Don't Hit My Mommy: A Manual For Child-parent Psychotherapy With Young Witnesses Of Family Violence

Book Description

It is now widely accepted that witnessing or experiencing acts of severe interpersonal violence interferes with the mastery of age-appropriate developmental milestones and leaves children at significant risk for conduct disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. In spite of extensive data documenting these risks, there is a dearth of intervention strategies designed to alleviate the effects of exposure to violence in the first 5 years of life.

This practical handbook offers treatment guidelines to address the behavioral and mental health problems of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers whose most intimate relationships are disrupted by the experience of violence. Practitioners from a variety of disciplines will gain an understanding of the impact of violence and will discover concrete intervention strategies to address the consequences of this experience for young children.

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Caution! This book is simply Part II of Little Women

Anyone who loved "Little Women" will also like "Good Wives!"

Good

More about the little women

New highs and new lows

Good Wives (Charnwood Large Print Library Series)
Louisa May Alcott
Manufacturer: Ulverscroft Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Teens | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Health, Mind & Body | History & Historical Fiction | Horror | Literature & Fiction | Manga | Mysteries | Reference | Religion & Spirituality | School & Sports | Science & Technology | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Series | Social Issues
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Alcott, Louisa May | ( A ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Alcott, Louisa May | ( A ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

Jo's Boys (Bantam Classics)

Eight Cousins (Puffin Classics)

Little Men

Rose in Bloom (Puffin Classics)

An Old-Fashioned Girl (Puffin Classics)

ASIN: 0708984142

Book Description

Amy looked relieved, but naughty Jo took her at her word, for during the first call she sat with every limb gracefully composed, every fold correctly draped, calm as a summer sea, cool as a snowbank, and as silent as the sphinx. In vain Mrs. Chester alluded to her `charming novel', and the Misses Chester introduced parties, picnics, the opera, and the fashions. Each and all were answered by a smile, a bow, and a demure "Yes" or "No" with the chill on.

Customer Reviews:

Caution! This book is simply Part II of Little Women.......2007-09-30

This is a great book, and my favorite part of Little Women. It covers the part when Jo goes to New York and meets Professor Bhaer. However, when I ordered "Good Wives" I thought it was a sequel that I hadn't read before. Instead I found that it was a poorly bound and poorly copied (e.g. faint print that's hard to read) copy of Part II of the book Little Women. If you have the novel Little Women you already have "Good Wives." I sat the books down side by side and compared them, and they are identical. I'm confused why everyone is referring to this as a sequel to Little Women, unless perhaps when Little Women first came out it ended when the father came home from the war, and maybe Part II was originally printed in a separate volume?

However, every copy I've ever picked up of Little Women nowadays already has Part II in it, so if you have Little Women I'd advise you not to waste your money on this.

Anyone who loved "Little Women" will also like "Good Wives!".......2005-10-05

A thoroughly satisfying sequel to a book I grew up loving. It took me forever to get to Good Wives, but when I did, it was like coming home. What a treat to meet up with my favorite childhood characters in this delicious heartwarming book!

Good.......2005-06-05

Since it took me some time to get this book, I was very excited to start reading it. It was indeed fun to return to the world and characters that I have like so much in the first book.
I can't say I was disappointed, it was a great, fast and flowing reading. I enjoyed the book very much.
However, in my opinion it is not as good as the first book. Perhaps because, like any sequel, it is an extension of a good thing that stands for its own right. Perhaps, because I am still young myself, I was able to connect more to the teenaged heroes than to the adult and married ones.
However, it was a great joy to meet them all again, and I think it is a good and worthy sequel, although it can't be compared to the first.

More about the little women.......2004-11-29

Louisa May Alcott captured the spirit of a loving family in "Little Women," the ultimate coming-of-age story. In "Good Wives," the second half of the "Little Women" story (and the second part of an ongoing family saga), Alcott takes her little women out of teenage hijinks and into a darker, more adult place.

The book opens with Meg March's wedding to John Brooke -- he's not the wealthy man of her dreams, but he is the man she loves. As Meg learns that it's a struggle to be a poor man's wife, her sisters Jo and Amy are stretching their own wings -- Amy is becoming an accomplished young artist, and Jo is letting "genius burn" as a published writer. Beth, who has never recovered from her bout of scarlet fever, is still a fragile homebody.

Things take an unexpected turn when Aunt March invites Amy to go to Europe with her -- a trip Jo has wanted for years. To make things worse, Beth is in love with Laurie... but then Laurie proposes to Jo. When she rejects him, he storms away to Europe. Jo leaves as well, to be a governess and a writer in the city, but returns home to find Beth slowly wilting away. Tragedy, love and new life will bring the family back together in unexpected ways.

It always hurts to grow up, and the events of "Good Wives" are no exception. It's a much more adult book than the first "Little Women," with the girls finding out about love, marriage, careers, artistic attempts and the loss of loved ones. There's plenty of humor -- Jo's disastrous housecalls and Amy's equally disastrous dinner party -- but it's muted.

