Women Books

I read this book when I was about 10. I had remembered the premise of it, but not the name or author. A book club leader brought me a review of it and asked it this was the book I remembered. I ordered it and when I read it 60 years later, I don't know how A librarian let me check this book. I can't have understood much of it!! I am glad I got to read it again and I don't know why this stayed in my memory so long.

For some years I was familiar with the name Philip Wylie as one of the authors of the disaster story "When Worlds Collide". I was also surprised to find that one of his books ("The Gladiator") influenced the creation of the hero Superman. "The Disappearance" (1951) is the first book I've read by Wylie.

In the introduction to this edition of "The Disappearance" Robert Silverberg thought it more appropriate to regard this book as fantasy rather than science fiction. Bizarre happenings in science fiction stories are usually "explained" and rationalised in an effort to achieve plausibility. The mysterious phenomenon that occurs here - the world suddenly splitting into two realities where men and women exist separately - is never actually explained, although characters in the story try to attribute it to things like mass hallucination or divine intervention.

From two perspectives, male and female, we see how events unfold following the disappearance of the opposite sex, and the way it has affected society in either world. The basic message is that one can't live without the other. The all-male society slides into violence and aggression, atomic weapons devastate certain cities, and martial law is declared. The all-female society is little better off, because most of the women lack such practical skills for things that were once (in the 1950s at least) considered "mens work". Anything technical or scientific was outside the women's experience, considered too rough or complicated for their abilities. Gradually though, the women adapt and attempt to live off the land despite such crises as lawlessness, disease and starvation.

"The Disappearance" is an entertaining story, and quite philosophical (which is appropriate since one of the main characters is a philosopher). For anyone who enjoyed this book I also recommend John Wyndham's novella "Consider Her Ways" (1956). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Wyndham had read "The Disappearance" because the premise is quite similar: a regimented all-female society in the future where men have been rendered extinct by a virus. In Wyndham's scenario women are coping quite well on their own and believe they're far better off without men. They also found a way to reproduce without needing a man. One character argues that in a two-sexed society women were conditioned to be unthinking consumers and parasites, that it suited commerce to trick women into embracing a life of slavery and serving the household. The bait used to entice women into this trap was called "Romance". Philip Wylie discusses these issues and others in more detail in his own work.

Although society has changed a lot since "The Disappearance" was first published in the 1950s it is still very readable. I've heard some feminists say that even now, in the early twenty-first century, women still lack equality in a world that is still considered male-dominated. Whatever the case may be, "The Disappearance" is a book that deserves to be read.

One of the most remarkable novels ever written, The Disappearance must have caused a sensation in 1951 when it first appeared. I won't belabor the plot, because others have already recounted it. But its frank analysis of the way in which our society separates men and women, teaches children to be ashamed of their bodies, teaches men and women NOT to fulfill their potentials and destinies but to fill the paths set down by our narrowminded forebears, is every bit as poignant today as it was then.

Wylie's two protagonists -- Bill Gaunt the philosopher and is wife Paula -- a PhD in languages -- are three-dimensional and fascinating. His assessment of the world of men without women disintegrating into lawlessness is frighteningly real. His world of women discovering that very few of their number have been trained in the rudiments of running the society is sobering. And although women have come a long way in that respect since 1951, the glass ceiling still exists. The perception of the "role" of women or men in a particular situation hasn't gone away.

The whole story is told with insight and a wicked sense of humor. Just look at his picture of the wives of the government officials trying to run the government of women. Unfortunately, politicians do not always choose wives for their intelligence but for a host of other attributes and skills that do not help them to cope with the catastrophe. And the showdown between the American and Soviet women will leave you breathless and laughing.

To me, the best example of the way Wylie chose to tell this story is Chapter 13, which does not further the plot at all. Bill Gaunt is asked by the President and a committee of scientists and other thinkers to prepare an essay assessing what it all means. Chapter 13 is that essay. Even the title of the chapter lets impatient readers know that if they skip it, they will lose none of the sense of the story. DON"T SKIP IT!!

