by Patty Kline-Capaldo Jodi Monster Edda R. Pitassi Flo Shore Harriet Singer Candice L. Swick Diane Yannick Susan G. Weidener Ginger M. Murphy Jan L. Backes Maureen Barry Lynda M. Clemens Kimberly Ely Sharon Keys Gray Vicki McKeefery ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2013
Cloying and wistful but ultimately an enjoyable read.
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
GET IT
A collective of women writers lets its figurative hair down in these recollections, assertions of independence and examinations of family dynamics.
Members of the Philadelphia-based Women’s Writing Circle compile their stories, memories and poems in this tenderhearted, nostalgic anthology. Most of the pieces touch on the trials and joys of friendship, marriage and careers, and whether memoir or fiction, the stories all share an investment in exploring the authors’ most meaningful, significant relationships and articulating experiences they never before dared. Much of the book is racked with sentimentalities and manifest observations. One story, which begins with a mother’s words of warning to her 8-year-old daughter—“A woman needs to pay attention to a man’s words, but even closer to his tone”—goes on to state the obvious: “Something tells me there was a lesson in those words.” Even though the writing tends to be baggy and imprecise, its passion and commitment are undeniable. While many stories have overlapping themes and stock characters, such as the inattentive husband and the loyal best friend, some develop into moving tales by capturing the uniqueness of the author’s perspective. For instance, Flo Shore’s meditative, fanciful “Blessed by a Butterfly” introspects on the shimmering line between coincidence and magic. Susan G. Weidener, in her poignant fiction about a woman’s relationship to her family home, memorably writes, “She heard the pop of a champagne cork and her mother’s laugh like a soprano trilling an aria.” Contributor Jodi Monster pens one of the most evocative and affecting stories, about a domestic worker, Josie, who cares for an elderly woman, Betty, and the smart, elegant way Josie is able to reach her even in her most delusional, vulnerable moments. Monster gives delicate and complete descriptions of landscape, context and character in gently musical sentences. One such moment arrives in a description of the small coastal town on the morning Josie comes to work for Betty: “Closer to shore, fat gulls roosted on the boat poles and dinghies bobbed on sure lines.” The book will speak to female readers of a certain age looking to connect with like-minded women, and haunting sentences—“She had been raised to fear snakes and spiders and most especially a draft, but no one, it seemed, had thought to warn her about the spirits that rose on the endless plainsong of the tide”—linger well after the collection’s end. Even though the authors sometimes treat their content too preciously, overall these stories work splendidly as unpretentious, triumphant reflections of times past.
Cloying and wistful but ultimately an enjoyable read.Pub Date: April 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1482344509
Page Count: 168
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
Share your opinion of this book
More by E.T.A. Hoffmann
BOOK REVIEW
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson
BOOK REVIEW
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis
by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
Share your opinion of this book
More by Ludwig Bemelmans
BOOK REVIEW
developed by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
BOOK REVIEW
by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.