Carefuul researched biography of exceptional mother and daughter
354493
5454. Romantic Outlaws The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft & Mary Shelley, by Charlotte Gordon  (read 26 Mar 2017) (National Book Critics Circle Award fpr biography for 2015) This excellently researched book is a dual biography of a mother and daughter.  The mother died ten days after her daughter was born so the lives did not coincide much.  Mary Wollstonecraft was born 27 April 1759 and died 10 Sept 1801.  Her daughter Mary Godwin was born 30 Aug 1801, eloped with Percy Bysshe Shelley at age 16 (even though Shelley had a wife). and died 1 Feb 1851.  The lives are told in alternating chapters, which means we at each chapter go to a different era.  But this works pretty well since the reader know each chapter takes up the life of the other subject of the other biography.  Both woman were subjected to deprecatory criticism during their lives and after their death and the book carefully delineates such criticism.  Now the women have overcome that criticism and are viewed as the exceptional persons they were.  One is amazed at the vast amount of material which the author has assiduously mined to tell of the intensely interesting lives led by both Marys.  There are 547 pages of text, 55 pages of notes, and a 15-page bibliography.  The book is a monumental work of careful scholarship, and eminently readable.
2920451
A fascinating biography! The book begins with the death of her father and then reverts to the story of her parents courtship and marriage. It explains why the royal family, especially the Queen Mother, disliked the Duke of Windsor and blamed him for the early death of King George VI.

Elizabeth was born to the line of royal succession but no one expected her to become Queen. She was raised to be a royal princess but most people expected her uncle, the Prince of Wales, to marry and have his own children. However the book details the interest that Queen Mary took in her grand-daughters education which makes the reader wonder if the Queen knew her son Edward better than most people and suspected that Elizabeth would one day be Queen.

The book details her childhood, the courtship and marriage of Phillip and Elizabeth and her first years of motherhood. It also narrates the difficulties that she faced as a wife whose husband was deployed, as a mother whose children were not allowed to travel with her, and as a daughter who frequently had to represent her father in affairs of state.

The book is well written and concise but does contain enough details and footnotes to keep the reader interested. I do hope that Jane Dismore is already writing the next volume because she only covers the first 25 years of Elizabeth IIs life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for sending me the ARC of this exceptional biography.
4397710
There are not many important women of the Middle Ages, but Eleanor of Aquitaine has to be the most prominent and important: wife to King Louis VII of France and King Henry II of Britain and Aquitaine, mother of King Richard the Lionheart and King John of Magna Carta fame.

Quite a few biographies have been written over the years of Eleanor of Aquitaine, but there has never been one so adherent to primary and secondary sources, to the extent that the scenes depicted veritably come to life before your very eyes.  The reader joys as Eleanor weds Louis and then Henry, but is much saddened at her imprisonment by Henry after her deception, and then admires her motherly love for her son Richard.

With some four hundred pages, including an index, bibliography, a collection of photos, as well ass notes on the chief sources, and extensive family trees; there is never a dull moment in this book.  Each page is packed with so many facts and details that if one were to skip a passage, they would soon become lost in the complex yet fully explained happenings of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Originally published on October 21st, 2002.

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478923
This meticulously researched biography of the wife of a great late-nineteenth -- early-twentieth century American historian and Pulitizer-prize winning author is a fascinating chronicle of the tragedy of a creative intelligent woman in less-enlightened times.  Although "Clover Adams" reads like a novel, it is clear that this author has crafted a compelling case for the hidden truth of this amazing woman's life out of painstaking research through letters, diaries, photographs and family records.

Clover Adams was the wife of Henry Adams (grandson and great-grandson of American presidents.)  She married relatively late in life for her time (age 28) and lived a life of privilege with her husband during the Gilded Age (the late nineteenth century).  For their honeymoon, they traveled abroad for a year, sailing down the Nile and seeing all of Europe.  Clover was extremely intelligent and admired by many of the famous intellectuals and politicians of her day.  She seemed to have found an outlet for her creative nature by taking meticulously composed photographs beginning when she was in her late thirties.  So it was incomprehensible to others that she committed suicide a few months after her forty-second birthday.

