Reviews (2)

A Fascinating Glimpse into what it's like to be a TV icon
I've admired MH for many years and it was a pleasure to relive some of the shows I've seen her in, but from her point of view. She comes across as a very humble, friendly, and intelligent person you can't help but admire. The writing is crisp and humorous. I especially loved the sections dealing with the really bad movies she made, like Count Yorga and Drums of Africa (which I'm now dying to see) as well as cult shows she was on like Peyton Place, Star Trek, and Hulk. If anything, I would have liked to hear more about what it was like behind the scenes at those shows and how she fleshed out those characters, what it was like to win an Emmy, etc. She has been in so many shows she could probably do another book just on that aspect of her life. The sections about her family were very interesting, too, showing how much she managed to overcome to be where she is now. Hope she writes volume two--apparently her life has changed a lot since 1991 with divorce and several humanitarian awards, etc.

review of "breaking the silence"
This was a wonderful book. It detailed so eloquently the struggle of growing up in an abusive home and overcoming the obstacles placed before a person. Ms. Hartley presented herself in a very human manner and also a person who is not above these struggles herself. It gives a person hope that they too might be able to overcome such difficulties in life. I would recommend this book to professionals as well as survivors. ... Read more

Book Description

Ruthie Mae Bolton was born January 6, 1961, in the Hungry Neck section of Charleston, South Carolina. At the time, her mother was thirteen; she has never known who her father was. Her mother was the wandering kind, so Ruthie Mae-nicknamed "Gal" by her stepgrandfather-was raised in her grandparents' home. One day Grandmama died as a result of a severe beating by her husband-it occured to no one to call this to the attention of the authorities-and Gal was left in the brutal hands of her granddaddy, who beat her unmercifully as well. Ruthie Mae began to steal things in school and she developed a stutter; she drank and smoked dope. But she stuck resolutely with her education and graduated from high school, which was likely her salvation, for today Ruthie Mae is happily married, with children and a fine job. At last she is at peace-with herself and even with the memory of her grandfather. It is nigh impossible to convey the astonishingly eloquent simplicity of Ruthie Mae's witnessing to her time. Here is an absolutely remarkable document, as touching as it is painful, as ageless as it is timely. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

You Go Gal!
What a Story! Originally when I picked up Gal, I thought it was going to take me back to the '30s or '40s. Gosh was I surprised to find out that the author was born in 1961...she's around my age! As I read her story I was appalled and thought the atrocity of her situation shouldn't have ever happened. Where was the extended family? Why didn't someone...anyone intervene?

Ruthie Bolton, aka Gal, was born in the impoverished Hungry Neck section of Charleston. Ruthie's mom was a 13-year old teenager and she never knew her father. Tired of her step-father abusing her, Ruthie's mother left home and Ruthie, and never returned to claim her. Ruthie's step-grandfather, Clovis Fleetwood, while an honorable enlisted Navy man was a mean, vicious, brutal, selfish, jealous and unloving family man. Because Fleetwood though Ruthie's grandmother was cheating on him he brutally attacked her and left her for dead while her granddaughter and children watched. Ruthie's life would be pure hell after her grandmother's death and would quickly spiral into one of poverty, abuse, neglect, humiliation, and later in her teen years include stealing, drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, and an early marriage which ended in divorce. Only after Ruthie meets her second husband, Ray Bolton, and his family will she be shown love, support, understanding and compassion. And it is then as an adult that she realized that her family and childhood were not normal.

Gal is a heartwrenching but touching and poignant story. It's a story of overcoming obstacles and excelling in spite of adversity. It's a story of what one is able to accomplish when one has the love of a family. It's a story that I recommend to everyone but especially those who need the motivation to move beyond a horrible past. Ruthie's story is one of pain, humiliation, courage and ultimately love. Ruthie's life is a miracle and a triumph. Thank you Ruthie Bolton for sharing your story.

Emotionally gripping but missing something...
This story of a young woman's struggle to survive despite her circumstances has some good things going for it. The reader is pretty much instantly hooked into her story, eager to find out how it will end. But at the same time, there's something missing.

Ruthie Bolton or "Gal" is a pseudonym for the heroine of this true story, written with the help of a friend who tries her best to stay true to the voice of this unique woman. There are no 25-cent words. There's no attention to sentence structure or grammar, which can be disconcerting at times. But what you get is the raw, honest narrative of someone who has clearly lived through a great deal and come out of it a survivor.

Ruthie's childhood world has trouble and pain written all over it. Living in a small town outside of Charleston, S.C., she was raised by her grandmother and step-grandfather. The step-grandfather, Ruthie's only father figure, is an abusive man who keeps her and her cousins in line with violence. Ulimately, that violence takes her grandmother's life.

Ruthie grows up in relative poverty, marked out for failure from the start. But she survives her blows and graduates from high school. Fleeing her step-grandfather's home, she tries to make a life for herself and ends up making some poor decisions that change her life often for the worse.

Eventually, Ruthie triumphs over the bad hand she is dealt and settles into a happy second marriage with a man whose family accepts her for who she is. Ruthie has a painful struggle accepting that love. This situation was the most gripping for me because you see Ruthie's heart, raw and broken, truly for the first time.

If the emotions that are let out in this part of the book were as available to the reader elsewhere, I would have enjoyed "Gal" much more. Instead, I often felt like a I was reading a rambling listing of events and voices at times. Ruthie's feelings are buried. We don't know how these things touched her, what changes they created in her behavior. These moments are what's missing.

At the same time, "Gal" will grip any reader willing to take the risk. I would highly recommend this book for teen readers because of the simplicity of the language and the life lessons it has to share. It will certainly spark some interesting discussions between teens and their peers, and their families.

Gal, the True Life of Ruthie Bolton
Gal, the true life of Ruthie Bolton is a story written through the eyes of a child who never knew the meaning of love. Born in 1961 to a mother just aging 13, Ruthie Homer was left in the hands of her grandparents, Clovis and Ruthie Fleetwood. Not long after Ruthie (Gal) was five things seemed to become a bit strange. Clovis Fleetwood, or Daddy as Gal called him, had a sudden urge of violence and depression which he took out on everybody in the house. Daddy started forcing the other girls in the house to cook, clean, and tend to his every need. If they did not do exactly what he asked, when he asked, he immediately beat them with a belt or a skinny tree branch. Getting caught up in sex, drugs and alcohol was what Gal considered that to be a "normal" life. The road through Jr. High and High school was long and windy for Gal. It took her on journey's through living life on her own, the death of her mother, the encounters with drugs, and the price you have to pay for having a selfish father. One day, after pretty much giving up on life, Ray Bolton walked through the door of Ruthie's one bedroom apartment. He came from the family Ruthie has always dreamed of having; a family who showed kindness, and happiness towards her at every waking moment. In this family Ruthie found everything she lacked as a child. Through this wonderful family, the little girl who got caught up in the life of a drunken old man soon found out what it was like to be loved.
This book is a very well written book. The details can be a little much at times, but with that, its almost like we could actually be there. The way the author wrote the book makes it easy to understand what Ruthie was going through in her childhood days and she always keeps you wondering, "what's going to happen next." This book is written in dialect so its easy to get the just of Ruthie's life in the South. However this dialect can sometimes be confusing when there are multiple people speaking, and when the transition from Ruthie Homer to Ruthie Bolton occurs.
This book is a terrific book for all reading levels. The summary starts off going through the horrible life of a little girl, then goes on to everything this girl had ever dreamed of, making it almost a fiction book. After reading when I went back and thought about it, I realized that it was a true story, so it gave me another perspective on her life. On a scale of one to ten I would rate this book a nine and a half, but I would recommend it to just about anybody interested in reading.