Not for the faint of heart, but DEFINITELY for the inquiring mind. Those of us who have already read this one (several times) are pleased it is back in print so we can replace the lop-eared copies we have been reading for years.

Note to Hollywood: Wouldn't this make a fascinating subject for a movie? Probably not. Its subtleties and interweaving of plots and events would go beyond Hollywood's ability to translate it without succumbing to the temptation to mess with it. So I guess we'll just have to read it again.

One cautionary note: Be aware that the novel does have one bit of baggage that is left over from the time it was written. Its Cold War politics may seem out of place today, but it carries the story forward. Aside from that small anachronism (from our point of view), the novel could have been written yesterday.

If you've never heard of this one, give it a chance. You'll be as amazed as I was.

There's good reason this book is out of print. Wylie's story, THE DISAPPEARANCE, doesn't stand the test of time. Back in the '50's this startling plot certainly impressed the reader-no more. Now we expect some plausible, physical or psychic explanation for this split world phenomena. In fact, Wylie's principle character, Bill Gaunt, spent four year searching for an answer but could only come up with psychological mumbo jumbo.

In fact, contrary to the premise of this story-that the two sexes lack appreciation for each other-the battle of the sexes, for many, could be the only factor that keeps life interesting enough to live. Wylie's disdain for homosexuality is now as antiquated as slave ownership.

Whatever putty holds the material world together came unglued for four years while the males and females found themselves on two ships at sea, never passing. The happy ending, the reuniting of the sexes, was a pure and simple cop out. The reader expects some plausible explanation but never gets it. Perhaps Wylie brewed up a fine stew here but provides nothing to sharpen your intellectual teeth on.

Having just finished the book, I can heartily recommend it for its prescience and message. The ending is especially fitting and uplifting. Despite its somewhat anachronistic style and vocabulary, "The Disappearance" is a must-read for feminists and misogynists everywhere.

This is definitely not your typical self-help entrepreneurial book. It's pages are filled with inspiration and enlightenment, encouraging you to listen to the inner you..your "Inner Samurai".

An easy read with great real life examples of how to apply the philosophy to your own situation. It's changing my life. I'm listening more to my Inner Samurai and it's leading me down a path I intuitively wanted to follow a few years ago, but had decided to pursue something else instead.

If there is one book that should be on all women entrepreneur's shelves - it's this one.

This is a must read for any woman thinking about taking the leap into the entrepreneurial ring.

boy-did i ever need to read this book an apply it to my life listen-for-lessons! 'samurai was the book to wake-up call myself into paying attention-and pay myself pat on the back, for getting through dark times
and know my identity accounts for my best interest at heart-to have power
and meaning-on purpose
thank you infinetely!
jannew

In all of the self-help books I have read, (and there have been so, so many) I have never read one that has had such an impact, or that I was so compelled to keep on reading to the end. The first time through, I didn't even take time to hi-lite, I just wanted to absorb all of the accounts and information. When I read the part about "Multiple Streams of Passion" I nearly cried realizing that she was writing about me. Susan said, "My journey is your journey!" At first I thought "yeah right", but now I realize how true that is. Thank you Susan. I can hardly wait for your next book!

This book is a must read for any entrepreneurial woman, and indeed, is a valuable guide to any woman. While women are the intended audience, men reading this book will gain valuable insight into their partners, friends and colleagues that will help them relate to and support these women.

Reid guides the reader through the most essential part of starting a business: preparing herself! Reid's gentle insightfulness helps the reader explore her own thoughts and feelings that pertain to business and personal success. Each chapter holds new gems that help unfold the readers potential and remove self-created barriers. Reid inspires, guides and empowers readers to greater self-awareness and greater success.

To call this my favorite Rad book is like saying "Chunky Monkey" is my favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream. It's ALL good, my friend. But "Fated Love" has a great deal of emotional connection to it that puts it on a whole new level for me. The pace is superior, the character development is fantastic and the resolution is, well, "aww shucks." I'm a sucker for a sweet ending. I highly recommend this book on so many levels.