Alcott's writing, surprisingly, doesn't change much -- it's still funny, weird and highly detailed, but also full of sweetness and pathos. And while the book has some sad endings, the overall feel is that life goes on and things always turn out, if not happily, then for the best -- there are marriages, babies, and new beginnings for everyone. And it ends with a lead-in to the sequel, "Little Men," with Jo and Professor Bhaer adopting a bunch of boys as unruly as Jo was.

Jo is the same old Jo, with her foot in her mouth and her fierce independence. But she does become more mature and less prickly. Beth is almost a nonentity, wasting away until leaving the book altogether; Meg seems rather ditzy as a housewife, but apparently is shown as a Marmee-in-training. Amy does the best of all, becoming a vivid, funny character almost as likable as Jo.

The second part of "Little Women" is "Good Wives" -- a very different kind of story about the March girls. But if anything, it's a more beautiful and sweeter one.

New highs and new lows.......2002-03-05

Though "Little Men" was the first of the March family books that I read, when I was around seven, I was just as easily drawn by and to "Little Women". Not so with "Good Wives", the second book in the series (or "Jo's Boys", the last book, for that matter).

For a long time, there was something about "Good Wives" that I did not like, but could not name. Now that I am in college, learning from and loving this novel for the first time, I know exactly what was once so off-putting to me: "Good Wives" is about changing and growing up--things that were completely alien to me in elementary school.

In this book, Meg struggles to be a poor man's wife and a good mother--tasks more trying than being a dutiful daughter and a kind older sister. Jo learns to hold her "abominable tongue" (a slight disappointment, admittedly) and aspires to be more like Beth. Amy comes to terms with money, her limitations, and what she really wants from life. Laurie drops his rascal's streak and resolves to become more serious. In the saddest twist of the story, Beth dies.

The things that happen to the March girls (and the Laurence boy) are no longer the happy sketches of youthful scrapes, pranks and plays. By the second chapter, "The First Wedding", the first of them sets foot in the world of grown-ups, where actions have long-term consequences and one must make life-defining choices on one's own. The events in these books are sobering life experiences.

Much of "Good Wives" is made up of lengthy narrations--many passages quite preachy--that mostly illustrate what life-changing epiphanies the characters are having. Side by side with descriptions of the setting, background and new characters, are descriptions of life's crossroads. The characters also no longer bump into each other as much as before (except in certain delightful chapters); afer all, they _are_ learning to leave the nest and fly to where life is calling. "Good Wives" is also a novel filled with goodbyes.

Book Description

Reconnect with Louisa May Alcott's beloved March sisters of Little Women, as they continue their story in Good Wives.

Customer Reviews:

Do you agrree?.......2006-11-22

In Good Wives, Meg is married to a poor man. she is just trying to get used to married life, especially since she has children later. Amy has grown to be quite like her older sister(Meg), and is off in Europe. since Beth had scarlett fever she seems to become weaker, and in a daze every day. Laurie becomes too fond of Jo, so she goes to New York. Both Jo, and Amy get married later, and have children. the book was written wonderfully, and descriptively. It took on a better understanding of what both, life, and marriage should be based on all different perspectives. It touched my heart deeply. It's a great book, but you should read the first part of Little Women first

Little Women- Part Two.......2006-02-24

Just to be clear, Little Women was originally published in two parts: Little Women, and Good Wives. They've since been sold mostly in one volume. If you remember the death of Beth, Jo's experiences in New York, and Meg as a married woman, you have already read this. I enjoyed reading them as separate volumes (it allows me to pretend that Beth lives and Jo ends up with Laurie), but this isn't how this book is usually sold. But, contrary to what some another review has said, this isn't some gimmicky attempt by publishers to rip off readers, this is how the book was originally sold.

Both halves of this story are lovely, definitely worth reading.

Deceptive advertising on the book description - this is just a REPEAT!.......2005-08-29

The book jacket says "continue their story" but this book is just the second part of the original "Little Women" book excerpted out. It adds nothing new. It ends at exactly the same place in the story. The chapters titles are the same as "Little Women." I bought it because I thought it was a sequel. I feel completely ripped off. I don't understand how the previous reviewers missed this essential point!!!!

Little women become "Good Wives".......2004-12-25

this was a good book.......2004-10-26

I liked this book a lot although i found amy's letters to be a bit boring. All throughout the book, i found myself wanting Jo and Laurie to end up together. Whether they do or not, you have to read the story. And Meg is finding her married life a lot different then she imagined. Its not all a bed of roses. Read the book. Its a good ending to little women.

The Mormon Prophet and His Harem or An Authentic History of Brigham Young His Numerous Wives and Children

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History

The Mormon Prophet and His Harem or An Authentic History of Brigham Young His Numerous Wives and Children
Mrs. C. V. Waite
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1417968214

Book Description

1868. From the Preface: No apology is offered for presenting to the public the only authentic account of Brigham Young, of his polygamous family, and of that complicated and incongruous system of social and political machinery, called Mormonism. The chief interest of the work, however, with a large class of readers, will doubtless consist in the information it contains, relative to the family and social relations of the celebrated Mormon leader. These, and all other facts contained in this volume, may be relied upon as true, and many of them are now published for the first time. The subject of polygamy is treated thoroughly, and as dispassionately as the writer's utter abhorrence of the system will permit. A residence of two years in the midst of this state of society, could not fail to afford me a tolerably good view of its inside workings, and this view I have presented to my readers. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Customer Reviews:

History.......2005-09-06

An excellent early history of Utah and the state of Mormonism in the 1860s.