gal
this book is 5 stars 3 moons 8 suns a few planets naw its the whole solar system

Very good...
She definitely caught all the details of her hard-life. Her words--very captivating and she has a very unique style of writing. ... Read more

Book Description

Martha Horgan is not like other women.She stares. She has violent crushes on people.She can't stop telling the truth.Martha craves love, independence, and companionship, but her relentless honesty makes her painfully vulnerable to those around her: Frances, her wealthy aunt and begrudging guardian; Birdy, who befriends her, then cruelly rejects her; and Colin Mackey, the seductive man who preys on her desires.Confused and bitter, distrusting even those with her best interests at heart, Martha is propelled into a desperate attempt to gain control over her own life. The sense of impending calamity is almost unbearable in this portrait of a woman who teeters on the edge of madness.

"Morris's magnanimous ability to portray her characters with so much tenderness and cruelty may be her novel's finest strength." (Boston Sunday Globe) ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Outstanding
A Dangerous Woman is a rich characterization of a woman in need of love, support, understanding, security and warmth. This novel is one of the most brilliant that I've read so far this year and it's now the tenth month. The extra-ordinary depth of it's author, Mary McGarry Morris in her understanding of the heroine is outstanding and she delivers her punches with passion and tenacity. We follow Martha through her ordeals, from teenage insecurity through to early thirties bewilderment. We grope blindly along, knowing that there is a tragedy coming and wishing that we could avert it, but it's impending doom is fate and Martha must face hers alone. While Martha can be annoying, gratingly stubborn and insensitive, most of the time she is written about in such a way that you just want to wrap her in your arms and protect her to save her from herself. The novel left me with the huge provocation of how we are in control of our destinies and how we affect those that witness our lives around us. I can't rate this novel high enough. It's compelling, absorbing and brilliantly written and can teach you things about yourself that you may not already know. A must read on anyone's list. I loved it!

Captivating Story - couldn't put it down
I couldn't put it down, I was so enormously enthralled by the lives of these people! This was an amazing character sketch of an entire town and their denial of the truth and how that changed everything.
Martha is a sad creature who needed someone to believe her, love her and show patience with her. Perhaps she came close - but, not until it was too late.
Maybe this book will make you lean over your neighbor's fence and say hello. Maybe it will help you open your heart to someone you don't understand.
I always rate books and movies in my mind by this question, "Am I a better person for having read this book or seen this movie?" The answer in this case is YES!

You'll be annoyed, but keep going . . .
Within the first fifty pages or so, I was totally aggravated by Martha. She has suffered a traumatic childhood and adolescence, sure - but could she be any more annoying? It was easy to understand how the people around her react as they do, and why children still taunt her in the street now that she's a woman of thirty. It's as if there is some socially-deficient fog clouding her brain, making her honest to the point of incurring violence. She remains, to the end, an unlikable character.

That, however, is part of what makes her story a fascinating read. I resisted the urge to toss this book aside in favor of the Ramsey Campbell paperback sitting on my nightstand, and by the hundredth page I was still annoyed by Martha - but I had to know what would become of her. From the opening paragraph, we know that she's going to kill someone . . . but who? and why? and will she lose her painful sense of honesty?

Morris does a fine job of getting the reader inside Martha's head, (much in the same way that Mr. Campbell does), though very unobtrusively. It was only toward the end of the book that I found myself, while still disliking Martha, at least understanding her. I even felt a passing moment of triumph when she held to her grating sense of truth in the final pages.

This is not one of those books I would keep on my shelf for future re-readings - I honestly couldn't bear Martha for another 300 pages - but it makes me wish I hadn't sold Ms. Morris' VANISHED to the used book-store without ever reading it.

Leaves a Lasting Mark
Compelling and heartbreaking, Morris weaves a haunting tale of a lonely young woman's losing battle to gain social acceptance, love, respect, and a healthy life of her own. Alienated and ridiculed by her small community, the origins of what make Martha Horgan so strange and different from those around her are unknown. The "dangerous" qualities referred to in the title put off those around her and ultimately lead to her undoing: her belief that the truth must always be known, under all cirumstances, her inability to function around others in society, her tempermental outbursts, and her undying fixations on people. Martha is richly drawn in three-dimensions as a character both frustrating and sympathetic, unlikable yet lovable, exasperating yet endearing, and ultimately, all too human. Morris does a superb job of painting those inhabit Martha's world as equally complex and contradictive, particuarly Frances and Mac. These two judge Martha for her abnormalities, yet their own distorted belief systems and foilables are all too abundent, and their own behavior quite questionable at times. In many ways, they see reflected in Martha the qualities they fear the most about themselves. Morris does an elegent job of depicting the culture of their community and the adverse reactions of "normal" society to those who are different. I liked that Martha's mental illness remained undefined....it was an interesting way of highlighting that people are afraid of what they can't label, not all diverse people can be placed in a tight category, and it raised questions of whether or not the base of the problem was biological or the result of her life experience. Overall, a worthy read: thought-provoking and well-written, sensitive yet brutal, yet not a difficult or lenghty read by any means.

disturbing yet captivating
I couldn't put this down. I just could feel Marthas emotions. I was quite surprised with tne ending and I felt so sad. It was a very interesting book to read. The writing is fantastic. So true to life. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Private First Class Jessica Lynch's capture and rescue during the 2003 war in Iraq captured the attention and captivated the emotions of millions of Americans. Accounts of the actual events surrounding Lynch were wildly varied as some took her to be a symbol of American righteousness while others made her out to be a pawn of the US military. But the Lynch that emerges in Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Rick Bragg's portrayal is an ordinary young woman caught up in an extraordinary series of events. Bragg, who had the cooperation of Lynch and her family in writing I Am a Soldier, Too intersperses her war story with a detailed portrait of the diminutive kid from Palestine, West Virginia who enlisted to see the world. What's truly remarkable about Lynch is how relatively unremarkable she is. She had a normal working class childhood, did fine in high school, performed capably in basic training, made some good friends, met a guy, and, like thousands of her contemporaries, was sent off to a war zone in the Middle East. But the story takes a sharp turn when her vehicle loses the convoy it was following near Nasiriyah, her four fellow soldiers are killed in the subsequent fighting, and Lynch is badly wounded and taken prisoner. Blacking out for three hours, she awakes in an Iraqi hospital where the tensions of war coupled with a lack of resources and a language and culture barrier make for a harrowing stay even as numerous medical personnel defy their own military to protect her and save her life. Finally, American troops captured Nasiriyah, kicked down the hospital doors (even as hospital workers tried to give them a master key) and airlifted Lynch out. Bragg also tells the story of the blue collar West Virginia town of Palestine and the Lynch family who the world watches, first as Jessica goes missing, then when she is rescued, and finally when she returns amid much fanfare. Bragg keeps the story telling pretty simple, avoiding an analysis of how the story was spun or the politics behind the war itself. In the end, Jessica Lynch is not, by her own insistence, a hero. Rather, she is a soldier with a remarkable story of survival to tell. Thankfully, she has now had the opportunity to tell it herself. --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (76)

I am an annoyed American too: A story of my nausea.
CHA! CHING!!... And the cash register opens and screams,"feed me Seymour!!"
Whose idea was it to make this woman a hero. It certainly wasn't hers. Her ordeal and the role that she played in it hardly warrants such an honor. So, here we have private Jessica lynch, war hero(?), and product of our beloved american media hype machine.
Lynch was captured after her company took a wrong turn outside Nasiriya and was ambushed. Nine of her comrades were killed and Lynch was taken to a local Hospital, which at the time was swarming with Fedayeen. Eight days later U.S. special
forces stormed the hospital, capturing the events on a night vision camera.

