her lips. Even Goering had a thing for her, if Porter is to be believed.
   
   "If Porter is to be believed"--aye, there's the crunch, isn't it? She was nearly as famous for her lies as Anais Nin, and scholars and journalists early on believed very little she told them. Unrue reveals much about rhe five marriages Porter wanted to downplay, but more importantly she helps us understand just why some subjects were painful for her to revisit, so we come to empathize with a woman whose first marriage was nine years of real physical abuse, broken bones and hatred, a life that might well have driven her insane. Instead she picked herself up, shook herself off, and went completely independent. I have rarely read the life of a person so little connected with others, besides her acolytes like Eudora Welty. She seems to have played up her great beauty and her liberty, and she played games of use with each of her publishers, signing contracts she couldn't fulfill, running out on them despite her promises, and yet whining like all authors about their meanness.
   
   She lied about her age, and her 4th husband didn't know he was a full 25 years younger than she was. In 1953 or 1954, she outdid herself by having a sexual affair with a man of 28 when she was 63. She could have given tips to Cher and, with her constantly propinquity, she probably did. I didn't know the extent of Porter's Hollywood connections, how she spent a year at Paramount trying to re-write MADAME SANS-GENE for Betty Hutton! Wish that baby got made! All in all, THE LIFE OF AN ARTIST is one of the very finest biographies I've recently read. Unrue backs off from making the highest claims for Porter's importance as a fiction writer, but in the interstices of her discretion a hunger for her work grows among us. She makes us want to read Porter anew, through the refracting surfaces of her insight.

1 comments about Women in the Bible: Examples to Live by.

1. This book has given me a deeper desire to walk closer to the true image that God has for his women.It probes your mind,and provides excellent examples to whom one can relate.Even though the women in the book lived in times unknown to us one can identify with their struggles and their victories. Not only does she look at the biblical times she provides a modern day example that helps you gain an even greater understanding of the message being taught. This is a great tool to help any woman take a look at their life and strive to follow the footsteps of her father.

3 comments about The Writing Life.

1. This book covers so much about writing. Ellen Gilchrist lists many interesting non-fiction and fiction books which she uses to teach in her creative writing workshops. she has written about her experiences of teaching creative writing or 'rewriting' as she emphasise 'writing is rewriting' to her students.
   In each and every chapter, she tries to get across some point helpful for those who want to write.



2. This book of short essays is divided into the sections "Life," "Writing," and "Teaching." For a fan of Ellen Gilchrist's fiction, like me, it's wonderful. She gives out little tidbits that reveal which parts of the Rhoda stories are autobiographical, and tells stories about how particular characters came into her head. Her essay about reading Shakespeare aloud every Sunday with friends made me want to get out the plays and go through them all next year.
   
   The journal of her teaching duties at the University of Arkansas is also inspiring...and hilarious. She really does care about the students, but skewers their dumb notions and their immaturity, too. She's old-fashioned--computers and genre writing get no sympathy at all--but doesn't quite fall into crotchety with it.
   
   There is very little nuts and bolts advice about writing. Read the best stuff out there, and listen to those who went before you; stay off drugs, and rewrite your work: that about covers it. Think of this book as more of a visit with Ellen Gilchrist than a book about writing.
   
   If you're not already a Gilchrist fan, you'll get more out of her fiction than out of this book. "Rhoda: A Life In Stories" would be a fine start. As a book on writing, for writers, Annie Dillard's "The Writing Life" is more substantial and better crafted.



3. Ever since a friend recommended "Starcarbon" to me 8 or 9 years ago, I've been a great fan of Ellen Gilchrist's work and have purchased all her books. Her characters are unforgettable and I have learned so much about human nature from them. Her writing makes me wish I was from the South!
   
   I would recommend this book to any fan of Gilchrist's writing, any aspiring writer, any teacher, or anyone who is interested in knowing what makes writers "tick" ("Falling Through Space" is another wonderful window into Gilchrist's life and mind). She is an inspiration to me and makes me believe that someday I can claim the name of writer for myself.
   
   Thank you Ellen for sharing your stories with us. I can't wait for the Nora Jane collection.

