Journals Books

Linda Masters has created a clear-minded, exuberant body of work obstensably for children; this is a work that might equally be called "Spritual Parables for Adults" as well as "Gold Fish and Silver Kisses." More than art, her work is a gift to all who read it. It encapsulates, without airless theological retoric, the lessons, trials, and ultimate rewards of the strivings for a truly meaningful and moral life. Learing to have life more abundantly is the real Christian message, a message Ms. Masters sends to all children and adults willing to see their world anew.

Gold Fish and Silver Kisses, How to Talk to Children about God, is a beautifully written, doctrinally sound book that puts important Biblical concepts into easily understandable language. Mrs. Masters "puts the cookies on the bottom shelf so the children can get at them." Each short devotional ends with the suggestion of small gift to give the child as a reminder. For example, in the story of Gideon, "Armed with God's Trumpet", she suggests giving small plastic trumpets.

This book would be extremely useful to Christian parents, grandparents, homeschoolers, youth workers and pastors.

This book is really a classic! And there is nothing else like it available for parents. Linda Masters has written 101 "sermons" for toddlers and pre-school children about the Bible and God; they are all charming, the style is warm and loving and she offers tips and techniques for adults about how to use these "sermons" in any church setting.
This book would also be a welcome gift at baby showers, at baby christenings and at early birthdays. Or just to give to parents of young ones.

Donating this book to churches in memory of relatives would also be worthwhile.
"Gold Fish and Silver Kisses" is simply a wonderful book!

A must for every Christian, or simply moral, home. The sermons are written for the average child to understand but more importantly to internalize. They are spiritual, moral lessons based on scripture (with specific Bible verses and prayers) designed for meaningful family times, Sunday school classes, Christian schools, children's sermons at a church of any Christian denomination. I have personally seen groups of children (and their parents!) mesmerized by the author's presentations. The suggested tokens add an extra dimension to the lessons and act as memory enhancers that really work! Excellent for newborn gifts, grandparent gifts, gifts for yourself! This is a book that will be around for generations to proudly pass down and enjoy sharing together for decades.

Tatyana's put together a wonderful inspirational gem of a journal. I find myself turning each day to that day's journal entry, to see what quote of wisdom Tatyana has chosen for the day. One of my favorites quotes is on October 23 (I peeked ahead), by Francois Voltaire... "The ability to do mischief can be found a hundred times a day". Perfect!

This journal is so different from any I have seen. Not only are the quotes unusually thought provoking -- the way the book is designed to open and lay flat like a notebook makes it so comfortable and inviting to write in. A gold star for GOLD MIND!

I bought this as a present -- for my wife -- but ended up getting another for myself. this is the first journal i've ever been motivated to keep daily -- been doing it now for over five months. the motivation comes from the 365 often very inspiring epigrams & quotes the author presents. there's one on each page that stimulates -- then the author asks for your personal response. the result is a stimulating daily session i'd never have written without the journal's prodding. also unexpected fun has come from comparing my entry with my wife's ... the book is unique and a great idea!

GoldMind was the best gift I received when I was pregnant. I needed a little inspirational journal to encourage me to take the time to reflect on each and every day. The daily quotes are fun, thought-provoking, inspiring. Every day holds a quote and questions that prod you to look a little deeper. A gratitude journal is the perfect gift for anyone undergoing a personal journey of some kind but Goldmind is so rich in look and content that it is the only journal I've actually been able to keep.

This little black book is not only convenient but very inspirational. I truly enjoy it. It is a perfect size to carry in your purse or leave in your car. Every time I open it to look for a phone number, I am able to stop and read inspiring words to get me through the day. I highly recommend purchasing this book not only for yourself, but for your friends as well. It makes a great gift.

I use a Bible inspired journal -- a new one each year. I love to have these inspirational books so that the word of God is with me all day as I do my work, not just in the morning when I read my Bible or on Sunday morning when I worship. I also like the simple and sophisticated design. This is a very elegant address book. Beautifully designed. I will be giving copies to all my friends and family.

I love this address book. Some of my favorite passages from the Bible are in here, so I see them everyday. The cover is very clever. People are always asking about it when they see it. I also have the journal.