Reports claim that this soldier took a bullet, sustained stab injurys and, also that she had been slapped about the head and shoulders while being interrogated by her captors. The Iraqi doctor that treated her soon after her capture claimed that she only had a broken arm, thigh and a dislocated ankle. But once the story breaks via our wonderful american media machine, this Private not only has the above former stated injuries, but there was speculation that she may have been sexually assaulted. There was no proof, just speculation. Speculation that had been conveniently thrown out to the american public like raw meat for dogs to tear apart, swallow and digest. Or more like yeast thrown into a batter to make the story that much more inflated.

Contrary to what was reported there was no sign of a shooting (no bullet inside her), no stab wound, and absolutely no signs of rape. By the time special forces moved in to rescue Ms Lynch, Fedayeen rebels had left the area and the doctor treating Lynch
planned to take Jessica back to the American post via ambulance.

Without firing a shot, Lying on her back in a hospital, and at the detriment of those overlooked,obviously neutral iraqi Hospital staff (who might as well have been armed rebels)who took care of her, Private Lynch became a national hero.

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. It almost makes my stomach turn.

Lyrical writing
I'll be honest.If Rick Bragg hadn't been the one to write Jessica Lynch's story I probably never would have read it.Her story got so much press when it first happened I got tired of hearing about it, especially when it looked like some of it was fabricated.But, Rick Bragg is one of my favorite writers.He can tell any story, but especially a southern story, so well. When I found out he was going to write it I knew I would eventually read it. Some may downplay Jessica's story saying she got too much noteriety for one of the many mistakes of the Iraq war.The thing is, Jessica's story is the story of America's army in Iraq.She is representative of who and why young people enlist to serve our country.I enjoyed the background information on her family.I cried while I read the story.I am proud of her and all our troops.Bragg paints a real picture of what happened.He made it real for me.

Small town girl gets a taste of large world
I read this book in the middle of all the hype about Jessica Lynch a few years back and the book has a poignant quality to it that allows the reader to understand Jessi's story in such a way that you feel like the reader is with her while she is in Iraq.

While Jessi was vulnerable being unable to move after she was captured it was a brilliant that she was able to admit that she was scared even when the doctors wanted to amputate her leg.

Jessi has the qualities that America looks for in a soldier.She is brave, corageous, and honest.

Very well narrated and rich drama
I previously reviewed "Escape in Iraq: the Thomas Hamill story" and gave it four stars. The Jessica Lynch story is narrated by a clever author. His choice of the chapters' title and sequence makes a lot of sense. Almost all the titles are single words accurately descriptive of the chapters' content. The most striking feature of the author's style is the great depth of his understanding of the political and social factors that interplay in government-citizens relationship. He did not attempt to take sides between the warring governments, nor did he attempt to raise Jessica to a status she is not entitled to. He merely spoke the truth and filtered myths and lies.

The book sensibly describes the socioeconomic upbringing of a little, young, poor, and undereducated American woman who enlists in the Army as the only resolve out of the financial despair and emptiness of the impoverished state of West Virginia. Her dream is to see the world and become a kindergarten teacher, to hold a lot of babies. The army recruiters promised her with travel and never minded her merely 100-pound bodyweight, or her prescription glasses. The boot-camp drill sergeant treated her brashly and demeaned the people from her impoverished state of West Virginia. Out of her despair, she took it as well-meaning method of breaking her down and rebuilding her anew in order to suite soldiers'life.Her best friend Lori Piestewa came from similar background. Both Jessica and Lori drove five-ton utility trucks from Kuwait to Nasiriyah. Yet, Lori died there and her body was dug out of the sand by the Marines. Jessica survived, with multiple broken bones and nerve injuries.

The infuriating fact about the poor judgment of the Army is allowing a weak, little, female to drive a truck in unaccustomed terrains, during wartime, and with no reliable instructions. The commander of her company, captain Troy King, is a dental assistant who was supposed to execute given instructions of avoiding a populated city like Nasiriyah by skirting it through a different highway. Instead, he drove his caravan to their death, which came in the form of attacks by civilian-dressed Iraqis. The destruction of Jessica's Humvee incapacitated her. That was the first fighting in the war. She was taken to the hospital and treated until the occupying American army freed her and transported her to Germany.

The author strikes smart balance between the many concerned parties, as follows.

1) He questions the allegation by the Iraqi lawyer, Mohammed Odeh Al Rehaief, who claimed that Jessica was slapped and abused by Saddam's Fedayeen and contends that it never happened, since Jessica did not recall such event.

2) He questions the military story of publishing a video that shows special forces rescuing Jessica using night vision goggles, attacking the hospital, restraining patients, and frightening medical staff.

3) He rebuts the falsification of Jessica's fighting the enemy until the last bullet and explains the realistic events that took place during her injury, which did not involve gunshots.

4) He exonerates the Iraqi medical staff of malicious intent and justifies their limited medical resources during the wartime. Moreover, he sympathizes with murdered Iraqi children and grandmothers by American bombs.

5) He honestly conveyed clearly and straightforward Jessica's mom, Dee, resentment for the medals and publicity and wish to have her daughter the way she joined the Army.

6) He did not forget the loss of her friend, Lori, and put her family's picture in the book. In addition, he addressed the protest of others who were upset on the exaggerated welcome and treatment of a soldier who never fired a shot at the enemy and the government that takes advantage of a low ranking soldier to sell the war to the people and for presidential election gain.

7) He described in many details the well-meaning people who sent letters, donated money and time to renovate Jessica's house and hometown for a celebrated return home.

The two things the author did not do are:

1) He did stress on the great benefits of celebrating a living soldier who will go through very traumatizing post-conflict syndrome after all the fuss of medals and publicity is over.As for those who lost their loved ones and very little could be done about their grief, the celebration of the returned soldier does not diminish the significance of the role of the soldiers lost in action.

2) As a humanistic matter, the thousands of lost Iraqi lives and many more thousands of injured Iraqis should have been stressed strongly. Those will never get the level of care of western hospitals and they are not enemies to anyone. Their neglect and tragedy is causing the lingering of deadly occupation. It is very clear that the occupation of Iraq did not take into consideration the enormous loss of lives and gigantic resources needed to care of the injured without global help in due time.

