If you're a fan of Pride & Prejudice, Little Women, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and wondered why these books continue to be compel well into settled adulthood, then you must read this book by Suzanne Juhasz. Juhasz explores the element of recognition in love stories, the unmothered heroine in search of mothering, the false sense vs. the hidden self, the ghostly lover, mother love figures, father love figures, and so on. She combines psychological theory with literary analysis, but don't let that scare you. It's not so much a collegiate lecture as it is an easygoing conversation between friends. Here are the books she explores: Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, Elswyth Thane's Tryst; Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights; Charlotte Brontee's Jane Eyre; Louisa May Alcott's Little Women; Gloria Naylor's Mama Day; Isabel Miller's Patience and Sarah; Valerie Taylor's Prism.

The star of the book is Dr. Juhasz herself. She provides intense analysis, but she doesn't write this book from lofty scholarly pedestal. Instead, she is one of the girls and invites you to join her "magic circle" as she explores the depths of the appeal of the the true love story. You feel as if you are with a kindred spirit -- "a passionate woman reader" -- and the journey Dr. Juhasz takes you on ends with you not only understanding the allure of the romance novel, but leading you to a better understanding of yourself and the spiritual/psychological demands of being female in our culture.

Don't miss it.

The Women & Language Debate is an excellent reference book for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, professors, and general readers interested in the twentieth-century's debate about women and language from an inter-disciplinary perspective. The debate here ends at about 1990 just before it moves in seveal new directions. I recommend it to anyone trying to understand the history of the debate as well as anyone trying to master several theoretical perspectives for future study.