The title is real cute. The cover looks like a "got milk?" commercial. I gave one of these to my niece in college. She loves it. Every time she opens it to call someone or add a name she gets encouragement from the word. That means a lot because she's away from home. I also have my own and its very durable and convenient. It has a line for keeping track of people's birthdays which I like. I also like the notes pages at the back of the book, but there should be more of those.

As a person who has experienced the losses of my mother and parents-in law and recently a young nephew, and as a caregiver to my mother and father -in-law as they were dying, I found this journal extremely helpful to understanding the grieving process.
The author gently guides the reader through healing by probing the relationships with the deceased and with the living, those supportive and nonsupportive.I think most importantly she reassures the reader that they are unique and so is their path, but also she helps you realize that the experience is universally human.
I highly recommend this book to anyone experiencing a recent loss or one in the past that may not be totally resolved.As someone wrote after Princess Diana's death, the outpouring of expessions of grief for someone most didn't know personally spoke volumes on the amount of unresolved grief we all carry around. This journal will help focus those feeling back to the personal level. Chris in Centennial, Colorado

This book is one of the best journals on grieving available. I recommend it to all my friends and associates who are expereincing the grief of a personal loss.
Dr. Davidson's book allows for more indepth thinking about the greiveing process. Her openended questions in the journal show her first hand experience at gireving personal losses.She gently walks you through the greiving experience and allows you to truly feel and work though your loss. She asks you to refelct on expereicnes that other, less expereinced authors, do not ask ask. These questions allow you to get to the root of your greif.

Dr. Judy Davidson has provided us a wonderful roadmap for the most difficult journey most of us will ever take. It's that trip from despair to recovery following the death of a loved one. In a loving, patient, and methodical way, her journal, Grieving Well, guides you through the grieving process by providing practical advice and permission to express sadness, fear, anger and acceptance.

Accepting loss is complex, progressive, and multidimensional. We are affected in every way that matters-spiritually, psychologically, physical, and our relationships. Sometimes we can deal with it head-on, but other times it time to run and hide. From my own personal experience, I need to focus on something-anything to get through it. The Grieving Well Journal provides a vehicle to both focus and heal. In a step by step series of questions, constructive direction is given that can be used for any loss, recent or more distant. By answering the journal questions you look at the qualities of the deceased and what you've lost; what else you have lost because they are gone, any feelings of regret and guilt you may have; how other's clichés and platitudes affect you, what you are doing to take care of yourself, and more. The questions can be done in any order and any interval-ready when you are. Alone or in conjunction with counseling.

If you're not ready for this book now, share it with some one else who may be in need of renewal...

I wish I had Judy Davidson's book "Grieving Well" 13 years ago when my husband died. Now six months ago my father died and again I face the journey of loss, loneliness, and the reality of not seeing my beloved father ever again. This book is a God send....it is a guide to be able to express ones self when you are not even sure what you need to express. It takes you from a beginning point and leads you down a path of recovery. As I began to express myself, in a journal form, I began to notice how much better I was feeling.
I recommend this book to everyone who has lost a loved one. It would be a first step in getting better.
Thank you Ms Davidson for you courage and for the gift of this book!!

I love this book! It's an excellent tool for the classroom when teaching immigration. The kid's really relate to the story and the doodles in the margins make it feel authentic. I highly recommend this book for both teachers and students covering immigration.

We discovered these books when our 1st grader brought Rachel's Journal home from the library. After starting to read it to her, I couldn't put it down. When she had to return it, I went looking on line and bought 4 of the different journals. They are very educational and fun at the same time. It really showed our daughter how a journal can be more than a list of the day's events. THEN I realized the same author did some other books we had, the Amelia's Notebook series. Our daughter is writing in her journal every day now!

Marissa Moss has done it again! In HANNAH'S JOURNAL, as in her other historical diaries, Moss expertly braids fascinating,factual detail with a child's personal story. Hannah's perceptive, poignant voice gives the account of her travels from Lithuania to New York City total freshness and immediacy. I can think of no more enjoyable way to teach history -- the conditions on board a ship in "steerage," the ordeal of Ellis Island, the terrifying, exhilerating experience of starting life in a new country and world. Hannah's (aka Moss') beautifully executed watercolors and drawings also bring Hannah's journey and journal to life. This book is a gem.