2 1/2 hrs reading,and you will understand Jessi's story*
Author Rick Brag did an awesome job of telling the true story behind Private First Class Jessica Lynch's ordeal. She is a simple country gal who grew up in a close knit American town, but like so many small towns in West Virginia, this means there are not too many options facing it's high school graduates.
Precious few jobs exist and that is why small country hollers in the middle of nowhere, USA recruit the highest per capita ratio of young people willing to become soldiers.
The military is the only exciting future for many teens.
Jessi was one such person - tough as nails and pretty as a tiny doll.She proved herself to be an American hero in an Iraqi battlefield.
Many people don't know this, but Jessica Lynch was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Prisoner of War Medal.
She deserves each and every distinguished metal, and she has the internal & external scars to prove her mettle.
Some rude people are skeptical of her sacrifices, but as they sit on thier ever-expanding duffs critising everybody, Jessi is struggling to rehabilitate her legs and bladder and bowels.
Her wounds are far from being healed even today.
What horrors her dreams are made of nightly from being a prisoner of war I can only shiver and wonder about.
She gave all that she could for this war and served the US Army to her utmost abilities.
It is difficult to know that there are persons who wish to defame Jessica Lynch - people like that belong in hell.
YES, she is a super-star, a woman warrior and famous person who recieved many special gifts as well as discretionary bonuses, but Jessica herself is adamant that she would give "Four hundred billion dollars" for none of it to have ever occured, if she could somehow board a time machine and take back the combat death of her best roomy friend, Private First Class Lori Piestwa.
Jessica would do anything to talk her friend, PFC Lori Piestewa, out of going into Iraq, because her friend had papers discussing a shoulder injury which would have enabled her to stay in the safe zone.
Private Piestwa was a Hopi Indian and was the first Hopi to die in the line of fire in the history of this nation.
She leaves behind two young children, under the tender age of 5.I plowed through this book, reading about Jessica's life, but when I hit page 167 --- tears exploded in my eyes --- on this page is the picture of the father of Lori Piestewa, as a poem written for his daughter was being read at the Women in Military Service Memorial at Arlington National Cemetary.
Oh ... the anguish, the hoplessness, the sorrowful look on the old man's face...it crushed my hearts into bits and pieces and his grief came rushing into my own heart.
Jessica tells her story and does not leave out those heros who were tragically left behind; those who can never go home again.
The only consolation is that the body of young Private First Class Lori Piestewa was found and taken back to her family.
Her remains are now buried close to her kin, not buried in an unmarked place in the sandy dunes of Iraq.
This story moved me more than any of the other books that I have reviewed here.It's a story that rings of truth, of youth and consequences of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I sincerely wish that Jessica Lynch marries her sweetheart, Sgt. Rueben Contreras, and that they can have a happy life together.
I sincerely wish the people of Palestine, West Virginia, God's blessings and good grace; they truly love Jessica Lynch.
In spite of terrible tragedies, such as death, it is important to remember that life goes on...it simply has to go on.
After reading this book, (it only took 2 1/2 hours to read it from cover to cover.) I prayed for the soldiers in Iraq -- and those who will not make it home outside of the body bag. I pray for them and their families and for this great nation of ours who puts a high value on freedom and democracy for all humankind.
This story will move you like none other.
It makes me feel so proud to be an American, and to have those ideals of family, God and democracy deep in my heart.
God Bless the USA! ... Read more

Book Description

After thirty years together, Cokie and Steve Roberts know something about marriage and after thirty distinguished years in journalism, they know how to write about it.  In From This Day Forward, Cokie and Steve weave their personal stories of matrimony into a wider reflection on the state of marriage in American today.

Here they write with the same conversational style that catapulted Cokie's We Are Our Mother's Daughters to the top of the New York Times bestseller list.  They ruminate on their early worries about their different faiths -- she's Catholic, he's Jewish -- and describe their wedding day at Cokie's childhood home.  They discuss the struggle to balance careers and parenthood, and how they compromise when they disagree.  They also tell the stories of other American marriages: that of John and Abigail Adams, and those pioneers, slaves and immigrants.  They offer stories of broken marriages as well, of contemporary families living through the "divorce revolution".  Taken together, these tales reveal the special nature of the wedding bond in America.  Wise and funny, this book is more than an endearing chronicle of a loving marriage -- it is a story of all husbands and wives, and how they support and strengthen each other.

Reviews (27)

REMARKABLE COUPLE/REMARKABLE STORY
I received this book as a birthday gift yesterday - simply could not put it down. Possibly this results from my having followed these two people for many years (am a bit of a "political person"); but the thrust of the story is about kindness, friendship, honoring one's values and family, and, particularly, humor as an integral part of life! It certainly is not easy to combine marriage, family and work; the Roberts family appears to have made a blend of these an asset to all instead of a burden to any. Having lost the "other half" of my marriage a few years ago, the book only increased the joy in remembering the past and the special friendship (which is, after all, the basis of any good marriage). I do hope Cokie and Steve will consider a sequel: perhaps, as Tom Brokaw's book, "The Greatest Generation", engendered so many responses, this one will do the same. There must be many others "out there" who genuinely enjoy a love story which carries so many good lessons about life and commitment in our society. A must read for any considering marriage (still a great institution).

There is hope for marriage today.
After reading "From This Day Forward" I wanted to learn more about American marriages like John and Abigail Adams. I also developed a renewed hope that interfaith marriages can and do work after reading how Cokie and Steve's worked so beautifully.

I found the book very easy to read and enjoyed the way they interspersed their own personal stories with marriage stories from American history. Of particular interest were the stories about slave marriages. It is unbelievable what sacrifices were made for the hope of sharing one's life with another.

Although my parents have remained married for over 35 years, I have many friends from divorced or blended families and it was fascinating to see a common thread through so many of the stories.

Having always seen Cokie and Steve in a professional setting, it was wonderful and refreshing to realize that they are as down to earth as anyone else I know. The personal stories that they share give you a real insight into their marriage and lives. Thank you Cokie and Steve.

I look forward to reading another book by Cokie and Steve very soon.

It takes a narcissist
It takes a narcissist of tremendous proportions to foist this scrapbook off on an unsuspecting public. On the plus side, Cokie Roberts does more than her usual cut and paste from the work of others in From This Day Forward. When not pulling from the work of others, Cokie (and the compliant Steve) offer up tidbits that are supposed to inform the reader how s/he too can have a great marriage.
Apparently the basic rule for a successful marriage is to live in your own little world the way kooky Cokie does. I doubt she realizes how racist she comes off in parts of the book. (Yes, Cokie, condescension is a form of racism.) Or how laughable most will find her book. Reading of the great "trauma" of her life, you realize this is someone who hasn't experienced many character building moments in her life. The great "trauma"? Learning that her new employer wouldn't provide a limo and that Cokie would have to take taxis around NYC. Oh, the horror! Oh, the shame! How did Cokie ever survive?
(Had she been told to take the subway, one gets the impression Roberts would have called it quits right then.)
A vapid celebration of what appears to be a vapid marriage isn't necessarily shocking -- what's shocking is that Cokie (and husband Steve) put their names to it. Had a child offered this slight volume as a souvenir to a wedding anniversary, we all would have "oooh"ed and "aaaawe"d over it. But for grownups to write such a book about themselves is the height of narcissism.
The book works best as anthropological study of When Gigantic Egos Mate.

