STRAPLESS : JOHN SINGER SARGENT AND THE FALL OF MADAME X
by Deborah Davis
During the 1880s, Parisian society could not get enough of Virginie Amelie Gautreau. She was considered to be quite beautiful and flaunted it every way that she could. Amelie (who always went by her middle name) was a Creole from New Orleans. Her skin was alabaster white but she had a secret in keeping it that way. Amelie was quite the narcissist and desired fame. What better way to showcase her beauty than to have an artist paint her and be exhibited. John Singer Sargent (also an American) was a portraitist and he was chosen to do just that at the 1884 Paris Salon. The painting would forever be known as Madame X even to this day. It caused quite a sensation and not in a good way. In the portrait, Amelie was wearing a black gown with two jeweled straps and her face was in profile. One of the straps had fallen down below her shoulder. People were shocked. It was considered such a scandal.So instead of catapulting the two of them to stardom, Amelie was humiliated and hid herself from the public and Sargent escaped to England.
Strapless is a terrific story and impossible to put down. Deborah Davis is a wonderful author (this is the second book of hers that I have read; the first one is Guest of Honor and is reviewed in this blog) and really knows how to flesh out all of the characters involved and bring them together, seamlessly.
Several of John Singer Sargent's works (in color) are in the middle of the book. What is interesting when you see these paintings of Amelie is that her face was ordinary and not particularly attractive. Even though she had a voluptuous figure, her visage was not exceptional. Unfortunately for her, Amelie inherited her father's long nose which was quite prominent and his red hair.
You get two biographies within one book. Sargent's life was absolutely fascinating (he lived all over the world) and Amelie's background is equally intriguing.
If you're interested in art and learning about Sargent's brilliance, this is one fabulous read.
Very highly recommended.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
MRS. GOODFELLOW : THE STORY OF AMERICA'S FIRST COOKING SCHOOL
by Becky Diamond
During the nineteenth century, Philadelphia was a thriving city. There were many businesses run by women.
Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow was a pastry chef who had her own bakery and confectionery shop. It was very popular and catered to the wealthy. She also taught cooking to young ladies in the basement of her shop. Not much is really known about Mrs. Goodfellow except that she was married three times (they all died) but she kept the name of her last husband. She did not leave any journal nor were her recipes published. One student of hers, though, Eliza Leslie, kept copious notes of everything that she was taught and years later several cookbooks were published from what Eliza had learned.
There's plenty of neat history on Philadelphia in the book along with drawings and pictures. Following the Epilogue, are the actual recipes that were used in Mrs. Goodfellow's Cooking School. If you have a sweet tooth and are so inclined, you can try them out.
Anyone who is interested in early American cooking will definitely want to read this book.
Recommended.
by Becky Diamond
During the nineteenth century, Philadelphia was a thriving city. There were many businesses run by women.
Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow was a pastry chef who had her own bakery and confectionery shop. It was very popular and catered to the wealthy. She also taught cooking to young ladies in the basement of her shop. Not much is really known about Mrs. Goodfellow except that she was married three times (they all died) but she kept the name of her last husband. She did not leave any journal nor were her recipes published. One student of hers, though, Eliza Leslie, kept copious notes of everything that she was taught and years later several cookbooks were published from what Eliza had learned.
There's plenty of neat history on Philadelphia in the book along with drawings and pictures. Following the Epilogue, are the actual recipes that were used in Mrs. Goodfellow's Cooking School. If you have a sweet tooth and are so inclined, you can try them out.
Anyone who is interested in early American cooking will definitely want to read this book.
Recommended.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
MRS. ROBINSON'S DISGRACE : THE PRIVATE DIARY OF A VICTORIAN LADY
by Kate Summerscale
Isabella Robinson was in a loveless marriage. Her husband, Henry, was a civil engineer who was away from home quite often on business. When he was around, he was cold and distant.
Isabella began keeping a diary where she recorded her most intimate thoughts. She met and became friends with a married couple. The husband, Dr. Edward Lane, soon became an obsession. She was infatuated with him and for five years wrote down her passions, fantasies and longings. Henry discovered the diary one day when Isabella was ill and became enraged. He took her to court for adultery. The diary would be read as evidence.
