This is an absorbing and worthwhile study of Hadley's life, but after she and Hemingway break up, Diliberto doesn't have much to say about Hadley. She sums up the rest of her life quite briefly, leaving the impression--one that I'm sure the author did not intend--that Hadley wasn't very interesting and didn't have much of a life aside from her time with Hemingway.

Diliberto has done a wonderful job as researcher and writer to bring this remarkable woman to life. I really felt the joy and pain of both her life and her long influence on Hemingway. One cannot really understand him, and his much criticized views and literary treatment of women, without knowing her. A can't-put-it-down read if you're interested in him and the first half of the 20th Century. By the way, she had a "second life" after Hemingway with the poet Paul Mowrer

The liberal feminine look on Jane Addams rings false to me. Jane Addams was from a much different time. She was from the victorian era. She was from the liberal protestant part of the culture. The hints of this writer reflect the narrow view of the few of today's citizens. But in the end, make no mistake, Jane Addams was a very proper person from her time. She was of course not sexually active outside of marriage. She was not sexually attracted to women. The problem with facts is that they do not change.

It bothers me to hear A USEFUL WOMAN described as a "feminist biography" just because the subject bucked the gender norms of her Victorian times. This book is about a social force and conscience, Jane Addams, whose intelligence, spirituality, generosity and, yes, unmarried status drove her to found Hull-House, a "settlement" in Chicago that served as both haven and learning center for the indigent, with a particular emphasis on aiding women and children. Addams, a frail woman suffering from lifelong ailments including depression, rose above her infirmities to enact social change and awareness during a time when many of the poor were seen as morally bankrupt individuals and not the victims of a socially unjust system.

The book is well-written and accessible, and suffers only rarely from too much trivial detail. Diliberto provides remarkable insight into this remarkable woman. If you are at all interested in social causes and the people behind them, read this biography. It is truly inspiring to read of how one woman changed the course of many lives.

Womens' lives are often filled with many tasks, and to become an international social reformer is very difficult to include. This is the story of one woman who wanted a life that was different from the traditional woman of her age. And the interesting part of the story is that she did become an internationally known social reformer. And she did win a Nobel Peace Prize. In our age of supporting choices for women, this book is not only about a 'useful' woman, it is also a very useful story.

This novel is about a woman whose portrait at the Metropolitan has fascinated me to such a degree that I considerate it my favorite portrait. Therefore, I was intrigued by the idea of a novel about this mysterious creature. The pseudo-autobiography is quite breezy- indeed, I finished the book in hours. I enjoyed the parts of Virginie's story prior to posing for Sargent, especially the scenes in Louisiana, which breathe with life and detail. The rest of the novel definitely falls flat and there is no conclusion, but rather an abrupt end. Still, if you are facinated by the topic, it is a worthy addition to the Madame X library.

I read Ms. Diliberto's article in The New York Times this weekend about the mystery behind the portrait of Virginie Gautreau and was instantly enthralled and had to buy the book! I read it in one sitting and was delighted by Ms. Diliberto's imaginings for the elusive Madame X and her life. I'm glad she turned her hand from biography to fiction! I Am Madame X is a fun romp in Belle Epoque Paris!

I read the book following rave reviews from my wife and 15 year old daughter, both of whom were riveted by it. We all then made a trip to the Metropolitan Museum in New York to behold the marvelous portrait. We then spent a lunch in museum discussing I am Madame X and how alive she seemed to us in both the painted and written portraits, both of which are worthy of one another. The unanimous verdict in our household is that the author has done a spectacular job recreating the beguiling, exotic world of Madame X and the fascinating French and American personalities around her. We can only hope that a second volume will explain further the mystery of the rouged ears!

Good reading for those who appreciate matters of a trivial life. Great resourcing on a subject who is hard to pin down in any one source.