A Wonderful Read
I always loved Cokie Roberts on TV and when I saw this book, I figured it would be fun to read about her marriage to Steve Roberts. I recommend this book highly to everyone thinking of marriage especially.

From the beginning I was drawn into this couple's world and liked the way they each expressed themselves in separate chapters. I found the entire book exciting, informative, inspiring, and so thankful that they took time to write about their unique marriage and how they make it work.

This is a refreshing book. A rare book about how a marriage can work. I've been married for fifty years and I know this couple will celebrate gold as well. Lots of love and best wishes to Cokie and Steve and thanks for sharing your busy happy loving life with us.

You'll be glad you read this book too.

Fun, light, cheery...
I picked up this book for $5 at Borders, mainly because I enjoy listening to Cokie Roberts on NPR. I was curious to get to know her a little better.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. She and Steve take turns writing, as if they're dialoguing back and forth. I appreciated their commitment to their marriage in a day when it's not all that popular to stay married to the same person.

I also enjoyed the glimpses into slave marriages and Old West marriages. I'm glad I picked up this book. It was a pleasant read for sure. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1980, Mary Robertson, an American living in London, welcomed a shy young nanny into her home to care for her nine-month-old son.Little did she know that this was the beginning of an extraordinary friendship that would last for seventeen years.She was surprised to learn that the nanny was Lady Diana Spencer, who would later become Diana, Princess of Wales, the most celebrated woman of our time.

In The Diana I knew, Mary portrays a gentle, unassuming teenager who blossomed into an assured, world-class beauty.She describes a private side to a woman few people knew intimately.This is an American woman's personal account of her unexpected and touching friendship with Diana.

Mary's unique memories of this remarkable woman include Diana's nonchalant reaction to Mary's discovery of her nanny's aristocratic background and the day-to-day building of a trusting, affectionate relationship which developed into a true friendship.As Diana's life dramatically changed when the royal courtship began, she turned to Mary for guidance.Even after the Robertsons returned to the United States just before the engagement, Diana wrote frequently, wishing to continue the friendship.

From receiving the gilt-edged invitations to the Royal Wedding to being charmed by Prince Charles at the glamorous pre-nuptial ball at Buckinham Palace, Mary captures the magic of the wedding of the century.Despite the unimaginable demands of her life and the unraveling of the fairy tale, Diana made time to see Mary and her family.From the Robertsons' private meeting with the Prince and Princess in Washington to an intimate family luncheon at her home in Kensington Palace, Diana's generosity of spirit and appreciation of simpler times always shone through.

The Diana who emerges in this book is a committed and sincere woman who "loathed formality," a radiant and exuberant princess who had "little use for the upper classes" and someone who felt at home with "ordinary people."

From the profound tragedy of Diana's death and the heartbreak of her funeral, Mary transforms her grief into this eloquent tribute to her beloved friend Diana, the Princess of Wales.

The author will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to charities supported by the Princess. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

not the best of the pack but an interesting little book
I guess that I'd have to give this book about 3 1/2 stars if I could do that, it's an interesting little book to read. Written by Mary Robertson, the American woman who once employed Diana as a nanny, it isn't nearly as bad as some critics would suggest.The book starts with an Aug 31-Sept 6th recap of learning about Diana's death and attending the funeral, in the next chapter and for most of the book details Robertson's experiences over the years with the Princess. While Mrs. Robertson does talk about herself (not particularly boastfully)she tells a lot of harmless little details about Diana, various meetings & so on, that you just don't see elsewhere. I wouldn't put it at the top of your list of books to accquire but it makes a nice little addition.

A Definitive Diana Book
I've read most of the Diana books on the market, and this one is my all time favorite. The warmth, candor, and respect that Mrs. Robertson uses in describing her ongoing relationship with the late former Princess of Wales is refreshing (who else treats Diana with dignity anymore, anyway?), well paced (I can stay into it, even on the treadmill), and wholly respectable (staying exclusively in the realm of what Mrs. Robertson herself saw, learned, or experienced, and not crossing the line into lurid speculation, armchair psychology, or maudlin reflection). This is an idea purchase or gift with anyone having an interest in Diana, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly as a sweet (I know it's an overused word, but it's the RIGHT word) tribute to the relationship from one mother to another and their friendship which spanned 17 years.

Smug, opportunistic drivel.
What a perfectly awful little book -- surely the Diana portrayed within its pages would have loathed it!

Written by a self-absorbed, rather strident American woman determined to get her fifteen minutes of fame by exploiting a very modest connexion with the late Princess of Wales.

Cheesy, smarmy and heartbreaking.
I wouldn't have bought this book, I received it as a gift. The heartbreaking part of this story is the way the Princess was betrayed and exploited. The authors claim that she wrote the book to "balance" the "critical" press of Diana is utter rot. Mrs. Roberson saw for herself the depth of love and affection the world felt for the Princess. Mary Robertson was so lucky to know Diana. Diana showed her nothing but kindness and showered her with opportunity. In exchange Mary Robertson cashes in by revealing every small detail of her aquaintenship. One can imagine how dissapointed the Princess whould have been to know that even a few conversations, letters and Christmas cards would become fodder for a book. ...

Disappointing
The fact is that this woman did not know Diana, Princess of Wales well at all. Diana was her nanny for some months before she married Prince Charles but it was only 2 days per week and the woman was at work while Diana was taking care of her child.

After this family moved back to the States their was little in the way of communication between them other than 2 visits which seemed to consist of little more than small talk mostly about their children and the very occassional letter and Christmas card.

The thing I found most annoying about the book was it was mostly about the author and her family whom I am sure are very nice people but I don't want to read about them.

Overall, this book offered nothing new into who Princess Diana was in fact a lot less than many other books that had been previously published.

The kind view of this is that this woman was genuinely fond of the princess and wanted to show it in a very public way. The unkind view is that she is cashing in on a relationship she had with her although she states several times in the book that she would never do that.

There are probably hundreds of people who knew Princess Diana better than this author. I guess it is just a matter of time before their books are all published too. ... Read more

Book Description

Her struggle is one keenly felt in today’s intensely pressured and time-starved world: how can we experience our lives fully in whatever we are doing at the moment – whether cleaning the kitchen, faced with a situation that frustrates us, or momentarily exhilarated by some new fortune that’s befallen us. Inspired by the image of the empty ‘begging bowl’ that Zen monks would start each day with to solicit enough food to nourish and sustain them, Bender discovers for herself – and shows us in the process – how to find that which is ‘just enough’ to fill our lives each day. The lessons along Bender’s path of ‘doubt and hope’ reveal that each step is a place to learn and that ‘we can seek the sacred everywhere – in our homes, in our daily activities, and hardest to see, in ourselves’. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

a book for life
Simply put, this is a book for life. I am a young woman who took this book with me as a student to Japan. I have reread it several times these past 4 years and have been enriched by Sue's simple wisdom. I also love the illustrations. This is a very special read!

A continuation of a woman's spiritual journey
I was enchanted by Sue Bender's tale of the changes that occurred in her life after the publication of Plain and Simple. Her desire to continue in a spiritual path is enchanting. She makes you aware, again, of the sacred that is a part of the ordinary. We share this wonderful exploration of spiritual life for women today. Don't plan on rushing through this book. It takes time to absorb and reflect on the truths she has found and shares with the reader.

