Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women

admin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:25:00 +0000

If the front book cover of Jacqueline Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Nancy Reagan in silver one-pieces doing the cancan is the craziest thing you have ever seen, wait until you open the book. In Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women, Autumn Stephens reveals stories about the United States First Ladies that you never learned in history class. Besides the information on the First Ladies, Stephens also talks about some of the infamous White House women who spiced up the United States' history.

Stephens provides an in-depth look at all the women who have lived in the White House, and some of the mischief that ensued. Did you know that Dolly Madison, who famously saved the portrait of George Washington when the British army burned the White House during the War of 1812, also saved a portrait of herself? And that Alice Longworth, Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, used to have a pet snake and raise hell in Washington, D.C.?

This is one of those books that you cannot put down until you are finished reading. Starting with Martha Washington and ending with Michelle Obama, Stephens covers every fact about these amazing women. Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women is definitely a feminist book. Stephens points out the feminist tendencies in some of these women, as well as advancements they made for other women. Even though President Obama was only in office for a few months when this book came out, Stephens included a rave review of Michelle Obama.

Of all of the profiles, Eleanor Roosevelt's stood out the most for me. I have always been a fan of hers, but this book pointed out even more what a strong woman she was. Feisty First Ladies and Other Unforgettable White House Women is a book that I have lent to the strong women in my family, and they love it just as much as I do.

Written by: Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch, October 24th 2009

Roar Softly and Carry a Great Lipstick: 28 Women Writers on Life, Sex and Survival

admin — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 14:30:00 +0000

By Autumn Stephens

Inner Ocean Press

Roar Softly and Carry a Great Lipstick is what you get when you ask twenty-eight opinionated women to share their personal stories; there’s not a wishy-washy essay in the bunch. Overcoming life’s hurdles is a major theme in this collection of personal essays, and two particular standouts are: Peggy Hong’s sensitive portrayal of the final days of her mother’s life, and Meredith Maran’s “the road not taken” reflection on choosing a walking-over-fire Bohemian life, instead of settling for a less politically-active and more financially prosperous existence.

Hong’s spiritually-vibrant “Walking the Labyrinth with Mother in Memoriam” is a heartfelt meditation on family rituals, and must-read lesson on how to depart from this life with grace and dignity, while Maran’s “To Be (Too) Real: The Unexpected Consequences of Living an Authentic Life” intelligently examines the long-term consequences of her economic and political choices. With a touch of humor, and a grown-up and age-ripened perspective, Maran drives home the point that it is one’s attitude and not the color of the proverbial grass itself that determines if one covets the grass on the other side of the fence or gives thanks for the grass beneath one’s feet.

As much as I loved most of the stories, there were a few that provoked my ire. My inner flower child cringed when Anne Bart destroyed a patch of rhododendrons for the sake of commerce, and I was irked when Ayun Halliday snidely referred to the “gorgeous and privileged” celebrities featured on women’s magazine covers as “cover-creatures.” Creatures? Don’t hate them because they are beautiful, Ayun. In spite of Halliday’s grumpy dismissal of magazines featuring people, places, and things that are fashionable and frivolous, I hold fast to the notion that Time magazine and Marie Claire both hold a legitimate place in the magazine universe.

The twenty-eight writers in Roar Softly roar loud and clear. Their stories will provoke, amuse, and inspire reflection on similar issues in your own life.

Written by: Rachelle Nones, February 4th 2007