Ten-year-old Hannah is a young Jewish girl living with her mother, father, and six brothers in a small Russian shetl in 1901. For her birthday, Hannah is given a journal. She writes witty observations of the world around her and draws clever pictures in the margins. After a violent attack on the Jews in the village, Hannah's parents decide that she should use her dead cousin's never used ticket to America. So with her other cousin, fourteen-year-old Esther, Hannah boards a train for the port and Hamburg, and then a boat for the voyage across the sea. In the face of difficult conditions, Hannah holds on to her dreams of building a better life in America and getting a real education. Highly reccomended if you enjoyed the previous two books in this series, Young American Voices, which is like a younger version of the Dear America series.

As with Harvey Comics Classics Vol. 1 Casper, Richie Rich was the other Harvey Comic I used to read back when I was three or so with my Uncle Joe, and have kept reading them since.

Richie Rich was kind of Harvey's answer to Uncle Scrooge, James Bond, and Batman all rolled into one. Originally starting out as a filler strip for Harvey's Little Dot, Richie Rich was the wealthiest kid in Richville. Except unlike most rich people, Richie preferred playing with his friends Freckles and Pee-Wee, and enjoying the simpler things in life, even though sometimes his wealth and luck unexpectedly interfered.

Another happened to be Richie's love for Gloria Glad, who only loved Richie for himself, not his money. And always would get upset when Richie dared fuss over her. Of course, poor Richie can never win, since in one strip, Richie decides taking Gloria's advice. Regrettably, the time he decides on doing this, Gloria's trying to demonstrate to her cousin how Richie lavishes her with expensive gifts.

Later in the Seventies however, Richie started doing adventures with his butler Cadbury, as Harvey started introducing more serious tales, especially with their 'Vaults of Mystery' title. And as Ernie Colon mentions, later Richie always had some gadget or other to help him get out of tight spots. But still Richie normally used his wits about him and he was the first 'McGyver' long before the series hit television.

In fact, in HCC V2, you'll see how Richie and Gloria deal with modern day pirates after they shangai Richie's yacht and plan on using it for raiding other luxury liners.

Which was what made Harvey Comics so great, though the villains usually implemented firearms and such, Richie rarely struck back using deadly force. Usually he'd try solving the problem with his wits (and his wealth didn't hurt as well), over using brute force.

In this collection, you'll also see Richie's mischievious cousin, Reginald Van Dough, aka Reggie, and how he started pranking and getting into trouble with Richie. My own regret with the series is, I wish Dark Horse had selected some other tales showcasing the little known characters like Mayda Munny (Gloria's rival), Professor Keenbean, the modern version of Irona, Reggie's sister, Penny, and Jackie Jokers. But the way I see it, DH might be saving them for a future collection, as well as the 'Richie Rich and...' series where later Harvey spawned this spinoff from the titles 'Richie Rich and Casper' as well as 'Richie Rich and Jackie Jokers.'

To this day, I wish I could have found another copy of 'Richie Rich and Timmy Time' since my cousin destroyed my uncle's copy before I had a chance to read it.

Nonetheless Dark Horse has done an excellent job of bringing back the lost collections of Harvey Comics, and I hope these series might encourage them to come out with mini-digest collections of them and other characters, since I still have some of the original digests in my house.

I definitely would recommend this as well as all the Harvey Comics Collection series for those who are avid Harvey fans and classic comic collectors. But also for those who might like to see what comics were like before DC and Marvel took over the industry.

I don't know why cartoon comic strips went out of style. I am glad that there is someone else who has not forgotten them. Richie Rich was one of my favorite comic strips, and still would be if Harvey Comics were still in business.

Just two disappointments: Number one: Most of the stories are printed in black-and-white. The book might be much more expensive otherwise.

Number two: Mayda Munney was one of my favorite characters, and she doesn't appear in any of the stories.

Thank you, Dark Horse Books!

I hate to brag, no I don't. Anyway, I received an advance copy of the
Richie Rich book! It looks really good. If you liked Harvey Comics Classics Volume 1: Casper, you'll love this! (and I have a quote on the back cover...)

There are some minor changes on the cover than the one posted on Amazon here. Instead of "100 Classic Stories 1953-1969", it is actually "125 Classic Comic Stories 1953-1971"! Also, the general release date has been moved up from Oct. 25 to Oct. 17!

There is a small picture of the Hot Stuff book stating that the book will come out in Feb. 2008. This will be Volume 3 in the series.

Really, really enjoy this book.