Read all three, Please!!!!
I bought all of her books at the same time and read them in
reverse order. No kidding! Each touched me and healed and
helped me. I am much more effective and sensitive to myself
now. I have slowed down, I have done what she suggests. I even
visited an AMish farm and bought chickens after reading this
and more deeply appreciated the experience after reading these
books. I can't tell you which taught me what, I just know they
are brilliant. I gave them to a treasured friend and encouraged
her to pass them on to other women seeking balance and enlightenment. I lived in Berkeley too...so it was fun to
revisit those memories!

Sometimes you can tell a book by its cover
What can I say? I love the cover of this book! The cover art is so beautiful in a simple way. Just looking at this book brings me joy, which is why I don't have the heart to line it up on a bookshelf!
Fortunately, I controlled my love for the cover design enough to actually open the book. The words and stories match the simple beauty portrayed on the cover (or is it the other way around...forgive my photographer biases) Sue Bender writes in an open and friendly way. Her stories are beautiful and inspirational. I believe that any reader would be able to find themselves somewhere among the pages.
While reading, I felt like I had made a new friend. I also appreciated the wisdom and experience that comes with her age. I am used to reading younger authors, but when I read Bender's work I couldn't help but think that "this lady knows what's going on."
Her desire for self knowledge and exploraiton are also very inspiring.
I would recommend this book for anyone who has found their way to this page, and I'm greatly looking forward to reading Stretching Lessons (I'll let you know what I think of that one, too!)

A circular route
This is an interesting book as the author warns at the begining that there really is no beginning or end. She's right. I found myself while reading the book dutifully from beginning to end, often going back and rereading sections.

THE AUTHOR REVEALS HER INSECURITIES AND THEY ALL SEEM SO FAMILIAR. However, what got me, was that the author was not a young woman. She is in her late 50s, early 60s. So much for outgrowing them. Well, I had hoped. She examined these insecurities and failings in a sense from a view, I had not expected; as if they were assets. Now that's a thought. She had difficulty accepting this notion at first and the book subtly pushes this to the forefront again and again. Fascinating.

THE AUTHOR'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HER ADULT SON IS MARKED WITH MIS-COMMUNICATIONS THAT DOMINATED THEIR PREVIOUS INTERATIONS. However, by turning off the critic to herself, she was more accepting and could "hear" others better. This greatly helped her and her son communicate on a new level. Any parent who has children making that change from child to adult could really use help here. Any help.

THERE ARE PARTS OF THIS BOOK THAT MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD AND OTHERS THAT WERE POIGNANT. The author relates a story, where she hires a professional organizer and within moments of this woman starting to do her job, pays her to stop and leave. The author realized that she did not want to have her organization methods changed, but wanted a different outcome using the same methods... Don't we all. Change requires...Change.

THERE ARE SO MANY WONDERFUL POINTS MADE IN THIS BOOK, A REVIEW, SHY OF RECREATING THE BOOK, CAN'T DO THEM JUSTICE. The best a reviewer can say is Read this book, read it slow and think about it. It is very Zen Buddist in philosophy and gives great weight to the day to day things. However, unlike "Sweeping changes" a book centered in Zen philosophy around house cleaning and maintenance, this book does not focus so much on day to day activities directly, but the philosophies of day to day relationships with people. The word Synchronicity comes to mind here.

I PLAN TO RE-READ THE BOOK IN A MONTH OR SO. Books like this change in time. Next time I could write an entirely different review because different things will catch my eye. It is hard to write a book you can come back to over and over and in this the author has done a magnificent job. ... Read more

Book Description

This gifted storyteller poignantly shares the memories of the mentors and teachers who profoundly influenced her life. ... Read more

Book Description

For Jacqueline Susann, excess was the norm. She lived a life most people only dreamt about. She basked in the spotlight, and reveled in the glitz and glamour that made her a pop icon in the 60's and 70's. But beneath the flamboyant facade, she was tormented by a secret she desperately fought to keep hidden from the world.

In this audiobook adapted from his bestselling memoir Another Life, Michael Korda recounts his wild ride as Susann's editor. Not only does he relay the story of a woman who at 47 surmounted impossible odds to become the reigning superstar of pulp fiction with Valley of the Dolls, Korda provides a tantalizing glimpse into the bygone publishing scene of the era.

A poignant, funny look at a vivacious and brassy woman and the publishing world in which she thrived, Isn't She Great is a captivating insider's tale that only Michael Korda could tell. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Korda never claimed he did "discover" Jackie
Korda makes it clear that Jacqueline Susann was already a huge celebrity due to the phenomenal success of her bestseller "Valley of the Dolls" when he was assigned to edit her next potboiler, "The love machine." He recounts many amusing anecdotes about how Susann merged the glitzy world of Hollywood with the staid world of publishing, forever changing it and paving the way for the Jackie Collins and Danielle Steeles of today. Korda's memoir of Susann is funnier, wittier, and more thorough than the disappointing cinematic slush adapted from it, "Isn't She Great" with Bette Midler and Nathan Lane (appropriately cast, but stuck with a dog of a script). The only frustration is reaching the end; this account really begins and ends with the author's relationship with Susann save for a paragraph or two of postscript. I will definitely pick up Barbara Seaman's biography of Susann, "Lovely Me," to find out more about this fascinating woman, but don't skip over this author's amusing and thoughtful reminiscence of a woman who used a lifetime full of showbiz experience to finally achieve the fame she never found as an actress or model by exposing Hollywood's seedy underbelly in print and hyping the book into middle America.

Michael Korda did not discover Jacqueline Susann
There seems to be a debate who discovered Jacqueline Susann. Michael Korda has asserted in an article for the New Yorker, describing his experiences editing "The Love Machine", and getting know the famous authoress who wrote the novel. He fails to mention in the article he gave an interview to Barbara Seamam back in 86 or 87. She is the woman who wrote "Lovely Me, The Life of Jacqueline Susann." He has said in a couple of interviews he never talked to Barbara Seaman, but Barbara has the tape of the interview. Let's set the record straight once and for all. Jacqueline Susann was all ready a famous and established bestselling author, "Valley of the Dolls" when Simon & Shuster bought the hardcover rights to "The Love Machine." And the only reason why they bought the novel was because the editor-in-chief at the time had moved on to another publishing house, taking many key people at Simon & Shuster with him. Upper Management at Simon & Shuster needed a guaranteed bestseller for an upcoming list because of an important stock-holders meeting. That is the reason why Simon and Shuster published "The Love Machine." And Jackie didn't fail to disappoint them. "The Love Machine" stayed number one for over five months on the New York Times Bestseller List. And she taught the people at Simon and Shuster how to promote and sell a novel. Along with her husband Irving Mansfield, they pioneered the art of selling the popular novel. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the true story of an extraordinary woman and the two loves of her life - a man lost in the tumult of World War II, and a friend who becomes her husband. It is 1944 in Budapest. Two wartime lovers vow that, if ever separated, they will find each other no matter what happens, and no matter what the cost.