Author Natalie Dykstra makes a well-reasoned argument that Clover Adams' abrupt suicide is not easily explained (as it has been previously) by her grief over her father's death.  Instead of relying on pat explanations, Dykstra takes us on a journey through Clover's psyche by examining her complex nature, and creates Clover's world for us so that we can see the many aspects to her life and personality which turned her path to ultimate despair.

The only previous knowledge I had of Clover Adams was visiting her gravesite in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington D.C. to see the wonderful Augustus Saint-Gaudens statue known to most as "Grief" which her husband had commissioned after her death and which marks both of their graves.  The gravesite, designed by Stanford White, is haunting.  Now that I know the story behind it, I find it even moreso.

This biography is a treasure for readers who enjoy history, women's studies, and understanding the real person behind historical figures. The author has done such an outstanding job in immersing her reader in the world of this fascinating woman that you will feel as though you have actually time-traveled.
2341311
Megan Marshall is a master researcher.  Marshall chronicles massive details in her book: Margaret Fuller: A new American Life.  It is written in a style that is easy for any reader to enjoy.  And the information, although copious, is still accessible to a variety of readers.

Margaret Fuller was a self made woman.  Self taught and well beyond her time, Ms. Fuller's story is one of raw ambition and achievement.  Ms Fuller's life was so profound and expansive, and this book is such as well.  Many different groups will be interested in picking up this volume, but especially those interested in history, feminism, and Transcendentalism.  Those interested in biographies will also want to pick this book up as her life was truly fascinating.

The success of this book has me seeking out Marshall's previous release: The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism.
428041
A carefully detailed, extensively researched, and tenderly told biography of a little girl who barely survived, regularly pausing to explain the world situation that affected her life. The writing is easy to follow, there are plenty of photos, and historical coverage is balanced -- but realize that the content is heavy. I might have younger kids read Sadako and save this one for 8th grade thru adults.

Without being a spoiler, I would mention that you do find out what happens to each member of Sachiko's family, as well as some of the inspiration that helped them endure pain and loss along the way.
4021899
This is an extraordinary biography by a remarkable woman, Cea Sunrise Person, with an astounding resiliency and determination, from toddlerhood to young adulthood, to survive incredible hardship. I thank the author for persisting through seven years to chronicle her shocking experiences growing up with a dysfunctional family whose lifestyle was patterned on an extreme primitivistic philosophy. The family cluster was comprised of her mother, two aunts, an uncle and her maternal grandparents. The adults were frequently involved with a variety of sexual liaisons. Privacy and modesty were unfamiliar concepts. In the absence of a father, her grandfather, Papa Dick, assumed the role of an all-wise, all-knowing, eccentric and egocentric father figureadmired and obeyed.

We follow the Persons from a hippie commune in California to austere wilderness camps in Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. Physical survival is at times precarious. Little Cea is often neglected, feeling lost among adults who are intent on being spaced-out on pot and drugs, and preoccupied with  their sexual pleasures. Her mother has a lackadaisical, part-time, attitude to her parenting role. Being neglected, Cea seeks comfort from her Suzie Doll and a Big Blue Book of childrens literature. But she does receive sporadic affection from her mother and grandparentsenough to mitigate the worst of her loneliness and despair.

As Cea becomes seven her mother hooks up with a shifty character who survives financially by breaking into rural residences for shelter and thievery. Another of her mothers partners involves Cea in pleasuring himself while (she finds out years later) her mother turns a blind eye. Readers will frequently cringe and wonder how much worse it can get. But Cea is a survivor and at the age of thirteen she sets a goal to become a fashion model. She overcomes incredible odds to distance herself from her family and succeed by her own wits, on her own merits. She gets by on determination and courage. She does make mistakes but tries valiantly to not let the ghosts from her past drag her down.

This is a wonderful book written in a factual, no-holds-barred style. I admired her bravery, at the age of forty-two, to share those experiences, positive and negative, which molded her to become the mature, happy and successful person she has become. The author left anger, fear and resentment behind to wholeheartedly embrace and sustain a loving and balanced relationship with her husband and three children.