To paraphrase the quote, I had as much fondness for Harvey Comics as I did my superhero titles. As a child, I got every bit as excited seeing a Harvey title as I did any of the Marvels or DCs. Their bright four-color covers were only a preview of the goodness waiting inside.

When I was a kid, it was an excellent time to be a comic fan. Not only those mentioned above, but also Archie, Dell/Gold Key (which was a treasure in and of itself, what with all of the Disney, Hanna-Barbera, TV tie-ins, etc., under the same umbrella!), Charlton, Atlas, have I listed them all? Whatever the case, it was nothing but good times.

Reading a Harvey comic was like having a ice cold lemonade on a sweltering hot day. You could always count on them to give you a great time and a fun read. Fun, light-hearted, whimsical adventures featuring the likes of Richie Rich, Casper The Friendly Ghost, Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost, Hot Stuff The Little Devil, Wendy The Good Little Witch, The Ghostly Trio, The Sad Sack, Stumbo The Giant, Little Dot, Little Lotta, Little Audrey, heck, a "little" bit of everything;).

Under lesser hands, these characters could easily have become one-dimensional, cloying and downright annoying. But Harvey apparently realized this and took their readership on flights of fancy, oftentimes giving us multi-part stories, putting Richie and Casper (sometimes together) in all kinds of precarious situations.

Richie, in particular, was often aided by the likes of his trusty butler Cadbury, his hardscrabble friends, brothers Freckles, a redhead (also referred to as Tommy in some stories - could possibly have been Freckles' "real" name. Also has been a brunette on occasion.) and the mute Pee-Wee, (who actually spoke one line in the story "Problem Child", the only time I know of that he actually talked), as well as his girlfriend Gloria, a rare girl who was often repulsed by Richie's wealth, liking him for who he was inside. A real jewel, if you ask me. Plus, Richie was often bedeviled by the occasional visits from his obnoxiously snooty cousin Reginald "Reggie" Van Dough, who was the complete antithesis of his cuter and infinitely more lovable cousin. Reggie loved nothing more than pulling pranks on Richie and his very tolerant friends, until his foolishness would ultimately backfire on him, giving the stories happy endings, momentarily humbling Reggie (until returning to prank Richie another day).

In spite of all his enormous wealth, Richie simply wanted to be a little boy who belonged, wanting simply to be "one of the guys", playing sandlot baseball, going fishing, inviting all of his friends to either his mansion, yacht, or on some sort of fabulous vacation, etc.. It is really nice seeing Richie treating Freckles and Pee-Wee as equals and not making fun of them because of their being poor.

Seeing this book in the comic shop was a welcome surprise for me. It was an impulse buy, in which I immediately snapped it up, not knowing about it in the first place (I knew about the Harvey Comics Classics Volume 1: Casper, which I plan on getting very soon). And it has been a fun read. And no, I didn't realize that it was mostly black and white until looking at it, but it didn't take long for me to adjust to that. Sure, it would have been nice to have had color, but that's a minor point. What matters is that for the money, you are getting 480 pages of classic comic goodness from a sadly bygone era which we don't see enough of these days.

Nowadays, I would be hard-pressed to recommend any comic for a child to read, since the market has pretty well grown up. There just aren't as many comics out there for kids, which is sad, since children were the once-intended target audience. It's no wonder kids, for the most part, don't read comics today.

Here's hoping that Dark Horse will rectify this and put out future volumes of these "little" treasures. They could go on forever reprinting them, since there are literally decades of these to reprint. These comics deserve tender loving care and need to be introduced to a new generation (as well as reintroducing those of us in the previous ones). Perhaps D.H. will go the Archie route and market digests of classic reprints to be sold in supermarkets and such. What better way to introduce them, since it obviously hasn't hurt Archie. Now this would be absolutely swell.

Are you listening, Dark Horse? In other words, KEEP IT UP!!!!

I had a hard time finding this and so glad I finally did. Its fantastic, simply beautiful. Nerburn is in a league all his own. I keep his books by my bedside.

When I picked-up this book from our best-reader Friend, who gave us a chapter from SIMPLE TRUTHS, I expected it to be equally as simply written! Not simple in the ways of writing or organized! Since his Prologue, entitled "A CANTICLE OF ECHOES, Kent grasped my attention with his first quote from a - Pueblo saying, "We do not own the land. We belong to it. And by our sweat & breath shall she know us, and welcome us upon our return."