You know what you are getting with Radclyffe: a well-written, well-edited, multi-dimensional romance with characters dealing with disappointments or painful pasts, leading to an ultimately happy ending. This is a tried and true formula, and curling up with one of these books is a delight.

As far as specifics regarding this novel, I love it when Radclyffe uses a medical setting, because she's able to so deftly make it a realistic and interesting world. Quinn was an intriguing character with a bit of a mystery surrounding her undisclosed health reasons for leaving her surgical career. Honor was a sympathetic character in trying to deal with her grief, and balance a family and professional life. Chemistry sparked, but even beyond that the gentle way Quinn pursued inserting herself into Honor's life, her delight with Arly (Honor's daughter), the way she just couldn't help but pursue this woman despite the fact that she clearly had issues, all these elements combined to create a rich narrative.

This book sets itself apart with the realistic or unflinching way it deals with falling in love again after having lost a previous partner. The themes of moving on after great loss are represented in a variety of ways, through both Honor's grief and Quinn's coping with finding new ways to embrace happiness apart from the career she'd dreamed of having. This whole set-up was rife with believable road-blocks to happiness for our protagonists, ones it was fulfilling to follow them in overcoming. A very good read, as was expected, and a book I'll be keeping in my collection.

Radclyffe has truly done it with this one. I have only been reading lesbian romance for approimately a year now, however, I have read everything by this author. To date this book is My Favorite. Great Story, Great Characters, Great Romance.

I couldn't put it down. I read this in one sitting and have read it two more times since then. This is an excellent story. Again I love the hospital settings and the surgeons. Radcylyffe has a way of TRULY bringing her characters to life. There is no way you can't love Honor and her undying devotion to her late wife. Radclyffe does an excellent job in portraying her reluctance to pursue Quinn, but in the end you want them to be together. I also loved Arly.

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!

This book combines the Ying and the Yang. It creates a professional bonding that is so powerful it makes your heart expand for all that is good in the world.
The characters are well developed proffessional women who personify dedication and integrity.
The love for a child, a mother-in-law, and for a lost soul mate is very powerful.
I found myself feeling the heart renching discovery of memories lost but never forgotten.
An absolutely amazing read, which leaves the reader wanting more, but never questioning that these characters will live happily ever after.
Devlyn

Some of Radclyffe's most believable and spectacular books utilize her professional expertise, medicine, to great advantage. As in all of her novels, her surgical skill is in evidence with prose pared down to clean essentials; never a cliche and original images that linger after the reader has closed the book.

This book was very helpful and comforting. I lost my "Best Friend" which happen to be my Mom!! I felt I wasn't a lone going through is grieving processes. Even thu her passing has been over a year I understand now that even thu it may be a year it many take many more years to except and that is okay!! She is ALWAYS with me. Except & listen to signs 'cause they do reach out to US from beyond.. :)

I am still in the process of reading this book. I am enjoying it and the unique way it came about. It is a group of stories from different women. Every crayon in the box has contributed to this book. Red, yellow, black, white, rich, poor, middle class, etc.

I have had different "things" happen since my mother died and truly feel they are "things" she has sent to console and reassure me that I will be okay and that she is okay.

I plan to write the author with my experiences, since my mother's death, as she collects them and hopes to put together another book someday in the near future.

If you believe in psychics, mediums, and see things "outside of the box" this book is for you.

A very intersting book relating experiences women have had after the death of their mother.

A friend told me to read this book shortly after I lost my dear mother to breast cancer. It is full of inspiring, wonderful true stories of women who lost their mothers and had signs of them being near them after passing. The most wonderful thing happened to me after I finished this book a couple of weeks after my mothers funeral. I was going to church every morning at 7 a.m. for mass every day on my way to work after she died. One morning I was sitting in my usual pew in front of the Blessed Mother statue waiting for service to begin....I looked down as I knelt to pray at the pew seat in front of me and there was a feather! It was over 3 inches long - I looked everywhere else around me - no other feathers but the one right in front of me. I believe this was a sign from my mother. Please read this book - your mother is still with you...you will always be together.