It's fascinating to read about British divorce laws at that time. (In 1857, divorce had been illegal in England.) Many women were treated very unfairly and marriages were quite complex.
Kate Summerscale is quite adept in writing about the Victorian era. Her previous book The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher is just as good.
This is a great story that was considered scandalous and explosive.
Recommended.
by Kate Summerscale
Isabella Robinson was in a loveless marriage. Her husband, Henry, was a civil engineer who was away from home quite often on business. When he was around, he was cold and distant.
Isabella began keeping a diary where she recorded her most intimate thoughts. She met and became friends with a married couple. The husband, Dr. Edward Lane, soon became an obsession. She was infatuated with him and for five years wrote down her passions, fantasies and longings. Henry discovered the diary one day when Isabella was ill and became enraged. He took her to court for adultery. The diary would be read as evidence.
It's fascinating to read about British divorce laws at that time. (In 1857, divorce had been illegal in England.) Many women were treated very unfairly and marriages were quite complex.
Kate Summerscale is quite adept in writing about the Victorian era. Her previous book The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher is just as good.
This is a great story that was considered scandalous and explosive.
Recommended.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
LIKE ANY NORMAL DAY : A STORY OF DEVOTION
by Mark Kram, Jr.
Buddy Miley was an incredible athlete and excelled at whatever he played. His favorite sport was football. He was the star quarterback of his high school football team and Joe Namath was his idol. In 1973, Buddy was severely injured in a game. He broke his neck and his vertebrae was shattered. Buddy would spend the next twenty-three and a half years of his life either bedridden or in a wheelchair lovingly cared for by his mother. His younger brother, Jimmy, was extremely devoted to him and would help out in any and every way he could. The bond between them was inseparable.
The life that Buddy lived was anything but normal.
This story is gut-wrenching. It's beautiful, sad, compassionate, and powerful. The author really knows how to bring everything together: the family, sports, friends, and anybody else who was touched by the events.
It's great writing.
Recommended.
by Mark Kram, Jr.
Buddy Miley was an incredible athlete and excelled at whatever he played. His favorite sport was football. He was the star quarterback of his high school football team and Joe Namath was his idol. In 1973, Buddy was severely injured in a game. He broke his neck and his vertebrae was shattered. Buddy would spend the next twenty-three and a half years of his life either bedridden or in a wheelchair lovingly cared for by his mother. His younger brother, Jimmy, was extremely devoted to him and would help out in any and every way he could. The bond between them was inseparable.
The life that Buddy lived was anything but normal.
This story is gut-wrenching. It's beautiful, sad, compassionate, and powerful. The author really knows how to bring everything together: the family, sports, friends, and anybody else who was touched by the events.
It's great writing.
Recommended.
Monday, June 25, 2012
CROSSING THE BORDERS OF TIME : A TRUE STORY OF WAR, EXILE, AND LOVE RECLAIMED
by Leslie Maitland
On September 5, 1923, Hanna Gunzberger was born in Freiburg, Germany. Two months later, Hitler attempted to seize power. The Nazi Party marched into town that year. The Gunzbergers lived well because Sigmar (the father) had a steel and building supply business and he prospered even though other families were starting to suffer. By 1933, oppression began for the Jews with the institution of laws and many began leaving. Not the Gunzbergers. Sigmar didn't believe that he would be bothered due to his profession and so they stayed in Germany much longer than they should have. Because he waited so long, immigrating to the United States was impossible. Their sights turned to France. He had to pay a small fortune to leave and sell his business. Five years after Hitler gained control, the family left for France in 1938 by train. It was here that Hanna became Janine and would stick with this name. She would reject everything that was German to try and save herself. While living in Mulhouse Janine met the love of her life, Roland, a Catholic Frenchman. Naturally, her parents disapproved and hoped that it would end. It did four years later, in 1942, when the Gunzbergers had to escape from France due to the Nazis and took a ship to Casablanca, Cuba. Janine and Roland were separated never knowing if they would see each other again. Five years would pass and Janine married an American while living in New York. It wasn't the happiest marriage and Janine never ceased yearning for Roland.