Average customer rating:

A GOOD READ
Fun!!
Definitely for Man-Haters
Pretty decent
Disappointing

Young Wives
Olivia Goldsmith
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0061097667

Book Description

Meet The Young Wives --

Angela, Michelle, and Jada, thirty-something women who appear to have lives as delicious as dessert...

A typical New Yorker, half-Jewish, half-Italian, Angela is a lawyer married to Reid, a handsome old-money WASP. Michelle adores her childhood sweetheart husband, Frank, and the dreamhouse he's provided for her and their two beautiful children. Jada is an African-American working mom trying to maintain a happy home despite her husband Clinton's failing business.

But then, like a bad soufflé, the lives of Angela, Michelle, and Jada collapse as they each discover the truth about their dirty, rotten mates. Uniting for solace and support, they draw on one another's friendship to heal their wounds. Bowed but not beaten, though, this smart, audacious trio will concoct a brilliant recipe to take back what's theirs and serve justice on their duplicitous men -- and transform them from victims to victors!

Customer Reviews:

A GOOD READ.......2007-05-13

I read this book from start to finish. It is a story about 3 women who are married to immature, unstable husbands. I rated this 4 stars instead of 5 because it was a good book not great and it could have been a little shorter. Some parts were a little boring but I like this lady's style of writing and this is the first book that I read by her and I liked the story.

Fun!!.......2005-05-26

This book was fun and funny. Especially the revenge scenario involving Angie's husband. Who cares if some of the situations seem implausable in real life...Its all meant for good fun. (I don't think Olivia wants you to sit there and think "we'll that wouldn't happen in real life.") I don't think anyone should read this book who is easily offended (like some of the reviewers) by illegal or promiscuous activities. (Oh no!) The husbands of these women were such jerks they deserved everything coming to them. (I think they still got off a little too easy.)

It's very entertaining and certainly worth the time.

Definitely for Man-Haters.......2004-10-18

Three young women discover something about their husbands they should have known all along: they are rotten. Young Wives is about Jada, Michelle, and Angie and the bond that grows between them. All three of their husbands do absolutely awful things to them, much worse than cheating and lying. The three women work together and seek revenge on the men. Young Wives, by Olivia Goldsmith, is definitely worth reading because it is suspenseful and leaves you always wanting more. An exciting event literally happens every three pages; it is unbelievable. There is not one dull sentence in this fascinating novel. Girls would probably like this novel more, just because it talks about horrible things than men do. Young Wives is witty and funny, a good read for all women.

Pretty decent.......2004-06-01

I didn't realize that the author of this book was the same woman who wrote First Wives Club until just now! I am sitting here reading an article on her death. I saw the name on this book, but it just didn't click.

This was a pretty good novel. Story was really good. I wanted each of the women to succeed. Funny at times. Sad at times. But an overall good story. It's been a while since I read this book, but I don't recall putting it down!! You won't be disappointed.

Disappointing.......2004-03-10

I wasn't expecting Shakespeare when I picked up this book. It looked like lighthearted fun, and so I gave it a go.

To begin with, I found the women's troubles just dragged out and dragged out until I'd had enough of them. Jada's storyline was the worst for it. What I can't understand is how everyone Jada has to deal with is bigoted, impatient, unkind and prejudiced, yet her husband manages to be surrounded by decent, caring, helpful people and in many cases, they're the same people! We're supposed to believe that everyone falls for the sob story of the lazy worthless husband? I don't buy that.

I started skipping pages in the middle because I was quite sick of it all, and so I read the endings, and I was disappointed there too. Instead of achieving a real victory over their slimeball husbands, the women get even in a seriously illegal way, and I don't see how they could possible get away with it. It was all very implausible and an insult to the reader's intelligence.

It was a shame the author didn't put more fun and less drama into this book. It would have been more enjoyable to see the wives get their revenge in creative ways that didn't see them breaking the law and becoming wanted criminals. There was a lot of potential, and the friendship was enjoyable to read about, but there were too many flaws. The next time I want a lighthearted read, I'm going back to Jackie Collins.

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Sexual knowledge: The knowledge of self and sex in simple language for the instruction of young people, young wives and young husbands, fathers and mothers, ... to impart sexual knowledge to boys and girls
Winfield Scott Hall
Manufacturer: J.C. Winston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008AO49U

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Excellent biography for young readers

The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Gladys Malvern
Manufacturer: Vanguard Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Teens | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Health, Mind & Body | History & Historical Fiction | Horror | Literature & Fiction | Manga | Mysteries | Reference | Religion & Spirituality | School & Sports | Science & Technology | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Series | Social Issues
ASIN: 0814906656

Customer Reviews:

Excellent biography for young readers.......2000-05-11

This brief but thorough biography of Henry VIII's six wives is simply and effectively written. I first read it as a junior high student, and it has stayed in my mind as an eminently readable, but historically sound analysis of those unfortunate women.