I have given this book to about four of my friends whose mothers have died. It is a compilation of stories from women of all walks of life who have experienced some sort of "visit" or sign from their mothers after their mothers have passed on. It is so interesting and so comforting. It expresses what many of my friends have experienced but hadn't been talking about. Are these visits coincidences or are we living in a dream here and the world after this is the real world? It gave me great comfort and hope when my mom died, and I continue to hear from her in so many ways.. strange bird visits.. dog visits, dreams.. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who has lost a mother, whether they were on good terms or bad. I will continue to order this book and share it with my friends. Thanks for reading!

As a 4th grade teacher, I am always looking for books to incorporate into my Earth Day unit. This is my new favorite.

Gaia Girls Enter the Earth tells the story of Elizabeth, a 4th grade girl who lives on a family farm that is in danger of being taken over by a factory farm operation to raise and slaughter 7,000 pigs a day. Elizabeth learns of powers she has to help save her own and surrounding farms, while readers learn about the environmental impact of factory farms. The message is powerful and not preachy, and is embedded in a story that will make you long to start growing your own garden and appreciate the natural world around you. The story is wonderfully vivid and suspenseful.

As a 30 year old I was hooked by this book geared towards a younger crowd. I love reading good YA and this is up there on my list. It wasn't preachy and had some great characters who were well rounded. I am totally hooked and can't wait to read the rest of the series. :)

Thank you thank you thank you to the author, illustrator and publishers of this book!!! My daughter is 10 years old and absolutely loves it. She loves to read but can be very picky about books! We happened to be at the Boston Museum of Science when the author was there and my daughter had to have a signed copy after talking to Lee Welles for a few minutes. We are very eco-concerned and I am glad to see a book that really relates to this generations problems and the fact that they really do need to start getting involved and getting there friends involved in fixing the situation NOW!!! SO again THANK YOU!!! I truly believe that this book may help a lot of young adults step up and make a difference!

My daughter (age 11) just loved the book. She felt it was very suspenseful and can't wait til she reads the next one. In this book, Harmony Farms creates a town disagreement in Avon by changing everyone's opinions on farming. Elizabeth's special powers help her when she needs them the most. Great book and keep up the good work, Lee Welles!

Elizabeth Angier is a fourth-grader who lives on a farm. She helps her parents weed the large vegetable garden, dye skeins of wool from their sheep, arrange wildflowers into bouquets to be sold at the farmers' market, and water the saplings that landscapers buy. Will, the high school boy from the dairy farm over the hill, comes over to help her dad on occasion. Elizabeth loves everything about growing up on the farm that has been in her father's family for many generations. But all this threatens to change: a company that runs "CAFO" (Concentrated Feeding Animal Organizations) pig farms arrives to woo struggling farmers into selling their farms and taking jobs with the large corporation. As Elizabeth's parents desperately research the effects of existing CAFO's on a community's air, water, commerce, and quality of life, Elizabeth herself discovers her own connection to the earth and the powers that gives her. Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, appears to her as an otter, and begins to teach her.

That's just a brief synopsis of Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth, recent winner of the 2006 National Outdoor Book Award, children's division. Although this is a fantastical novel that author Lee Welles has written for children ("ages 9 and up"), many parts of the story ring true for communities like ours. Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth takes place on a farm in upstate New York, near the Finger Lakes. Much of it reads like home, the beauty as well as the struggles.

Although I consider myself sympathetic to environmental activists, I am leary of being lumped in with folks who wear hemp and eat vegetarian because it's trendy. In sitting down to read Gaia Girls, I was a little afraid that the story would be heavy-handed on earth goddesses but skim over the true difficulties of living environmentally-aware. I am pleased to report I couldn't have been more wrong. "Three Oaks Farm" is an organic farm, but Welles makes it clear that this makes the Angier family and their products unusual for their community. They need to be very creative to be successful: they advertise their organic produce to upscale restaurants, who pre-order from the farm. Another way they make money is by selling many different products: wool, vegetables, flowers, young trees, honey. Though Elizabeth and her parents feel they live a happy life in a corner of paradise, Welles doesn't flinch from showing how fragile that existence is, and how much work it takes to maintain it.