PS: A note about the name Person. It is not based on the English noun person, but is rather the Swedish patronymic meaning Pers son (the son of Per).
4775622
I wanted to buy this book because it is about a good friend of mine's mother and how she had to live her life.  From what I have read so far this is a remarkable woman.
3849242
Very enjoyable read and amazed with how Margaret shares so much info on both the good & not so good aspects while so meticulously profiling her mother Bess, and in the process also sharing so much detail about her father Harry. Perhaps being a lifetime Democrat helps to appreciate this work, but I commend Margaret highly for her book and recommend it to anyone interested in what goes on behind the scenes of an American President in the 20th century.
4454074
A wonderfullly researched and well presented treatise on the life of this extraordinary woman.  I have read virtually everything about blavatsky and this book enhanced my depth of understanding and also assisted some of the pieces to come together through my own research.  I also enjoyed and dowloaded many of the resource materials mentioned throughout the text.  A great read
97286
A touching memoir of a mother and her journey during the final year of her young daughter's life after being diagnosed with an incurable/inoperable brain tumor.
3057968
Just finished reading Joanne Passet's biography of Barbara Grier, a controversial lesbian print activist.  Joanne tells a detailed story of the life of Barbara Grier that reads like a good novel, but presents the history of the woman's movement during Barbara's a lifespan.  The research of the author contains 30 pages of chapter endnotes, 5 pages of a Selected Biography, and an invaluable detailed time line.  The narrative not only details the life of Barbara Grier, but also, reveals the history of both lesbian political activism and lesbian print activism and how these two movements affect the lesbian literary and political climate today.  A must read for anyone interested in the evolvement of the power of a printed book, newsletter,  or even single printed columns.  Joanne Passet captured and preserved the unbiased story of the life of Barbara Grier, but she also preserved the historical significance of this time frame during the women's movement.
2156711
I am in constant awe at the prolific output of picture books featuring biographies of individuals who have made positive contributions to society. My eight-year-old daughter loves reading these picture book biographies because the format is visually attractive, containing color illustrations that enhance the text. The narrative is usually written in a manner that is easy for a child to comprehend.

"Miss Moore Thought Otherwise" is one such example of a quality picture book biography. My daughter saw this at our public library and was eager to read it since she and I are both great fans of our public libraries. The book tells the story of Anne Carroll Moore from her early days as the youngest daughter in a large family in Limerick, Maine to her adulthood where Ms. Moore trained to be a librarian at a time when female librarians were not common. Ms. Moore was aware that libraries at the time were not child-friendly - in many instances, libraries forbade children from entering the premises.

The author goes on to describe Ms. Moore's efforts - from her early days at the Pratt Free Library where Ms. Moore set up special rooms for children to her position as head children's librarian for the 36 branches of the New York Public Library and her pioneering efforts to make libraries places where children could come to read, engage in literacy-themed activities, and many more.

Both my daughter and I were impressed and inspired by this amazing lady who dedicated her life to making libraries havens of reading for children. The end of the book provides further biographical information on Anne Carroll Moore with archival photographs of Ms. Moore as a child and a young woman. There are also interesting bits of information such as a listing of other pioneer female librarians who set up children's rooms in libraries. There's also a listing of sources which might interest those who wish to read more on the subject. This is a wonderful picture book biography of a remarkable children's advocate and it is thanks to her and others' pioneering efforts that our public libraries today are such wonderful repositories of knowledge and wonder for children.
2182805
Not one to read biographies, this treatise is wonderfully researched and a compelling read.  The author has cleverly captured the nuances of a marriage and life without parallel.  It is written with a high degree of sensitivity yet does not stray from factual presentation.  It is truly a record of the good, bad and sometimes ugly face of two remarkable people... Highly recommend it!
2235509
I applaud this mother's determination to record and share the story of her beloved daughter's short but vividly lived life.  What a treasure this child/young woman was to all who knew her and to all the rest of us who know her now through the telling of her story.
1529796
I like this bio because it is solidly researched, based on Miss Nightingale's papers, and written with cooperation of many of her family and friends, who opened their archives as well.  Unlike many biographies of the times, it does not seek to add to a Myth.  You get to meet a person with all the frailities of a human being.  It is a biography worthy of its subject.  Be warned, this is a big book.  It is not a introductory pamphlet.  Still, it is an engrossing book, and a worthwhile read.
1728367
A fascinating story of a remarkable person who has served her country well.