The author, Gladys Malvern, was one of the most prolific writers for young readers in the middle of the 20th century, and wrote a wide range of biographies and historical novels, from Queen Esther in the Old Testament to the lives of actors in the 18th and 19th centuries. Her historical novels, in particular, were mainstays of my childhood, and I would dearly love to see some of them come back into print for my children as well.

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Loved it. A sympathetic, scholarly chronicle of ER from her childhood on

Remembering Eleanor Roosevelt is important for right "now!"

Could not put this book down

How did this ever become a national bestseller?

Miserably bad

Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1933
Blanche Wiesen Cook
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

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Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Roosevelt, Eleanor | ( R ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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Eleanor Roosevelt. Volume Two: 1933-1938

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ASIN: 0613181018

Book Description

Celebrated by feminists, historians, politicians, and reviewers everywhere, Blanche Wiesen Cook's Eleanor Roosevelt presents an unprecedented portrait of the towering female figure of the twentieth century. The second volume plunges into the White House years and the Great Depression, the time when Eleanor exerted enormous influence over the course of the country. In the thirties, Eleanor becomes even more surprising and multifaceted. A loyal wife, a devoted mother, a woman who courted romance and adventure, Eleanor Roosevelt was America's most compelling, charismatic, and visionary First Lady. She ran a virtual parallel administration that championed civil rights, affordable housing, and a New Deal for women. She took unpopular stands and often countered her husband's policies, particularly concerning racial justice, women's rights, the plight of refugees, and approaches to Fascism and the Spanish Civil War. The book closes in 1938, as Europe moves toward war. This is an unparalleled presentation of a woman whose life was filled with passionate commitment and who struggled for personal fulfillment. It is a book for all readers of American history and politics, and as the New Deal comes under assault today, a book for readers who care about a decent future for all people.

Customer Reviews:

Loved it. A sympathetic, scholarly chronicle of ER from her childhood on.......2007-09-03

Readers disappointed with the lack of analysis in this book are looking for another animal -- a more supple, lovelier, livlier, or more analytic one. This is a narrative mammoth, wherein Cook revives ER through dense documentary detail. I especially enjoyed the detail about her upbringing, her families, and influential relatives. With all of the details woven into this chronicle, it'd just get convoluted to add more flourish, conjecture, and analysis. I would not like to see details cut for the sake of these.

The notable exception is Cook's willingness to speculate about the amorous nature of ER's friendships. Even here, she cites documentation, and chronicles what has been destroyed, gone missing, and where interview questions were refused. Cook is forthright about her motivation to venture out further here in order to counter popular conjecture about ER as sexually frigid.

Cook has provided groundwork for any number of less academic biographies.
I too would love to see other kinds of biographies of ER, other than narrative: a philosophic biography analyzing the significance of her actions in her time; a descriptive biography of her character or biopic film.

For a lovelier portrait of her perspective and character, read her own works or The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt. For broader context and significance, there really isn't enough, but try Kearns-Goodwin.

For details, chronology, and narrative, read both volumes of this. I'd love to see a biopic made out of it.

Remembering Eleanor Roosevelt is important for right "now!".......2007-04-10

I have not finished the book yet but I am loving it and I picked it up at Hyde Park where I visited the homes and the final resting place of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and their two dogs. I carry the book around to encourage me to continue to speak up for the people of New York and I wrote yet another letter after getting inspired by Eleanor's courage and my newest letter was published and for me -- this letter is in honor of Eleanor! I love the image in the beginning of the book that starts with the 5th Avenue bus and it is symbolic for me (visually and as a metaphor for one's nature) but you read it and see why! Blanche Wiesen Cook praises her and also admits some political decisions, etc. made her cringe and that is true but she and the majority of us admire her for her courage and dynamism. Visiting her home one could see her photos of world leaders and people from diverse walks of life that Eleanor clearly appreciate...another words she refused to live a life of elitism. For me to know she visited the lower East Side and witnessed and brought awareness to the poverty and terrible working conditions of young children inspire me to keep speaking up although there will always be people who would prefer anyone who makes waves to be quiet and apathetic. Now is the time to open this book and read especially if you live in New York City and I also urge you to visit her home in Hyde Park!The book is not as dynamically written as Jean Strouse's Morgan and I can't find out how to lower the star rating but it is a good book and the more people read about Eleanor's life the better especially now in NYC's economic tsunami crushing communities and displacement including the lower East Side that was key in Eleanor's life and raising her husband's awareness of poverty and exploitation of children workers right here. So this book is worth reading especially now when I see mega rich literally pushing out long term community members and I work to support their rights to remain in their homes.

Could not put this book down.......2006-11-04

I found both volumes of Ms. Cook's books fascinating. I could not wait to return to them. I learned a lot about Eleanor and the time in which she lived. I will buy copies of both for all my children and suggest that my grands read them as well.

How did this ever become a national bestseller?.......2006-06-21

This nonsensical bio is written entirely from a blind feminist perspective. The research is suspect. The prose amateurish. The details gossipy and contrived. If Eleanor Roosevelt was truly a woman of thought and progressivism, then Cook has done her an unforgivable disservice. If you're looking to understand Roosevelt's honest-to-goodness place in history, you will not find it is this intellectually offensive work.