Kent begins: "We are children on this land a shadow on the still life of time.." Employing words as far more than commentary to his Pueblo saying. He measures words economically descibing past generations "whose arrival is scribed upon the line of history...(yet not adrift) on winds of story, or float upon the shrouds of myth!" I read in his brevity, layers of past, present & future!

From earlier pages he takes us back to BURIAL, "My home is over there. Now I remember it." - A Tewa song..."I am standing before a northern lake on a windswept point of land as a young Indian boy is lowered into the earth by his friends and family.

"It is a strange and lonely funeral-- they all are in their own way...In the Indians who made their home here-- like my young departed friend-- Something lives that invests this harsh land with spiritual values."

Kent never misses chances to relate the present back to the past history of his Northern Lands, even in his continued quoting of Indian Tribes: As in NATVITY: "What is life?...It is the breath of the buffalo in the winter time..." A Blackfeet death oration. After a gripping mysterious picture of a giant buffalo, Kent is at home with his short Essays based on, BLUE, JANUARY, URN, COPSE, GOOD FRIDAY, OFFERING, WIND. Poignant quotations are adopted from Sioux, Papago, Iroquois, Delaware & Crow Tribes. There are parallels between his essays based on tribal quotes and Haunting Reverence of Christian worship in all Nerburn's books... newly birthed from his majors of Religion and Art!

He refers to religion in MEMORY of TREES, "I see men but they look like trees, walking." Again in Solitudes: "The holy silence is God's voice." Golden treasures wait being discovered! Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood "Barbara377" (Fayetteville, GA United States)

I loved this book; it is about nature, spirituality and seeing things in a new way. The author helps one to see and feel what he is.....I have used many of his books as gifts...they are a forever treasure.

I found this book by accident. I liked the title and I love nature writing. But this isn't nature writing like anything I have ever read. This is some of the most beautiful poetry and storytelling I have ever read. It is the most spiritual nature writing I have ever read. This book took me to a place like prayer. Kent Nerburn is a genius.

"The Healing Room" is a very unique and personal view into the journey taken by its author Dori Bohntinsky, during her experience with the death of her daughter and others over an 18 month period. Reading this book I felt I was being let into a very special place where there was a detailed record of sadness and joys, of loss and of growth. It has touched me in many ways. Through all of this, Dori shows how the power of spirit is somehow magnified and focused through the journal writing process, and as a reader, you can share each step along the way. The book is powerful and intense, not something you can read in a day or two. Its chapters often give rise to many feelings that need their own time and space to surface and integrate. I found much of value here and know that you will too. Her framing of addictive behavior as any behavior that takes us away from feeling our true feelings is a very powerful statement for our times. Not long ago, I lost two loved ones in one year, and I know the shift in one's energy and life outlook this can cause. If you have experienced a loss of any kind, read this book and re-experience your journey and your feelings in a new light, through the beautiful messages that Dori shares with us all. Thank you Dori. --- Mark Greenia, author of "Energy Dynamics: Conscious Human Evolution."

The Healing Room was aptly named. I have gone through the grieving process, but did not really understand the emotions that I felt. I found this book to be extremely helpful in identifying my feelings. Even though I knew how it would end, I couldn't put the book down. This book is not complicated to read, and can be finished in one sitting. However, there is much to digest and I will want to open the book again and again. The Healing Room will be helpful for anyone who is experiencing, or has experienced, grief from any type of loss. I highly recommended it

The Healing Room was exactly what my heart and soul needed. 8 years ago I lost my mother to Breast Cancer. At the time, I searched for a book that would help me heal and find peace. I needed to know that what I was experiencing was normal and a part of the healing process. I never found such a book. Even now, 8 years later, Dori Bohntinsky's book filled a void I never even realized still existed. I am better able to understand hope and faith and how losing my mother helped me to grow and appreciate life for all it is. I am better prepared for dealing with future losses. I am a better person for reading this book. The Healing Room is a gift to the heart and soul that everyone can use.

i read The Healing Room cover to cover in one sitting. i couldn't put it down as the author's voice came through so clearly to me in speaking the truth about loss, grief and healing. the book is a journal of spiritual healing- written in the first person and on a consistent basis during the time of the author's last four months with her daughter. The presence of mind and nuggets of joy that the author and her husband were able to pull out of their daily struggles with their daughter's illness and their own grief gifted me with the knowledge that, even during my own very darkest hours, the universe is open to helping me cope,understand and heal. reading her book was a blessing for my spirit and i highly recommend it for anyone
who is currently going through the loss of a loved one due to illness or who has already gone through it and is looking for a true, heartfelt, first- person account of how one mother and her family transmuted their anguish into joy.