Leslie Maitland grew up hearing about her mother's exploits in Germany and France and her first love. Maitland used to be an investigative reporter so she put her skills into play to pursue the lost Frenchman. This book is the result and it is quite amazing. You feel as if you're reading a sweeping epic. She also writes about Nazi Germany, the collaborators, Vichy France, anti-Semitism, and what Cuba was like in 1942.
It's a beautiful story and extremely hard to put down.
Very highly recommended.
by Leslie Maitland
On September 5, 1923, Hanna Gunzberger was born in Freiburg, Germany. Two months later, Hitler attempted to seize power. The Nazi Party marched into town that year. The Gunzbergers lived well because Sigmar (the father) had a steel and building supply business and he prospered even though other families were starting to suffer. By 1933, oppression began for the Jews with the institution of laws and many began leaving. Not the Gunzbergers. Sigmar didn't believe that he would be bothered due to his profession and so they stayed in Germany much longer than they should have. Because he waited so long, immigrating to the United States was impossible. Their sights turned to France. He had to pay a small fortune to leave and sell his business. Five years after Hitler gained control, the family left for France in 1938 by train. It was here that Hanna became Janine and would stick with this name. She would reject everything that was German to try and save herself. While living in Mulhouse Janine met the love of her life, Roland, a Catholic Frenchman. Naturally, her parents disapproved and hoped that it would end. It did four years later, in 1942, when the Gunzbergers had to escape from France due to the Nazis and took a ship to Casablanca, Cuba. Janine and Roland were separated never knowing if they would see each other again. Five years would pass and Janine married an American while living in New York. It wasn't the happiest marriage and Janine never ceased yearning for Roland.
Leslie Maitland grew up hearing about her mother's exploits in Germany and France and her first love. Maitland used to be an investigative reporter so she put her skills into play to pursue the lost Frenchman. This book is the result and it is quite amazing. You feel as if you're reading a sweeping epic. She also writes about Nazi Germany, the collaborators, Vichy France, anti-Semitism, and what Cuba was like in 1942.
It's a beautiful story and extremely hard to put down.
Very highly recommended.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
GUEST OF HONOR : BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, AND THE WHITE HOUSE DINNER THAT SHOCKED A NATION
by Deborah Davis
1901 was a pivotal year in the United States. Movies had just come into the fray, steam power was converted to electricity, photographs could be taken with the Kodak "Brownie," and the syncopated rhythms of ragtime music created by Scott Joplin brought people to their feet.
The most startling event, though, was the White House dinner on October 16. President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to dine with him and his family. The next day, news about a former slave eating with the president sent shock waves throughout the country. It was unprecedented. People were outraged and considered the whole thing scandalous.
Guest of Honor is much more than a dinner. Deborah Davis writes about the aftermath of the Civil War (the rampant racism in the South), politics, American history and the lives of these two men. They actually had quite a lot in common by pursuing high goals, being involved with public service, and becoming leaders. They had the greatest respect for one another and kept up a running correspondence advising each other on different matters.
This is a terrific book about a little-known part of history. It's an engrossing tale and extremely readable. There's some great tidbits of trivia thrown in, such as the coinage of the phrase "good to the last drop" for Maxwell House coffee. Roosevelt drank tons of coffee and when he had a cup of it in Nashville, Tennessee, he drank it down in one gulp and said, "My, that was good to the last drop." In 1917, the slogan was born.
The book was well-researched and just a delight.
Highly recommended.
by Deborah Davis
1901 was a pivotal year in the United States. Movies had just come into the fray, steam power was converted to electricity, photographs could be taken with the Kodak "Brownie," and the syncopated rhythms of ragtime music created by Scott Joplin brought people to their feet.
The most startling event, though, was the White House dinner on October 16. President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to dine with him and his family. The next day, news about a former slave eating with the president sent shock waves throughout the country. It was unprecedented. People were outraged and considered the whole thing scandalous.