Miserably bad.......2005-10-29

Eleanor Roosevelt is truly a fascinating character, but this book is absolutely painful to read. Cook makes references to topics before addressing them, makes characters difficult to follow, and generally botches what could be a great subject. Look elsewhere for Eleanor Roosevelt!

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Nothing every-day about this Victorian chronicle
Impressive craftmanship
Her Gifts Lay More in the Direction of Social Realism
You will love Molly Gibson and hate Mrs Kirkpatrick
Anguish!

Wives and Daughters (World's Classics)
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell , and Angus Easson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0192817027

Book Description

Miss Eyre listened in silence, perplexed but determined to be obedient to the directions of the doctor, whose kindness she and her family had good cause to know. She made strong tea; she helped the young men liberally in Mr Gibson's absence, as well as in his presence, and she found the way to unloosen their tongues, whenever their master was away, by talking to them on trivial subjects in her pleasant homely way.

Download Description

To begin with the old rigmarole of childhood. In a country there was a shire, and in that shire there was a town, and in that town there was a house, and in that house there was a room, and in that room there was a bed, and in that bed there lay a little girl; wide awake and longing to get up, but not daring to do so for fear of the unseen power in the next room - a certain Betty, whose slumbers must not be disturbed until six o'clock struck, when she wakened of herself 'as sure as clockwork', and left the household very little peace afterwards.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing every-day about this Victorian chronicle.......2007-10-01

With its fairy-tale beginning ("In a country there was a shire, and in that shire there was a town, and in that town there was a house . . ."), the subtitle of Wives and Daughters is gently ironic. While the basic plot is standard--boy and girl meet and overcome many obstacles, including themselves--Gaskell's tale is as much about the rapidly changing Victorian world as about Molly Gibson and her provincial village of Hollingford.

Set before the 1832 Reform Bill, Wives and Daughters consciously brings together England's aristocratic past, represented by Squire Hamley and the upstart earl and countess of Cumnor Towers, and the future, represented by Molly Gibson and Squire Hamley's sons, especially Roger. The elder son, Osborne, puts his own interests and more modern sensibilities above those of his father, while Roger envisions a future of science, exploration, and expansionism. To Mrs. Gibson, who marries to avoid having to work and dependence on the aristocracy, Osborne offers her daughter an entrée into at least the landed gentry, whereas Roger is merely a second son demeaning himself by dabbling in the sciences. Although renowned in London for his travels and discoveries, Roger becomes worthy of her notice only when he is taken into the inner circle of Lord Hollingford and the Towers as a result of his personal achievements.

While the visible action takes place within the small circle of Hollingford, Cumnor Towers, and Hamley Hall, Gaskell encompasses the widening world of rural England. Cynthia attends school in France while the Hamleys are off to Cambridge. The Hamley home is filled with relics from India, while Lady Harriet advises the Miss Brownings on how to obtain the best-priced Indian tea. Cynthia returns from her jaunts to London fashionably dressed and with hints of admirers, while Roger comes back from Africa browned, bearded, and mature in aspect and mien. Even villagers like Miss Hornblower feel the pull of the larger world and the new technology. As Mr. Gibson tells Molly, " . . . if these newfangled railways spread, as they say they will, we shall all be spinning about the world; 'sitting on tea-kettles,' as Phoebe Browning calls it."

The spheres of the sexes are vastly different. Clare Kirkpatrick thinks "how pleasant it would be to have a husband once more; some one who would work while she sat at her elegant ease in a prettily-furnished drawing-room." Even as Mr. Gibson thwarts the advances of Molly's first suitor, he tries to keep his "little goosey" unprepared for anything but life under the protection of a man, either father or husband. He advises her governess, "Don't teach Molly too much: she must sew, and read, and write, and do her sums; but I want to keep her a child, and if I find more learning desirable for her, I'll see about giving it to her myself." As men of science, he and Roger believe themselves to be dispassionate and rational, yet Molly senses their obvious mistakes before they do and that they are more deeply affected than they appear to be. Gaskell's characters, however, do not follow stereotypes. Lord Cumnor, a garrulous gossip, and Squire Hamley, an openly emotional man, are "womanly" in their ways, while Lady Cumnor and her daughter, Lady Harriet, are models of independence and detachment. Rather than assert her own independence and risk upsetting her excitable, patriarchal husband, Mrs. Hamley wastes away, ironically depriving her husband of her management of his emotions and their expression.

Molly is raised to suppress her feelings. As Mrs. Gibson's values clash with those of Mr. Gibson and Molly, he is able to ride off and immerse himself in his work, while Molly can only swallow her emotions or, as a last resort, hide them in solitude. There is hope, however, that Molly can avoid the life for which Mr. Gibson is preparing her, that of an obedient wife. Her life as companion to Mrs. Hamley shows her impressionable mind the folly of pride and the lasting harm it causes as it separates Mr. Hamley and his elder son. Her natural curiosity and intelligence, consciously discouraged by Mr. Gibson, are encouraged by Roger Hamley, who bridges the ancient Hamley past and the future of science and discovery. This future will be built on achievements, not family name, which makes young Osborne's parentage significant only to traditionalists like the squire and Mrs. Gibson. Their vision of the possibilities never extends beyond their own desires and concerns.