I love this little book of happiness. I have been a Hello Kitty fan since I was 8 years old, and this book only confirms that Hello Kitty cares about everyone! From Germany to Mexico she travels along and tells you about her journey. Expect to be dazzled by happy colors, cute drawings, and all Hello Kitty goodness. See Hello Kitty dressed in a African costume, a Kimono, a Dutch costume and more. See foods, bulidings, and landmarks from all over the world. A family treasure (it's hardback so a real keeper) to be passed down to generations of little girls who have or will grow up on Hello Kitty like I did. AWESOME!

When I came across this adorable book in (where else) Bookland, I was immediatly charmed. Being a Hello Kitty fan, I would have been charmed anyway, but even people who have never heard of this too cute feline would delight in this book. In this small pink volume, Hello Kitty travels to many different countries, learning some new vocabulary. Also along the way, Kitty teaches readers to say "hello" in many different languages, such as chinese, french, and japanese. Even though this book is aimed at children ages 4-8, I recommend it to anyone in the mood for a charming and alluring read. Hey, it even comes with four cute postcards, a bookmark, and three Hello Kitty luggage tags. Also, if you like this book, look for other Hello Kitty books. Enjoy!

Who *doesn't* love Hello Kitty? Supercute Sanrio cartoon spokeskitten gazes at you with her round black eyes, red bow askew on her left ear, from thousands of Sanrio products ranging from backpacks and stickers to the Hello Kitty toaster (highly recommended) and bathmat (almost too cute to use!) While this isn't Hello Kitty's first foray into the book field, it's certainly the most attractive.

Basically plotless but attractively designed, each colorful two-page spread takes Hello Kitty from country to country, dressing her up in native costume (you've not lived until you've seen Hello Kitty in a Mexican 'Day of the Dead' mask) and showing off various food, animals, objects and places from that country, and a friendly way to say "hello!" in that country's language. My only disappointment? Hello Kitty doesn't visit England (she *lives* there already, if you follow the Sanrio official backstory).

A pronunciation and translation guide in the back helps you through saying what you've seen in the book, and punch-out Hello Kitty postcards, luggage tag and bookmark are a fun extra bonus!

The beauty of this book is its dual appeal: not only will it be fun for very young children to learn about other countries, but the appeal of the character and her wonderfully simple but smile-inspiring design has made Hello Kitty the most popular Japanese import since Godzilla. Whether you enjoy this as a simple kids' book or a giggle-inspiring camp item, you can't deny the gentle and happy appeal of Hello Kitty. And hey, it's easier to display on a shelf than that Hello Kitty vacuum cleaner or the Hello Kitty spatula.

A great book for kids. Hello Kitty is very cute in this one. If you love hello kitty this is a book for you.

This book examines several women writers through recent history, and how their practice of journal-keeping helped (or hindered in the case of Anais Nin) the finding of their unique voices and the moving of their private writing into the world in spite of the often huge barriers of their repressive time-periods and circumstances.

It starts in 1809 with Marjory Fleming, a six year-old Scottish prodigy whose diary became a huge success after her death at age nine from measles - and her older cousin and mentor who never published a word.

Then Sofia Tolstoy, in 1862, marries Leo Tolstoy who funnels her considerable energy and talent and intellect into scribing and organizing his own work.

In 1889, Alice James hides behind illness to avoid competing with her ambitious brothers Henry and William; she only manages to start a diary once she's a middle-aged invalid in England, far away from her famous American family. I found her story particularly haunting and appalling.

Next, Virginia Woolf and Katharine Mansfield chronicle in their journals their creative friendship and rivalry. Then there's Anais Nin in the twentieth century whose fame is secured by her bank-vault filled with less-than-truthful diaries; oddly enough, her fixation on her diaries keeps her from breaking through with a successful work of fiction.