Welles' writing is strong. At the beginning, I was reminded of Charlotte's Web. As I continued to read Gaia Girls, I realized I was in the middle of a wonderful new literary phenomenon. I see this book, and the series to follow, touching many as it touched me. Enter the Earth reminded me of environmental issues and earth science facts that I already know about, but made me feel more attached to them. Without being preachy, Gaia Girls helps the reader see the science behind farming methods that are good for the earth, and how it is healthy for the people who live there and those of us who eat the food grown there. With Elizabeth, we can connect to the farm, as she and the farm connect to the earth. I raced through the book, loved the story, and can't wait for more.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" and editor of "A Predatory Heart"

The author, Debbie Gisonni, a fifteen-year veteran of the high-tech industry had it all. Then she lost her mother, father, sister and favorite aunt, all within four years. After four more years of ever-increasing success and responsibilities, Gisonni quit her job and spent some time soul-searching.

The end result is that she started Real Life Lessons; her own company devoted to making life easier and happier for women and became the goddess of happiness. With this book, she shows the rest of us how we are our own goddess of happiness and how we can be more happy.

Your journey to happiness begins with a quiz to determine your current level of bliss. Then, in very short, 1 or 2 page chapters, Gisonni shows you how to capture even more happiness for yourself. Each chapter ends with five ways to practice the chapter's lesson or skill and space for writing your own related affirmations.

Gisonni has some great suggestions for all of us. Much of it is what you've probably heard before, but she presents it in a straight-forward, simple, easy-to-incorporate way in just a few short pages. For example, in the chapter on Play, she shares with us how her husband encouraged her to swing in the park and she had a great time rekindling a childhood joy. Then, she encourages us to play--buy a hula hoop! Her "five ways to play" list includes revisiting your favorite childhood games and do one each week. For me, that would probably include swinging, lip-synching to The Partridge Family, climbing a tree, making mud pies, and jumping rope. I might need to train for a few months first!

The Goddess of Happiness has so many ideas for us: slow down, stop the noise, choose joy, lighten up, indulge, simplify, accept your life, be rich, ask for help and many more. I read through this book all at once first, and now I re-read chapters every day, sort of as happiness reminders. Because I know happiness is a choice, and yet, sometimes, life makes you forget for a minute. With this handy little guide, you can build your own happiness from the ground up, or renovate what you already have.

THE GODDESS OF HAPPINESS is a treasure...easy to read, inspirational and it constantly reminds me...that I am a Goddess with all my happiness right inside of me ready to share with those around me. This book is every bit as delightful as its author. Last fall, I had the pleasure of meeting Debbie! THE GODDESS OF HAPPINESS exudes her warm, charming and optimistic outlook on life. I bought this book for my two daughters and hope to gift it to all of my dear friends on their birthdays.

This book is trite, full of cliches, and has nothing new to offer an intelligent reader. If you seek inspiration in your daily life, check out "Living a Beautiful Life" by Alexandra Stoddard.

I'm a pretty cynical (but content) person in general and tend to pooh-pooh the "how to be happy" genre of books probably because of my gritty, punk rock past, but, darned if The Goddess of Happiness didn't help me get through a really heart-wrenching breakup. I'm forever grateful. Now, whenever I need a little lift, I simply open the book to any page and read a little bit. I haven't lost my edginess, but my heart's a little softer. Go figure.

Reading the Goddess of Happiness is like sipping chocolate in the morning. The texture of Debbie Gisonni's stories (you can almost see her writing with a smile) bring out the spirit of indulgence we feel and often submerge due to the pressures of the day. She'll show you how to enjoy chocolate without the guilt, how to get moving without a big exercise commitment, and how to count your blessings even when you face stumbling blocks. A quick read, a fast way to smile.

This is a wonderful book for any woman pregnant for the first time - with firsthand experiences I can relate to, and scientific data that I might not otherwise seek out. I'm really enjoying reading about each month as I approach it.