5 comments about Queen Victoria A Personal History.

1. As a self described Anglophile, I have read countless royal biographies and histories, mainly focusing on the Tudor and Stuart eras. I decided to dive into Queen Victoria with this book and it did not disappoint!
   
   Although a long book, Hibbert traces the life of Victoria in an engrossing and interesting way that keeps you turning the pages. Victoria comes to life in all of her capriciousness. Her mercurial personality, painted so vividly through the observations of others and through her own diary entries, makes you alternatively detest her, think her mad, then go to loving or pitying her.
   
   The only thing that prevents this from being a five star review is that the organization of the book sometimes threw me off. While generally a chronological account of Victoria's life, some chapters, such as one covering the Price of Wales, leap ahead. It is not too jarring, but sometimes irritating.
   
   Overall, a wonderful read that gives real insight into a woman whose myth and spectre looms so large. My true rating is 4.5 stars.



2. i guess growing up knowing you will rule england make you believe the world around you was there to please you.growing up her mother keep her away from other kids,turning into a grown up without being a child.when she finally broke away she was queen.then she married albert and nine kids later .after albert death she was in mourning that she wanting all around to share .she in later year became a very selfcenter woman who couldn't see other's point of view.



3. I really enjoyed the book, but it gets so wordy, that it has literally put my daughters to sleep. My only wish is that he would have relied less on letting us know who people were (titles, positions, etc.) and more on Victoria's personality and life. I did enjoy her love affair with her husband!



4. Once again, Christopher Hibbert has spun a wonderful biography that makes his subject come alive before you're eyes, and at times to allow the reader's imagination into the very shoes of Queen Victoria!



5. Christopher Hibbert has the marvelous ability to make historical subjects come alive. He succeeds again in this biography of Queen Victoria,
   
   This book is titled a Personal History, and that's really the focus. He turns the venerable monarch into a human being, with hopes, fears, heartaches, heartbreaks, a sense of humor, mood swings, petulance and even (gasp!) desires.
   
   Victoria's image (at least to Americans) is of the stuffy old monarch, unsmiling, and always dressed in black. Hibbert portrays quite a different picture - of a young woman who loved parties, dancing, and the affection of men. He also makes clear Victoria's physical passion for her husband, Albert. This is evident in the passage where, after giving birth to eight children, she is advised by her doctor not to have anymore. Her response was "You mean I can't have any more fun in bed?" Not what we expect from a Victorian!
   
   The portrait of a post-Albert Victoria is of a woman devasted by the death of her lover. Clearly the modern picture of Victoria comes from this stage of her life. However, this image is based on incorrect assumptions. Where we assume the stolid, frumpy queen arises from her belief in Victorian morals, in this book the picture is of a woman who lost her most precious soulmate, and whose last 40 years were a struggle against loneliness and depression, while bearing the heavy responsibility of being the most powerful monarch in the world.
   
   The book also vividly portrays the numerous characters in this remarkable woman's life, including Lord Liverpool, the Duke of Wellington, Disraeli, and Kaiser Wilhelm.
   
   Recommended to anyone with an interest in English history.

5 comments about Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman.

1. This is a good book to get into the Queen's life and see what she went through rising to the top, her ups and downs, and the painstaking loss of her brother. Very interesting.



2. ... you're going to love this. This book candidly reveals a lot about Latifah that you probably didn't know. Did you know QL doesn't like celery? Well, Chapter 6 is devoted to finally telling you the whole story. Ever wondered why Larry Storch and Queen Latifah have never worked together? Well, QL tells all in Chapter 28. Ever wonder what hip-hop's first lady likes to think about while shaving her armpits? Look no further than Chapter 87. Refreshingly honest, like the woman herself, Ladies First isn't just about the rise of one strong woman to entertainment's pinnacle, it's also a gripping account of Pete Gray, the first and still only, one-armed man to play in the Major Leagues.