Last comes May Sarton who goes where no one has gone before and writes with great candor about old age and solitude. The book is written in a scholarly, yet fluid, style that pulls you along. Very interesting.

What a fantastic find! This book is one of those treasures that you will never forget! A truly savoury read!

For the diarist, writer, avid reader or fan of Virginia Woolf, Anais Nin, Alice James, Katherine Mansfield, Marjory Fleming or May Sarton (or just for a lover of great writing!), this is a must-have book. I have kept a journal for nearly 20 years and have never thought much of it. In other words, it's part of me like my arm or leg is but in this book, journals are made into fascinating mirrors (or in some cases, pandora's boxes) of women writers. The author explains in great detail how each writer used her journal as a creative tool. The title "hidden writer" is somewhat misleading, as all the women in this book were published, but the "hidden" aspect perhaps refers to the private aspects of themselves they revealed only in their journals. Chapters on Katherine Mansfield and Virgina Woolf are exceptional.

Johnson's research is phenomenal, layered and her narrative skill at tying it all together is amazing. Somewhat mediumistic, she dons a slightly different voice in each chapter, to best bring the writer's diaries to life.

The book ends with a few journal entries from the author.

A fascinating, memorable read. Anyone with an interest in writing, psychology, and creativity should find this a wonderful read!

Recommended without fail!

Alexandra Johnson, who teaches writing at Harvard and Wellesley, provides us with six excellent stories about the role of the diary in the creative lives of seven prominent female writers. The chapters are arranged progressively according to both the age of the writers at the time they began writing the most celebrated parts of their journals, and to the time period in which they lived. For each chapter, Johnson slightly modifies her style to best capture the spirit of the particular writer's life, as recorded in her diary. It is a very effective narrative device, executed with remarkable precision, a style that is very difficult to carry off without sounding artificial and capricious.

The role of memoir is often underestimated outside of literary fiction, but its importance is gaining ground. One need not be an English major at some liberal arts college like Amherst, Swarthmore, Smith, Vassar, Mount Holyoke, or Sarah Lawrence, to find the subject relevant and interesting. For example, we often rely on patient memoir as medical narrative in my graduate program in biomedical ethics at the University of Maryland. History, law, and even business are focusing more attention on personal narratives now than in years past. Still, it is in the diaries of writers where we find the most inspiring stories.

In Johnson's book, the frustrations and insecurities of hailed writers are laid bare for us both in their journal excerpts and in the author's impressive ancillary research, making these past figures seem ever more human than what we usually grasp from reading their fiction. The incipient chapter on Marjory Fleming, with its occassional comparisons of the central figure to other important juvenile femmes de plume (Anne Frank and the young Bronte sisters), fills the reader with both charming amusement at how such a young girl could write like such an adult, and with awe at her gifted literary ability, which was cut so short by an early death. The next two chapters, on Sonya Tolstoy and Alice James, show us the age-old struggle of the aspiring female writer against male-imposed (both societal and familial) restrictions to her creative expression. These are among the most emotionally frustrating chapters; they often reminded me of the classes I took as a Women's Studies minor in college.

My favorite chapter is about the relationship between the great Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield, as recorded in their diaries. The way that Johnson writes about these two, one can feel the writers living and breathing, conversing and writing, fretting and maligning, praising and rejoicing in their shared and individual literary triumphs and (often self-perceived) failures. Of all the chapters, this one is a true must-read for the bookworm short on time.

The following chapter on the provocative (and promiscuous) Anais Nin reads almost like a confessional more than a biography. The most interesting points of this entry are where Nin confronts her own dishonesty within her diary's pages--the 'cardinal sin' of journal-keeping. Without saying so explicitly, Johnson shows the reader by example how important it is to keep one's diary devoid of any false stories or feelings. The last chapter on May Sarton is like smiling into the day's end--the golden years of one's life published in best-selling diaries. One is never too old to begin, I suppose.

The six chapters are capped by a prologue and epilogue, both in the form of diary entries (they may very well be) from Johnson's contemporary life. This book, unlike so many other nonfiction books of its kind out there, reads like a seamless biography that entertains, informs, and (most importantly) moves the reader to a better appreciation of the interior lives of some great (and some overlooked) female writers and diarists. It is a book for reflection on the power and value of keeping a diary (or 'journal,' for us men), and for motivation for all of us to start keeping one of our own.