Sandra Steingraber is a scientist and writer whose early cancer has led her to explore the possible environmental causes of cancer and teratogens in our chemically laced environment. In this book, she talks about her own pregnancy and what happens to the developing life within in a very thorough, and beautiful, way.

This book starts out as very scientific and a bit dull, but picks up and keeps you reading. I admire the author for doing so much detailed research and yet being very happy and optimistic towards her own childbearing. An inspirational and eye-opening book that I would recommend to all my friends, especially young women.

This book is FASCINATING. If you pick it up you won't put it down. Everyone should read this book, but especially those considering having children. (I do not recommend this book to pregnant women, it could be very upsetting)

The book is beautifully written, personal, scientific, and life changing. I particularly appreciate the author's perspective that the onis to protect children from toxic chemicals that cause birth defects should be societal, not personal. It is insane that we have accepted that due to mercury pollution as a result of coal burning women and children should have to stop eating nutritious fish.

I loved this story, both as a scientific narrative and a touching personal story. I'm thinking about pregnancy, and this book awakened me to many of the dangers of toxins in the environment I hadn't even contemplated before. I'm so glad that Steingraber told the full story of fish in the diets of pregnant women, for example: that a food with such healthy fats and potential for fetal brain development has instead been rendered toxic by not just mercury pollution, but POPs like DDT as well. And anyone who wants to breastfeed should be aware of how toxins are magnified not just over the course of fetal development, but within the content of mother's milk as well. Steingraber seeks to educate us not to make us take action indiviually, but collectively: healthy food and a healthy environment should be the right of every pregnant woman, mother, father and child. It should be ours for the taking, because we adults deserve the right to have children, and those children deserve the healthiest world possible, starting in the microcosm of the womb. As an adopted child, a pregnant woman, a nursing mother and a biologist, Steingraber tells every woman's story of conception and birth to inspire all humans with a vision of taking action to create a healthier world. It's a lovely telling that everyone - not just mothers-to-be - should read.

I don't know of any other book that covers the approaches to healing in such an insightful way. I had numerous ahh haa moments. Susan's writings on specific plants also really give one the sense that they are living energies deserving of respect.

I absolutely love this book! Susuns way of teaching is so matter of fact and not so technical that we can understand, and gives you this urge to just try.
Gabby

Great book, good author.
Just what I was looking for

Anyone interested in herbalism in any way needs to read this book. Susun is most definately a grandmother of herbalism to the next generations that follow the herbal ways.
Susun is delightful in her writing and is also very public about everything she writes about. Truly teaching us about the herbs themselves and how to apply them.

I got a bit confused on her way of describing dandelion in her french accent writing about the plant, but now that I have been exposed to a french teacher, I am more comfortable with understanding this section of the book and should re read it.

But that is Susun's playful style and how the plants are in relation to her.

If you practice herbalism in any degree, this is a must have book.

Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise looks at health and healing from a completely different perspective than any other resource I've ever consulted. Instead of looking at illness as something needing medication (as in western scientific medicine) or as the result of some sort of bodily imbalance (as in traditional eastern medicine), this book looks at illness as an opportunity.

At first, I have to admit that this concept sounded really strange to me. What sort of opportunity is suffering from Chronic Fatigue or having to deal with the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis? However, as I continued through the thorough and easy to understand explanations of the wise woman tradition, I began to understand more about the principles behind optimum nourishment.

Basically, this concept requires that we learn to take care of, accept, learn from and love ourselves at every point in our life process. To do so, brings about change and further opportunities to nourish our being. Thus, if we have an illness in the traditional sense, then we need to take the opportunity to learn about ourselves and fully nurture our being before we can ever hope to release the seemingly negatives aspects of the situation.

Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise has me intrigued with the wise woman tradition. I find the concept of a spiral healing pattern (as opposed to the linear pattern of western medicine and the circular pattern of traditional eastern medicine) fascinating. I also like that this book gave me a distinctly different way to think about my health. I am extremely eager to learn more about this tradition.