In Wives and Daughters, Gaskell addresses myriad issues important to her and her contemporaries--medicine, science, marriage, the family, gender roles, monetary wealth and land wealth, rural mores, the perception of English heritage and strength and French decadence, exploration, and change. Her characters are so richly drawn that the reader begins to anticipate Mrs. Gibson's "infinite nothings" and Mr. Gibson's searing irony. Gaskell imbues some of them with an enticing air of unsolved mystery. What are Mr. Gibson's origins? Who was Jeanie, his first love, and why did he not marry her? How does that and his other early relationships influence his behavior toward Molly? Why, at age 28, does Lady Harriet refuse a good match and seemingly scorn romance? Gaskell does not judge her characters--even Mrs. Gibson has redeeming qualities--nor does she reveal all their secrets. Wives and Daughters is an enlightening, captivating, and, despite its unfinished state, satisfying look at Victorian life and society, the influence of which is still felt.

Impressive craftmanship.......2007-02-18

I wasn't that excited about reading "Wives and Daughters", since I'd just finished "North and South" by Mrs. Gaskell, and found it rather tedious. I was pleasantly surprised.

Gaskell did a fabulous job drawing the characters in this book. Cynthia is one of the most skillfully crafted characters I have ever encountered. She's shallow and selfish, but also very kind and lovable -- and it's completely believable. All the others are very easy to accept as "real people" - something I don't encounter very often in victorian literature.

It's a love story that becomes predictable early on, but the complexities along the way are fascinating. Molly finds herself in the middle of every scandal, although she has nothing to do with any of it. Her stepmother, who throws off phony aristocratic airs at every turn, is actually a very funny character rather than a villain. Though Molly has had to face many hurtful challenges, she never acts victimized. Though she struggles with the choices she has to make, she never loses her strength.

It's sad that Gaskell didn't live to finish this book, but it's pretty much wrapped-up where she left off, so not much is lacking. Don't let that stop you from reading this book.

Her Gifts Lay More in the Direction of Social Realism.......2006-11-08

"Wives and Daughters" is a novel of provincial life, set in the small town of Hollingford. Some commentators have identified this with Mrs Gaskell's own home town, Knutsford in Cheshire, but references to the Malvern Hills and to its proximity to Birmingham suggest that it is located further south, probably in Worcestershire. The action takes place several decades before it was written in 1864-65, although the exact time-frame is difficult to determine exactly. Some topical references, such as to Catholic emancipation which took place in 1829, suggest that the book is set in the late 1820s and early 1830s, but other factors suggest a somewhat later date. (The barrister Mr Kirkpatrick is referred to as a Q.C., not a K.C. as he would have been before the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837).

The main character is Molly Gibson, the daughter of the local doctor. Molly is befriended by Mr Hamley, the local squire, and his wife, who see her almost as a substitute daughter (their own daughter having died in childhood). Molly falls deeply in love with Roger, the Hamleys' academically brilliant younger son, but he sees her only as a friend, being infatuated with Molly's stepsister Cynthia. (Dr Gibson is a widower who has remarried a widow with a daughter around the same age as Molly). Roger is a scientific explorer who travels to Africa in search of new species of animals and plants; his character may have been inspired by the exploits of the likes of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace. ("The Origin of Species" had been published only a few years earlier).

The book is clearly influenced by the work of Jane Austen (at times it reads like a pastiche), not only in its subject-matter but also in the way in which Mrs Gaskell tries to draw ironical, satirical pen-portraits of her characters. Cynthia, for example, is beautiful but shallow and fickle, and her mother, Hyacinth Kirkpatrick Gibson, is hypocritical, manipulative, conceited and snobbish. Dr Gibson is generally portrayed as a sensible, level-headed man, so it is not easy to understand why he should have taken such an obnoxious woman as his second wife.

The Austen novel with which "Wives and Daughters" has the greatest affinities is "Mansfield Park". In both books the central male character (Roger/Edmund) is the younger son of an upper-class family, overshadowed by a flashier elder brother (Osborne/Tom), but steady, reliable and decent. In both books he is loved patiently and in secret by a quiet, demure girl (Molly/Fanny) but becomes infatuated with another woman, beautiful but flighty and superficial (Cynthia/Mary). In both cases the patient girl's devotion is rewarded with marriage to the man she loves; Mrs Gaskell died before she could write the final chapters of "Wives and Daughters", leaving it unfinished, but there can be little doubt that this is the ending that she intended. Mrs Gaskell left what may have been a deliberate hint that Austen's book was her inspiration; the Hamleys refer to Molly as "another Fanny", that being the name of their deceased daughter.

I have some sympathy with those readers who preferred Cynthia, who for all her obvious character flaws is at least a rounded human being, to the idealised but insipid Molly. (But then, I am one of those who hoped that "Mansfield Park" would end with Edmund marrying Mary rather than Fanny, surely Austen's dullest heroine). Mrs Gaskell seemed to try so hard to make Molly good that she forgot to make her interesting.