Thirty years later - having survived life in a concentration camp, and now married to another rman - Betty Schimmel returns to Budapest to confront her past, and rediscovers the lost love who has shaowed her life for decades. In the romantic city of their youth, the couple must face the most difficult decision of their lives. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

WOW!
I have read most of this book and it is amazing! Before i read or even heard about this story i met otto and Betty.Their stories are truly amazing and i believe it is wonderful that they are sharing with the future.

Saw the Schimmels at my school
I am a high-school student in Arizona. We had to read this book for school, and the Schimmels came to our class to talk about their experiences as Holocaust survivors.
I didn't really care that much about the Richie love story once I met them in person. Mr. & Mrs. Schimmel are people devoted to each other and, no matter how it happened, found an incredible love story of their own. I hope someday to have a relationship like theirs is now.
Their survival really made a difference to the world, since they are here to tell their story. There are a lot of people my age that think the Holocaust never happened. I know it did because I met people who lived through it and spend all their time telling students about the war. It was really touching, and a lot of us were crying hearing about all the terrible things that happened to them and we were all thinking about how we might have been in the same situation.
I guess the best part of the book is what people will do to survive, but the really cool thing is that Betty took the time to write it and tell everyone about her story.

One of the most amazing books I've read
Not very many books make me cry..this one DID! Betty Schimmel is an amazing survivor and has a story that I will probably never forget. I do not understand how people can call her "selfish" or or say she complained too much. She endured and survived the most cruelest circumstances and her story tells how strong love can be even in the darkest times.If someone can read this book and not feel any emotion something is wrong. This book makes you realize how lucky we are to enjoy freedom and health. I read this book more than a year ago and it still touches my life.

Let bygones be bygones
I felt mixed emotions about "Betty's choice".She wrote that she honored her values of family and didn't want to have Richie leave his family (with a 7-yr-old) nor for her own children to suffer. She modeled the behavior she would want her children to have.
It's as if she matured and realized that it's not as black and white as it appeared in her youth---that there are many things to consider besides her own immediate desires.---In fact, she gave into her own immediate desires when she married Otto. She tries to make it seem like Otto and her mother arranged for her to marry him but she said "I do". She didn't think ahead to how she would feel if Richie wasn't in fact dead. Perhaps she was influenced by her father missing for so long---and never returning.
But the fact remains that it was HER CHOICE to marry Otto. But she didn't decide to LOVE him. That came later...after she saw Richie and made a decision to stay with her husband and let bygones be bygones.

very juicy!!!
Wow. That was a good book! I liked it a lot. I thought it was very good. It was just interesting and juicy! I also thought that was interesting how a few people in the reviews knew her. Well I would recommend it to anyone. ... Read more

Book Description

Welcome to a world set to the ever-changing rhythms of an artist's life

In Chasing Down the Dawn, recording artist, actress, and bestselling author jewel opens her intimate journals to create a vivid montage of the people, places, and relationships that colored the life she came from and have marked this past magical, turbulent, and ultimately transformational year of her life.

Drawn from her remarkable chronicle of life on the road during the Spirit World Tour, this unforgettable collection of freeze-frames captures unusual images from jewel's childhood in Alaska, her beginnings as a struggling artist, and her challenges as a daughter, sister and woman. jewel paints an unblinkingly honest picture of the exceptional journey that carried her to the world's stage.

With acutely observed, elegantly written depictions of the musicians, lovers, strangers, celebrities and other characters that inhabit the singer/songwriter's world, Chasing Down the Dawn is more than a collection of, vignettes, observations and stories. It is a finely wrought mosaic in prose and poetry, set to the rhythm of life.

Reviews (34)

AMAZING
Let me tell you this first. I am a huge Jewel fan. But to put it lightly i really did not care for her last book. When I went to the bookstore to purchase this book I was questioning my motives for buying it. I started to look through it before I bought it and decided it looked OK and there were some cool pictures and drawings so I decided to buy it. Well much to my surprise it is amazing. I love it. Jewel captures so much emotion in her words. She describes the memories of here childhood in Alaska with such beauty that I now want to go on vacation there. She also writes about here experiences with crazed fans and the feeling she gets before, during, and after concerts. There are even some very funny moments in the book. It is somewhat of an autobiography but more a glimpse into the mind of a very talented and deep thinking artist. A++++ I recomend this book if you are a fan of Jewel's or not. Go buy it even if you did not like the last one as I did not. You will not be let down!

Wonderfully intimate...
When I purchased the video "Jewel: A Life Uncommon," I was disappointed. However, I found what I was searching for in her book "Chasing Down the Dawn."

This book is wonderful. Jewel demonstrates her talent for writing prose with astute observations and beautiful language. She is truly a talented writer. Part of what makes her so talented is that you can actually feel her emotions rising off the page--she writes of her childhood, the painful loss of her best friend, her relationships with both her mother and her father, and some of her family history. It is fascinating and could be fiction just as easily as nonfiction. She has truly led a unique life.

Supplementing the writings of Jewel are great photographs of her and her friends, and of her when she was younger and of places she has been. I found this to be a great addition to her writing.

This is a mandatory item for any Jewel fan--it will give you more insight into who she is and what she does and it is truly interesting.

Jewel's Life and World
This is a sort of autobiographical journal by Jewel. She talks about growing up in Alaska, her early beginnigs as a singer, songwriter and musician, and her life on the road on tour. Many personal anecdotes in here which Jewel fans will find interesting. You'll get a good sense of how Jewel thinks and feels about her rise to fame, and just about things in general, including past events and memories which she recounts from her life. And yes, she's very intuitive and thinks a lot. The book is illustrated throughtout with Jewel's simple and delightful little drawings. There are also lots of beautiful photos in this book.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