I have been meaning to read Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (illustrated wonderfully in what I assume is pen and ink by Dorothy P. Lathrop) for a rather long time. Several years ago my mother bought me a reproduction Hitty doll by Robert Raikes (big deal carver of dolls and bears though he no longer seems to be making Hitty dolls).

After buying the doll, and doing a bit of research, we found an edition of Field's novel with the original 1929 text and illustrations. There is another, newer, edition with updated text by Rosemary Wells and illustrations by Susan Jeffers. The newer book came out, I believe, to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of Field's original novel. I never read this version, actually sending it back upon realizing it was an adaptation, but other reviewers' outrage at the changes suggest I was right to do so. If you haven't guessed already, Hitty fans are numerous and loyal.

Hitty, amazingly, was real. Hitty.org is but one site dedicated to chronicling the life and history of this amazing doll. The site includes the picture of a Daguerreotype actually mentioned in the novel as well as a variety of other interesting photos and well-researched facts.

As the subtitle suggests, Hitty is already a centenarian at the start of Field's fictionalized account of her adventures. Safely ensconced in a New York antique store equipped with quill and paper, Hitty decides it is high time to begin setting her story down for posterity. What follows is a children's novel that truly deserves the Newberry Medal it received in 1930 for "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."

Hitty begins her life as a lucky piece of mountain-ash wood carried by an old peddler. In exchange for lodging during a particularly bad Maine winter, the Old Peddler decides to carve his piece of wood into a doll for the family's seven-year-old child, Phoebe Preble. Hitty and Phoebe have their share of adventures during their time together. More, it might be argued, than one doll could manage (including a section that reads very much like part of Moby Dick geared to a much younger audience). But, as readers realize soon enough, Hitty is no ordinary doll. As the story progresses, Hitty passes through many hands and a variety of owners. Like most things, some owners prove better than others in the same way that certain events of Hitty's life are more worthy of space in her memoirs than others.

When you realize that this book is from 1929, well before any other doll novels were published, it becomes clear that Hitty is something special because Field did it first. At first, I thought the novel might come off as dated since it was written so long ago. But I was happily proven wrong and found that the text stood up to my modern standards as well as Hitty's chemise survives her first century. Many of the insights that Hitty expresses throughout the book remain very accurate to this day. Hitty's calm demeanor and buoyant spirit also help to make this doll downright lovable.

Field's prose is wonderful. Even though I knew Hitty was safe in the antique shop, each new peril left me fearing for Hitty and in a state of suspense until I found out if she had survived. The people that Hitty passes during the course of her first century are equally well-realized in the text. In terms of classic children's literature (especially for a younger child), I can't think of many better examples.

If, you want still more Hitty, you can check out Gail Wilson's website. This very talented (and expensive) doll makers features her own version of Hitty available both ready-made and as a kit.

hitty....oh what fun we had reading this together as a family. i certainly did not know what i was geting in to when i started reading it aloud. very well written book; descriptive; memorable. after reading each chapter we wanted to rush to the library to find out about the place she had been. we also cooked a few things from different countries. we did not have a plan; it was so spontaneous; i think that is what i loved about it so much....learning at its best. my older children, after five years still remember vividly certain paragraphs. and we all smile thinking about how much fun we had reading this book together. i can hardly wait to read it to the younger ones. recently i purchased it for my shelf. it is certainly a keeper. copywork, narration, cooking, art, geography/history, a little science, etc... a years worth of curriculum in one book. all you need is a math book and your set. honestly, each chapter is like a springboard and it should not be hard to find a topic to learn more about. make some happy memories, read hitty aloud to your children. they will love it! (and you will, too...)

Many may remember Hitty from decades ago; I was introduced to her just a few years ago. Hitty: Her First Hundred Years is a wonderfully written, beautifully illustrated "children's" book that should be on everyone's reading list, regardless of age.