Some of the most interesting scenes in the book were those involving Roger's older brother Osborne and his clandestine marriage to a French nursery maid. Osborne needs to keep this marriage a secret because his autocratic father, who has set his heart on a brilliant, financially advantageous match for his son and heir, would not welcome a daughter-in-law who was foreign, a Catholic and a former servant. I felt, however, that this potentially interesting theme was wasted by being relegated to a sub-plot, and wished that Mrs Gaskell had paid more attention to Osborne and Aimee and less to the Roger/Molly/Cynthia triangle.

At well over 600 pages this is a long book, much longer than any of Austen's, being a product of the system of publishing by weekly or monthly instalments, a system which had the effect of inflating by a considerable amount the average length of a novel during this period. Dickens also used this method of publishing, but although he was occasionally guilty of padding his books he was generally able to turn the system to his advantage by producing plots of ingenious complexity and finishing each episode at a dramatic point in the narrative. The plot of "Wives and Daughters", however, is too slender to support such a weighty book, and at times I found it frustrating as the action was slowed down to a standstill by yet another lengthy and discursive conversation a propos (to use a typically Gaskellian phrase) of nothing. (The book was successfully adapted as a TV series a few years ago, possibly because the dramatist was able to keep the basic plot but to prune out the duller passages) There were characters whose appearances I learned to dread, particularly the Misses Browning, a tedious pair of garrulous spinster sisters. Even the satire at the expense of Hyacinth, amusing at first, gradually became repetitive; Mrs Gaskell seems to have lacked Austen's gift for playful irony.

Elizabeth Gaskell is often regarded today as a novelist of the early Victorian industrial North, writing social-realist novels which tackled the problems of poverty, unemployment and labour relations ("Mary Barton", "North and South") and unmarried motherhood ("Ruth"). In "Wives and Daughters" she tried to move into Austen's territory, love and marriage among the provincial upper and upper-middle classes, but my view is that her gifts lay much more in the direction of social realism.

You will love Molly Gibson and hate Mrs Kirkpatrick.......2006-10-26

"Wives and Daughters" by Elizabeth Gaskell was written for serialisation in the Cornhill Times between 1864 and 1865. However Gaskell died suddenly shortly before finishing the book. The ending had already been planned and the book is satisfyingly complete as it stands.

"Wives and Daughters" is Gaskell's best book in my opinion and it shows her talent at its peak.

The language and descriptions are not as convoluted or drawn-out as in her other books. In fact the language is quite modern compared with the flowery style of the era.

The narrative itself is gripping, especially towards the end of the book when events reach their climax. There are exciting twists and turns in the plot, almost like a modern thriller. This is where Gaskell shines - she is a very skilful constructor of intricate story plots. It is difficult to put the book down as we near the end of the story.

Gaskell is brilliant in evoking mental images in the reader. We are drawn into the story in our imagination and construct our own imagery of the characters and settings. This, of course, is why books will always be with us and will never be supplanted by TV. Some of her descriptions of the English countryside, with its plants, crops and seasons are quite beautiful and show a very observant eye.

Another area in which Gaskell shines is her vivid depiction of characters, even though they might be standard "types" to readers of her day. Mrs Kirkpatrick is especially interesting, although she will intensely irritate many readers. She is superficial, self-centred, manipulative, selfish and fawns over the local aristocracy - in fact, just like many young women of today! While these traits might be expected, although unattractive, in a silly teenager, they are distasteful in a middle-aged widow such as Mrs Kirkpatrick. Readers will love to hate her!

But every reader will love Molly and side with her in her jousts with Mrs Kirkpatrick. Molly is probably the most likeable of all the characters in Gaskell's books. She is more realistic and less of an exaggerated "type" than many of the others.

"Wives and Daughters", like all Gaskell's books, is an enjoyable read and the plot moves on apace. Perhaps this is due to the requirements of serialisation - short, self-contained episodes that leave the reader keenly awaiting the next episode. Dickens' books are successful for much the same reason, as are modern TV soapies.

The book also gives a valuable insight into attitudes and ways of life in the early 19th century. This will interest readers who love history. Fiction such as this can illuminate social history.

If you want to explore Elizabeth Gaskell's books, start with "Wives and Daughters" and then move onto the earlier books.

Anguish!.......2006-09-12

I began Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell in late July, and have only just finished it - yesterday, as a matter of fact. I had already seen the movie about a year ago, but I really wanted to read the book. It started out much like the movie, only the events and happenings were much more drawn-out. Let's face it, the book was dull. Way too many unnecessary conversations and long descriptions.

Nevertheless, I was determined to finish it. I wanted to be able to say I'd read all 648 pages of Wives and Daughters. So I did. By the time I began the last chapter I was anticipating the end and the lovely scene I knew was going to happen (after all, that was the way the movie ended). I turned the page, right in the middle of another long-winded "tete-a-tete" (as Mrs. Gaskell so often likes to term it) between Mrs. Gibson and Molly, when BOOM. It ended. My mind was reeling. Wh-wh-what??

I immediately went on to read the note from the editor, who coined it thus:

"Here the story is broken off, and it can never be finished. What promised to be the crowning work of a life is a memorial of death. A few days longer, and it would have been a triumphal column, crowned with a capital of festal leaves and flowers: now it is another sort of column - one of those sad white pillars which stand broken in the churchyard."