Guest of Honor is much more than a dinner. Deborah Davis writes about the aftermath of the Civil War (the rampant racism in the South), politics, American history and the lives of these two men. They actually had quite a lot in common by pursuing high goals, being involved with public service, and becoming leaders. They had the greatest respect for one another and kept up a running correspondence advising each other on different matters.
This is a terrific book about a little-known part of history. It's an engrossing tale and extremely readable. There's some great tidbits of trivia thrown in, such as the coinage of the phrase "good to the last drop" for Maxwell House coffee. Roosevelt drank tons of coffee and when he had a cup of it in Nashville, Tennessee, he drank it down in one gulp and said, "My, that was good to the last drop." In 1917, the slogan was born.
The book was well-researched and just a delight.
Highly recommended.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
PEOPLE WHO EAT DARKNESS : THE TRUE STORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN WHO VANISHED FROM THE STREETS OF TOKYO-AND THE EVIL THAT SWALLOWED HER UP
by Richard Lloyd Parry
Lucie Blackman was a tall, blonde, twenty-one year old who moved to Tokyo from London in May of 2000. She went with her best friend, Louise Phillips. The two of them had known each other since the age of thirteen. They were working as stewardesses for British Airways. Lucie loved her job, at first, due to all of the international cities that she was able to see. But then the hours got to her and her pay was pretty dismal. She began to incur debt and couldn't seem to climb out of it. When Louise's older sister, Emma, told the girls about how they could earn a great deal of money by working in Tokyo, they jumped on it. Their jobs would be "bar hostesses" which basically meant lighting the customers' cigarettes, pouring them drinks, listening to them talk. They told their parents that they would be living with Louise's aunt rent-free. They figured this would placate them. The only thing was that the Japanese aunt did not live in Tokyo but in south London. Instead, the girls got a room at the Sasaki House which was a guesthouse for foreigners. It was pretty disgusting. Within a few days, Lucie and Louise were working at a nightclub called Casablanca. Everyone liked the two girls but especially Lucie. She was happy with the job and got along quite well with the customers (salarymen). In order to bring the men back to the club, all of the hostesses were told to collect their business cards, and to telephone and e-mail them. The girls had to go on dinner dates (dohan) with men (whether they liked them or not) and it was mandatory. It was on one of these dates that Lucie disappeared.
People Who Eat Darkness is quite a masterpiece of writing. It took the author ten years to gather up all the information needed and he did one hell of a job. The book is quite a page-turner. In three days I read the entire thing (434 pages). It's dark, creepy, chilling and you just cannot tear your eyes away. True crime at its best.
Very highly recommended.
by Richard Lloyd Parry
Lucie Blackman was a tall, blonde, twenty-one year old who moved to Tokyo from London in May of 2000. She went with her best friend, Louise Phillips. The two of them had known each other since the age of thirteen. They were working as stewardesses for British Airways. Lucie loved her job, at first, due to all of the international cities that she was able to see. But then the hours got to her and her pay was pretty dismal. She began to incur debt and couldn't seem to climb out of it. When Louise's older sister, Emma, told the girls about how they could earn a great deal of money by working in Tokyo, they jumped on it. Their jobs would be "bar hostesses" which basically meant lighting the customers' cigarettes, pouring them drinks, listening to them talk. They told their parents that they would be living with Louise's aunt rent-free. They figured this would placate them. The only thing was that the Japanese aunt did not live in Tokyo but in south London. Instead, the girls got a room at the Sasaki House which was a guesthouse for foreigners. It was pretty disgusting. Within a few days, Lucie and Louise were working at a nightclub called Casablanca. Everyone liked the two girls but especially Lucie. She was happy with the job and got along quite well with the customers (salarymen). In order to bring the men back to the club, all of the hostesses were told to collect their business cards, and to telephone and e-mail them. The girls had to go on dinner dates (dohan) with men (whether they liked them or not) and it was mandatory. It was on one of these dates that Lucie disappeared.
People Who Eat Darkness is quite a masterpiece of writing. It took the author ten years to gather up all the information needed and he did one hell of a job. The book is quite a page-turner. In three days I read the entire thing (434 pages). It's dark, creepy, chilling and you just cannot tear your eyes away. True crime at its best.
Very highly recommended.
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