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, as originally written by Rachel Field in 1929, is delightful. The story follows the adventures of a doll, carved by a peddler from a piece of mountain ash, as told in her own words. From being proclaimed a "heathen" goddess on a South Seas Island, traveling with a snake charmer in India, being alternately a fashion plate and a demure Quakeress in the midst of the Civil War, Hitty and her story are truly captivating. Rachel Field has given the world a wonderfully exciting and deeply touching glimpse at history through the eyes of this remarkable doll. The charm of this old fashioned story is enduring, powerful enough to endear itself to each new generation of readers that discovers it.

This book was interesting and fun to read. Ride along with, the doll, as she tells her life story. Watch as she goes from one owner to the next. This book is an adventure to read. Hitty has seen so much you forget she is a doll. This book pulles you in like a vacuum cleaner. You'll love it when she travles to New York. You'll jump out of your seat when she goes whale hunting or when she gets stuck in a tree. There is a couple of settings but it doesn't jump around. The message that i got out of the story is live life to it's fullest I would recomend this book to preteen girls that like history and fiction. This book was fantabouls!!!!!!!!!!

Picked this book up when looking for fodder to help sort through a number of issues of mine relating to "growing up" and accepting change. This book is particularly good because it deals with the difficulty an otherwise jaded & skeptical person can experience when faced with accepting something truely positive for their life ... like a relationship that actually works!

Given the nature of the topic, it's length was about right ... but still, I was a little disappointed that I finished reading it so quickly (only ~2 hours, and I am a slow reader!).

Overall, I like Anita's perspective and I appreciate her means of expressing it ... even if I find her to be more than a tad solipsistic. Actually, the fact that she apparently revels in her egocentrism and makes no apologies for it almost makes it acceptible.

An angry poet and performer meets the perfect man, falls in love, and struggles to escape a strange state of bliss in How to Stay Bitter Through The Happiest Times of Your Life, which uses blog entries, poems, to-do lists and more to explore her changed life. While it's difficult to neatly peg this title - it's part memoir, part humor, part psychology - it's something any public library collection should put on its display shelves, and is especially recommended for New Yorkers who will readily recognize the caustic humor.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

You know how sometimes you love the first book an author wrote so much that you're afraid to read their next one for fear of being disappointed? There's nothing to fear here. Anita's follow up to her hilarious debut "How to Heal the Hurt by Hating" is just as insightful and entertaining. Do yourself a favor and add it to your cart immediately. Oh, and you might want to buy two because this is not one you're going to want to lend to your friends.

Oh my gosh - once again Anita Liberty KICKS [...]!! Her books are hysterical and so funny that you just laugh out loud (caution to those of you who read in unfunny places). If you've been through a break up, good one or bad, her books are a MUST. You'll relate to everything she says and has the nerve to do. If you haven't been through a break-up, good for you but read the book anyway. So, if you are reading this review to see if you should buy this book - DO IT NOW and get How To Heal The Hurt By Hating while you're at it - now GO!!

It's hard to stay grounded when you fall in love - and it's even harder to keep a sense of humor and reality once you become engaged and begin planning a wedding. The experience of falling in love to getting married is both amazing and overwhelming. However, somewhere in between the dress shopping, the registry, the diet, the guest lists and the family drama, a woman can forget who she is and who she was before the entire process began. This is where Anita Liberty steps in and slaps every intelligent, independent and accomplished woman who is going through (or has gone through) this process and reminds them that who they were before the engagement will inform who they'll be after the engagement and during the marriage. Anita's poetry is inspiring, funny, and real. In one poem, she admits that she doesn't want to get engaged, for fear of losing her independence, but also acknowledges that some other part of her really wants to be married and is dissappointed when an engagement doesn't come sooner. To me, this poem echoed what so many women I know go through as they fall in love - they want to be with that person entirely, but they don't want to lose who they are completely in the process. And I think that within the pages of Anita's book, any person can identify with the contradicting feelings she has, the inner struggles, and even the surrender to a Vera gown (despite a desire for simplicity). The book is about saying goodbye to ex-lovers, saying hello to one's future, and embracing who you are as an individual going forward. I laughed, I cried and I re-read it the same day I finished it. I really hope you consider buying this for yourself or for your friend/sister/cousin because it's more therapeutic than that hour massage you planned on buying her at the local spa.