Margaret Hale, the heroine in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South is not a typical Victorian lady. Continue reading Woman as Una Duessa: Revisiting Gaskell’s Beloved Classic North and South: Margaret Hale’s Duality
The first time I read Jane Austen, I was hooked. If you had asked me at that time why, I wouldn’t have known what to say. Since then, I’ve read all her published novels. Not just once but several times. I have my favorites. Pride and Prejudice, of course. Then Persuasion, which I think is her most mature novel. I’d rank her other novels as … Continue reading The Lady’s Genius Is In The Details: John Mullan’s What Matters in Jane Austen
A story of a woman full of angst. A woman whom modern, educated women can relate to. But only to some extent. Meredith Ruth (MR) Neukirchen is the first woman president of an Ivy League university. That alone makes her totally unique. She’s achieved the pinnacle, a plum usually denied women, even those with her background and ambition. But what’s more remarkable about MR is … Continue reading Joyce Carol Oates—Mudwoman
I seem to be focused on small things lately. Maybe in getting old, I have realized that big things are rare. I’ve learned one truly valuable lesson growing up (I want to believe we keep growing): You can fashion a good life out of small things. You do so by making big things of small ones. It’s not that hard—it’s what humans do to feel … Continue reading God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Reading The Real Jane Austen, A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne, I understood more clearly why Austen novels appeal to me. And, more than ever, I’ve come to appreciate these novels for their artistry. Not just as a reader—but maybe more importantly—as a writer. Once again, this book proves “God is in the detail.” But for details to serve fiction well, they must … Continue reading The Real Jane Austen, A Life in Small Things: A Review
This book comes closer to home than the other two I’ve read by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Literally. It’s set in Berkeley. At some point in the story, Rakhi, the daughter of the Queen of Dreams, might have lived next to me on the Oakland Hills. If she had been real of course. Rakhi is real enough to me because she is a modern woman coping … Continue reading Queen of Dreams: Divakaruni, again
Come times when you need to toot your own horn. Why not? Sometimes no one else can do it better. Like when you’re getting all these good reviews (for Welcome Reluctant Stranger) and you feel you must share all that heady stuff. The best part is these comments come from readers like you and me. Oh, professional reviewers have their place, but to touch anyone … Continue reading Sweet Words for Welcome, Reluctant Stranger!
************ Journey has woven a beautiful narrative filled with complex relationships and interactions between women – aunts, mothers, and daughters.” – GoodbooksToday.com Reviews Evy Journey has woven an intricate, heart-wrenching coming-of-age story about family and love with HELLO, AGNIESZKA! The sequel to HELLO, MY LOVE!, this novel continues the story of a family who is shaken by the eldest son’s suicide attempt. In order to … Continue reading GoodbooksToday.com Review of Hello, Agnieszka !
About three months ago, I got a copy of The Wedding Group by Elizabeth Taylor. No, not that Elizabeth Taylor. The other Elizabeth Taylor. These are a couple of published reactions when articles are written about that other Elizabeth, a British writer in the mid-1900s. Unfortunately, that shared name may be one big reason so many people have not heard of her. I, for instance, … Continue reading Meet Elizabeth Taylor, the British Writer
Views from Three Readers: After her son tried to commit suicide, Agnieszka was left with no choice but to reveal a well-kept secret to her kids in order to help them understand their brother’s actions. Starting from when she was eight, she told her family her life story, with the hope that this would make them understand her journey and the choices she made along … Continue reading Hello, Agnieszka! A Five-Star Readers’ Favorite
Escape Into Reality 