3. I have Queen Latifah's autography and I LOVE IT and I know almost everything about Queen Latifah that there is to possibly know. Just in case you all don't know her real name is Dana Elaine Owens.Queen Latifah's career has blossomed a whole lot. She has had her own synicated talk show and she also had an acting career and she has starred in movies such as:Brown Sugar, Beauty Shop, Bringing Down The House,Barbershop 2:Back In Business, Set it off just to name a few. I'm a huge fan Of Queen Latifah because she has had to endure the terrible pain of her brother which I think is horrible and sad. But inspite of all of the things that has happened to her in her young life she still strong as she has ever been before. Queen Latifah is also the President of own company Flavor Unit Inc.
   
   Your #1 fan,
   Tiffany Miller



4. I purchased this book initially to get to know more about Dana Owens but instead I learned more about myself. I took my time reading the book because after every chapter or so I had to stop and check myself. I felt as though Queen Latifah was seated in front of me and reading pages from my life. My life does not come close to hers but yet I felt as though it did. I agree that every now and then as women we must stop and do our own personal inventory. Am I who I want to be and is God pleased with who I am?



5. She's been through it all to stand the test of time. She instantly became smart and wise from her mistakes and moved on to become the Blessed and Strong Queen of the Millineium. All Hail to the Queen.

5 comments about Grief Denied: A Vietnam Widow's Story.

1. Pauline's account of her early days of being a young military war widow and pregnant with the child that will never meet her father touched me to the deepest part of my soul. It was the first, and only, account of what my world was like and spoke a language I thought no one knew. Her message of denying grief is strong and resounding, most with personal antidotes, struggles and triumphs. I recommend this book to any and every person that either experiences first hand the life of a military widow or knows a person who is walking the path of widowhood alone.



2. Pauline Laurent wrote Grief Denied: A Vietnam Widow's Story. I'm glad I had the opportunity to actually meet Pauline before I read her story. It's hard to believe she has had so much sorrow in her life and yet she keeps an upbeat attitude. This excellent book shows Pauline's struggle to deal with the loss of her husband, the birth of her child, her pain for more than 20 years and how she coped.
   
   This book showed what this one woman went through and I'm sure so many others did too. BUT Pauline has had the courage to write about how Howard's life and death affected her and her child. It is a well-done book and should be read by everyone. I sincerely hope that it helps other widows heal also especially now that we have another generation of young widows among our population. Pauline should be proud of this book.



3. Pauline Laurent's "Grief Denied: A Vietnam Widow's Story" struck me more profoundly than any book I've ever read. I have dealt with grief in my own life and that of others, but never have I been moved to such outpouring of tears. The book hit a deep emotional chord as I read of the non-embraced grief that Pauline endured through years when society was angry and rejecting of anything related to the Vietnam War. I mourned for Paulne's loss and for her fatherless daughter. And I mourned in personal shame how righteously intolerant I was during that era. Pauline's story is about more than grief. It is about courage, resilience, and recovery. This book is poignant and gripping; it will live in your heart. Michael DeMarchi, hospice volunteer



4. A Grief Denied is a profound study in complicated grief, spiritual healing and self-care. As an advanced practice nurse, I highly recommend this book for all those who have lost someone to a sudden trauma such as war, those interested in the Vietnam war and its aftermath in personal lives, and for caregivers who often lose sight of how people cannot really bury trauma and loss. Those who do spiritual counseling, formation, and work in the grief field should take special note: This is a shattering book full of many truths that we often don't see and only with help can begin to feel. Keep the tissue box handy. The author exposes her raw emotion and pain. To read this book, helps ALL of us understand the story beyond the obituary and our own often inept ways of making sure that the survivors really do survive.



5. I was so touched by the reading of this book, that I cried like a baby for the first time since I returned back from Vietnam. I was there myself and knew many men, such as Pauline's husband. I just never realized how much grief and stress that those left behind had suffered. Pauline is an example of someone who has had to learn how to cope and deal with the death of her husband, without any road maps. She lead with her heart and let her emotions take her to places she had never visited before. She allows us to take that journey of her spirit, though the pages of this wonderfully, well written, book of her emotional expereinces. I could not put this book down once I began - not until I reached and read the final word on the last page. I highly recommend buying and reading of this book. It will move you in ways you thought possible.