I have read and re-read this book over the years, and again this summer found it in my Beach Pack. For any age, EFH has produced a kind, gentle view of life as a woman who grew up knowing her place in the world, and yet being able to go beyond what her times would have expected of a woman. It is very much like finding old letters in a trunk, and I came to think of the writer as a matron of her times, giving to herself and all women the understanding that taking care of one's self, being able to be truly independent, is a key to freedom in every sense. Read it ladies. I read it at 20 and 30, and it reads just as well into the 40s and 50s. My mother's good friend in her 70s came upon it on my bookshelf, and it has become her favorite book of all times. Enjoy.

I just finished this book, of which I could not put down for a moment. It is an excellent read! I cried several times throughout the book. I was amazed by this woman, Bess. She was the obvious life-force behind her marriage and family. She always asked questions and made comments about life that were ahead of its time...classic...timeless! She was such a progressive thinker for her time.
The letters spanned from the beginning of the 20th century to the 1940s. Time and time again she surprised me with her observations and decisions: We should just do, instead of waiting for something to happen, since the future is unknown. She commented about philosophical concepts that many of us ponder today. Her thoughts on children-rearing were so refreshing too; that we shouldn?t lose ourselves in our children; that raising children doesn't necessarily mean one has to make it her sole occupation.
Her perception of life was so positive, even in the face of so many unbelievable tragedies. She treated death like an enemy, which forced her to live her life to the fullest. A very interesting, positive, way to look at things, especially in an age where a lot of us have become complacent about death. Her question about why society expects us to spend our lifetime of experiences with one person, is one that I'm sure many of us ask ourselves today! She sees the complexities of people and of life in general, which makes her so understanding, and so tolerant. Even her subtle way of introducing social change is brilliant, leaving a lasting impression. It was inspiring to read those letters, and reminded me of how important writing is...so much more thought goes into words when one writes them down. The written word can often be so much more powerful than words which are spoken.
It occurred to me that this book was written in 1978, which may explain why there's so much progressive thought here. However, history shows us that many women felt the way Bess felt. It was so thrilling for me to read these letters, imagining the setting of America in the 20s, 30s and 40s.
Most importantly though, I believed in this character. I felt for her deeply and her letters really moved me. Her life was astonishing...a wonderful read. I would recommend this book to every mother, daughter, grandmother...and every father, son and grandfather for that matter!

I read A WOMAN OF INDEPENDENT MEANS when it first was published, and it stayed with me for all these years.

When I recently re-read the book, I found its message timeless. In part because the novel always was a period piece, it doesn't show any age.

The heroine, Bess, could be a model for all women. Yet she also proves (if one needs proof) how empowering money can be. Because she is written as, indeed, "a woman of independent means," she has an easier time making life choices than those who are not independent would have--and this was even more true in the era in which the story is set.

Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey's structure of letters is amazing. To have told such a complicated story only in the form of correspondence is a feat rarely matched. In fact, I think that Sandra Dallas's novel THE DIARY OF MATTIE SPENSER, in which an equally complicated story unfolds in diary entries, is the only challenger for this kind of technique.

Read this! Bess will become your friend forevermore.

I thought the idea of having a book told entirely through a woman's journal entries, along with her husband's response to those entries, was unique and interesting. However, I didn't care very much for the characters, particularly their views and handling of children. These characters seemed to think that children are objects and not human beings, with some of their actions and thoughts being abusive. The characters also seemed to be a bit flat. This novel is certainly a different read from the typical book, so in spite of the characters I would still recommend this book to others if they were interested in reading a novel written in an unconventional format.

I'm amazed no one else has written a review of this book. It is excellent. Reading it made me squirm as I saw myself again and again behaving in not quite so wonderful ways. No one escapes the honesty of Hailey's characterizations. Like us all, each character is both gifted and flawed. I got to know real people in this book...people I loved and respected, flaws and all. A very, very good book.

This is awful! The female characters seem to have no direction of their own. Lindsay accepts her boyfriend, Todd taking charge of her life as readily as she accepts being raped by a wealthy businessman who randomly breaks into her apartment, rapes her, and is content to leave as soon as she tells him she will have his baby. Her doctor feels that he has the right to get into her files without permission due to his previous knowledge of her, and she simply accepts this. One particularly disturbing scene is a memory of Lindsay's father beating her severely for a childish outburst at the age of 11, followed by Lindsay's holding her father's hand to her heart in remorse. The only man in this story who doesn't believe that he has a right to interfere with the lives of these women is Lindsay's husband John Henry - and he's in a coma. This is the most depressing book I've ever read in my life. Reading it is a life sentence.

First of all, I come from Germany and my english isn't good enough. This was my first book from the author and I really liked this book. Of course, I read this in german. The written form was so realistic and life isn't always nice and easy!! I immerse into this book and I can't put it down. I can't agree with the reviewer before - it's not the most depressing book for me, I love this book, but I'm not Oprah.