Chasing Down The Dawn
Chasing Down The Dawn (by Jewel Kilcher) Reader Review
Harper Entertainment, 2000
Reviewer: Karen Unglaub from Noble High School, North Berwick, Maine.
The autobiography Chasing Down the Dawn, by Jewel Kilcher, is notes and paragraphs about Jewel's life from when she was 10 until she was 18. It tells about her parent's divorce and how it was a total shock. How she and her 2 older brothers and her dad moved far away, leaving there mother standing sobbing. All to start a new life, and get on with the old one. She and her father would go into clubs and sing together a few times a week. Jewel met a few, lot of unusual people, but they helped open her eyes to the variety of life. She would talk amongst the men and women, and they gave her respect, because she was a very mature young lady. She writes a lot of short poems that are separate from the usual text; she includes a lot of her own drawings in the autobiography too.
She encounters first love, and leaves him. She always needed more than just a boyfriend to pretend to love her. She thought she was in love with him. She was only in love with the idea of being in love, and had to leave him to find her real prince in shinning Armour. (She has also a book of poems, A Night Without Armour) Her father began going to bars quite frequently to sing and meet ladies. She would accompany him and sing by his side on stage. Her father protected her from ridicule.
Not until she was sixteen, that she ventures out into bars all alone to sing and earn her way out of poverty, for just one day. She made just enough money to cover her bus tickets food and then she kept the left over few dollars, and used it for what she had to. Her father trusted her and knew that she was very mature, and allowed her to go out on her own and experience club life of her own. She got gigs, because she was cute, refreshing and had a folk style that was different than the grunge that was in that era. Her name finally was spreading around the cities, and she was signed to a label to make an album, and go on tour. She now was getting noticed in the street, while she was trying to write in peace and quite. It would frustrate her; she had pressure from the label to keep writing all of her new songs. She liked to write about people, so she would watch people on the street, and jot down poems and phrases. It got so hard once she was getting recognized, because she lived to stay in the hidden and watch from the sides. Now she couldn't look at them secretly, because they were already looking at her!
She would go back home to Alaska, and feel very uncomfortable; her father would want her to join the village's hot shower outside. That was held at her house. They made a shower. She would not join. She would go after. They also had to share a phone line too. She would share it with 7 different families, and she felt that they were always eavesdropping. Also of the other hand, she felt most relaxed at home after she felt the most relaxed at home, in her fathers many acres. She was free to write and not be noticed by anyone at all, except the cattle. She got accustomed to famous life, and was thankful. The autobiography leaves off with her talking about life. "Life is all about rhythm... And Time is not a line, it's a loop."
Strengths
This autobiography is very detailed and had many poems that provide a deeper insight about her life. The book does what it should; it invites you into her life, shows you around and lets you out with a goodbye. This book has many photographs. It shows the good and the bad. Life on the road without makeup after being awake for 20 hours. And her in a field laying in the grass with one of her many horses. She shows pictures of life in the city, and life in the country. It shows random people, and her most loved ones. She includes a lot of her own art in the book too. She draws pictures of naked women, that are bearing their souls, nothing to hide and completely honest and pure.
Weaknesses
The autobiography is not in chronological order. It bounces from thought to thought, as her mind does. She questions herself, and contradicts herself quite often, and left me still to wonder how she is feeling. The only feeling I can conclude is confusion, much like I was when I read the book. She touches on subjects that she never went back to, but it kept you wondering, much like life does. Aside from the normal text, I liked the format of the book. The font was big enough to read, and wasn't boring. It had a different look to it; you didn't feel like you were reading a "boring book for English class". But the format was also mixed up; it would jump from a chapter to a whole bunch of pictures in the middle of nowhere, but an interesting experience. Looking at the experience of reading this, I think that it mad me look more at the world and what feelings that I am going through, and that everyone is different, but more the same.

--- Explore Jewel ---
I'm sorry if my English is not as good as yours, I'm from Germany, but I have the english version of this premium book.
If you don't know Jewel I'd rather say you: don't buy this book. It describes Jewels life on tour, her homeland, Alaska. It's not as cold as many people think, it's a nice, natural piece of earth, at reading it I fall in love with it a little.
In this book there are some very nice pics of her family (all seems to be cowboys) and Alaska.
It also describes the bad sides of her life. For example what happened to her teenage love, I had to read it again to be sure. Or the lose of her best friend Jacqui, which had a explanation of the religions of the world that is the best I ever heard.
There are too some paintings of Jewel that are pretty sweet.

It's good that you have the original version of her books. I have the book "A night without armour" in a version English, german. And that's sometimes really bad translated.

If you really want to know something about Jewel BUY IT!
And if you think: Great woman, forget it! Her boyfriend is a rodeochamp. ... Read more

Book Description

The startling memoir of a young woman
shaped by two dramatically disparate worlds

Born in Britain, Saira Shah was inspired by her father's dazzling stories to rediscover the now lost life their forebears knew for 900 years within sight of orchards, snow-topped mountains, and the minarets of Kabul. This is Saira -- part sophisticated and sensitive Western liberal, part fearless (even fierce) life-gulping Afghan, falling in love with her ancestral myth, chasing Afghanistan. Saira, at 21, becoming a correspondent at the front during the war between the Soviets and the Afghan resistance. Then Saira, self-imprisoned in a burqa, risking her life to film Beneath the Veil -- her acclaimed record of the devastation of women's lives by the Taliban. Saira discovering her extended family, discovering a world of gorgeous family ritual, of community, of male primacy, of arranged marriages, finding at last the (now war-ravaged) family seat, discovering at last what she wants and what she rejects of her compelling heritage.

Reviews (3)

A Multifaceted Jewel of a Book
Saira Shah's stunning new memoir is one of those rare and wonderful books that's hard to classify because it touches the reader in so many different ways. A jewel of many facets -- from high adventure to geopolitics to the wisdom of the ages -- it takes us on a journey of the human spirit as compelling as it is rewarding. The setting of the book is Afghanistan, a country that, despite its recent prominence on the world stage, remains for most of us little known and much misunderstood. Shah opens up Afghanistan for the reader, revealing it to be far more complex and culturally rich than the evening news would lead us to believe; and in so doing, she opens up much, much more. An acclaimed London-based journalist whose powerful television documentary "Beneath the Veil" exposed the horrors of the Taliban to the world just prior to Sept. 11, Shah comes from an accomplished Afghan family of ancient pedigree. Her brother, Tahir Shah, is a celebrated travel writer, and her father, Idries Shah, who died in 1996, was a well-known Sufi philosopher whose 30-plus books have been translated into a dozen languages. But growing up in England, where her family had settled, Saira Shah's main contact with her Afghan heritage was through the stories her father told her and her siblings -- timeless stories of fairytale mountain landscapes peopled by proud and fearless warriors upholding a centuries-old code of honor. THE STORYTELLER'S DAUGHTER is built around her search for her own identity as she attempts to reconcile the romantic Afghanistan of her father's tales with the country's reality after years of devastating civil war. In gripping fashion tempered with gentle humor, it recounts her clandestine forays into Afghanistan with the mujahidin as a fledgling reporter in the mid-1980s, as well as her equally risky trips there in 2001 to film "Beneath the Veil" and its follow-up documentary, "Unholy War." In the process, it sheds considerable light on the conflict that has ravaged that country for decades, as well as on the upsurge of Islamic fundamentalism -- quite alien to Afghanistan's moderate, Sufi-influenced tradition -- that has given rise to al Qaeda. But the book goes far beyond those things in scope and appeal and, like the very best literature, serves as a lens through which the reader can gain a greater self-understanding. Thought-provoking, moving and beautifully written, THE STORYTELLER'S DAUGHTER is, among many other things, a timely reminder that we can rarely fit the world's complexities into the narrow confines of our own preconceived notions and oversimplifications.

A Valley of Song that will change you
Saira Shah continues the tradition of her esteemed family with a compelling and personal travelogue and object lesson that meets the high standards set by her grandfather, grandmother, and father (Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah, Morag Murray Abdullah, and Idries Shah). This book is necessary reading for all Americans, considering our relationship with her ancestral homeland of Afghanistan over the last twenty-plus years. Those who seek easy answers, who rely on programmatic belief-structures and simplistic views of the complex phenomena that are human nature and culture... are, as usual, advised to seek elsewhere. The combination of ancient wisdom, colorful people and locales, horrific atrocities, and the hope that is endemic to humanity despite everything... is wonderfully realized here, and will change the reader, much like the characters in a story Ms. Shah presents and from which the title of this review is taken. I believe it remains incorrect to jump to any conclusions about her being placed in some sort of jeopardy or other by her father's ideas; first, because it was her interpretation of those ideas, not the ideas themselves, that led to the jeopardy; second, because her father made it clear that if she grew up she would not need to go; third, because he warned her of a need to compromise or she might get herself killed; fourth, because, given his participation in the struggle again