She died?! In my anguish I could not help but wonder how, if only the author had not wasted so much time on those never-ending, tedious passages, perhaps - just perhaps - she would've actually finished it?

I threw down the book in disgust (quite literally, I'm afraid) while muttering, "Stupid, stupid book!"

So now I must go and watch the movie - at least it has an ending! Sadly this is one case where the movie is much more worthwhile than the book.

Young Wives' Tales: New Adventures in Love and Partnership

Average customer rating:

Messiness about Relationships
Personal, Honest, & Inspirational
Witty, Charming & Honest
Just When You Thought it Was Safe...
Smarmy Weather

Young Wives' Tales: New Adventures in Love and Partnership

Manufacturer: Seal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Interpersonal Relations | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Love & Romance | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Marriage | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Family Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1580050506

Book Description

The term “wife” is fraught with conflicting connotations for many young women today. Although the word suggests companionship and commitment, it’s weighted with the knowledge that marriage is a male-dominated institution in which women have been subservient for centuries. In this provocative collection of essays, writers in their twenties and thirties discuss how they’re navigating the waters of sanctified long-term relationships. Juhu Thukral speaks of marrying to please her traditional Indian parents; Rachel Fudge wonders whether alternative ceremonies can lead to greater equality in marriage; Kate Epstein tries to balance motherhood with a career; Kristy Harcourt, a lesbian, discusses her ambivalence about marriage ceremonies; and Leslie Miller struggles with being identified as half of a couple.

Customer Reviews:

Messiness about Relationships.......2007-01-30

I read this book when it was first published and really enjoyed it overall. The essays were heartfelt and dealt with some of the common feelings of angst about relationships and negotiations. No one ever talks about how difficult relationships can really be and in this book the discussion starts.

I'm a bit surprised that the book has elicited such negative reviews. I think it's worth reading and I personally love Seal Press books. They aren't necessarily academic, but are certainly provocative.

Personal, Honest, & Inspirational.......2006-05-01

I can't believe the negative reviews I've just found regarding this title... and some of them written by so-called feminists themselves. How can someone be offended by a book or the stories of others' lives? Only if they choose to fear words or the expression of others' thoughts and ways of life.

Love and partnership: the very subject matter is quite personal and so, the anthology is a collection of intimate tales very openly shared showing the trials, tribulations, challenges, and discoveries of a variety of women. For the first time in reading these accounts, I've realized there are others like me...those of us who don't view relationships, sex, and love as conventional, traditional, or confined but as very unique and individual circumstances and arrangements fitting the uniqueness of the individuals involved themselves. The stories will open your mind, introduce new ways of thought, and support the idea that we are all connected, as humans and women, no matter how different we may be. The stories are inspiring, making you feel included rather than excluded, and give you the motivation to continue to seek the partnerships best suited to your own needs and wants.

It's a joy to read, full of surprises, and exactly what you'd expect from such a title. It serves to confirm the definition and benefit of true and inclusive feminism, allowing room for all of us whether we go the marriage route or not.

Witty, Charming & Honest.......2004-04-02

I found this book to be witty, charming and honest. It offers examples of how heterosexual relationships are challenged and penalized by gender hegemonhy and the social narrative of heteronormativity. Moreover, it's far from a dry or verbose scholarly text. It is clever and fun to read.

Just When You Thought it Was Safe..........2002-08-17

Just when you thought it was safe to venture into the psychology section of your local bookstore, this anthology of stupefying nonsense appears. Demonstrating the most intellectually flaccid tendencies of third-wave feminism, _Young Wives' Tales_ is a psychobabblish collection of anecdotes in which various women tell readers how they found love. The prerequisite for submitting to the editors of this volume must have been poor writing skills; all of the included authors are foggy sentence machines. Worse, all demonstrate what Adrienne Rich calls the middle-class fantasy that one can resolve the political and historical dilemmas of marriage in purely personal ways. Hence the series of embarassing, improvised "commitment ceremonies" documented in the volume -- all of which seem designed to provide thier participants with fodder for the next therapy session.

Smarmy Weather.......2002-05-29

Heavy on self-expression and light on analysis, this book is like an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show: it's earnest, it means to improve people,and it's peppered with new age terminology. In brief stylistically undistringuished first-person essays, a series of female authors discuss their erotic parnterships. Most are married. Some aren't. All consider their amorous narratives to be somehow awesome. Readers are regaled with embarassingly personal and sentimental accounts: one woman's struggle to have an orgasm, another's tacky Las Vegas wedding, yet another's goddess ceremony in which she and her partner worshipped corn (that's right). It's not clear why we should care about any of this; because the writers have no finesse, they appear to be a group friends selected by the editors at random, so the collection has the feeling of an all-girls slumber party -- a buncha spoiled upper-middle-class chicks sittin' around rapping. And there's a deeper problem. Virtually each smarmy essay presents marriage as the path to self-improvement (in the words of one author,getting married has made her kinder toward herself). This reactionary sentiment is hard enough to take when it comes from the columns of women's magazines, but packaged as a feminist manifesto, it's truly offensive.

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