When it first debuted in 1972, Ms. was assailed by conservatives for being too radical and other feminists for being too moderate and accomodating. Yet, the magazine has survived many incarnations and near death experiences (especially in the late 1980's with Anne Summers at the helm)to advocate for women's full equality.

In the process, the magazine started a revolution whose reverberations continue to be felt even in today's supposedly post-feminist generation. Ms. has become such an integral part of the American vocabulary (feminist and non-feminist alike) that it is impossible to imagine a time when advertisers were not aware of the word (this happened for the first couple of issues)and nobody was sure how to pronounce it.

Never enjoying circulation equivalent to Time, Life or other mainstream publications, Ms. magazine had an undeniable impact on the psyche of American society. Defying conventional wisdom which held innagural issues were especially supposed to be devoid of controversy, the magazine published a list of prominent American women who had undergone illegal abortions and wanted repeal of laws restricting women's reproductive rights.

Even though the magazine itself had several writers with extensive prior experience, it was committed (especially in the early days) to non-hierarchial management and production. While this ethos would later become modified and refined, it proved these people were dedicated to practicing the equality they preached about. Ms. was also one of the first magazines to offer day care for the children of its employees.

Certainly, most people will think of Gloria Steinem, but she would be the first to downplay her role in publicizing the magazine. While Steinem admired the politics of the women's liberation movement, she also knew society would not change unless there was some kind of way to bring the "movement" to areas where it was not particulary active yet.

She realized that there were people who were feminists, but did not have ready access to the limited production mimeographs of the movement or would not neccesarily know how to obtain them (women's studies was not yet a particularly large book market). By looking "mainstream" the magazine could bring numerous converts to feminism.

Although Steinem's modesty was undebatable by those who knew her well, others (who wanted the publicity) brought elaborate but false charges against her in the mid 1970's. It is worth noting that both Ms.'s former employee Betty Harris and the radical group Redstockings have disappeared off of the face of the earth while Steinem and Ms. continue to be advocates for sisterhood and women's empowerment.

Mary Thom has really done an excellent job with this book. Ostensibly its about the creation, development, and impact of Ms. magazine, but you wind up learning so much else about the feminist movement, about the personalities surrounding the magazine, and about the times in general. I totally recommend it for anyone interested in any of the above topics, or anyone looking for a good read.

Here is a lucid and sprightly account of the magazine that articulated the new language of feminism and turned it into today's lingua franca. From its inception, Ms. invigorated and infuriated readers---sometimes both at once. Thom's telling is both history and yarn. She puts you inside the office as the magazine's staff create the voice of the feminist movement, aware each month that every word counts, mindful of the fact that the magazine was becoming benchmark and buzzword for both its adherents and its detractors, convinced that they are making history. So they did. Thom's book captures the spirit of the moment: the earnestness, the laughs, the ideologies, the personalities, the drama of life at a publication whose influence went far beyond its circulation figures

I work as an international trainer in the area of people development, hence I show this book all over the world to many people. So far without exaptions all people loved the book and many start deep thinking after reading it. This book makes you aware that we have only one life and that life is in the moment, yesterday never comes back and tomorrow can not be today. Life is in doing the things meant for me to do, do, do here right now.

55 Waverly Street is about the plans that God has for our lives that we recognize when we are children in the activities that give us joy. Later in the pursuit of making a living we lose sight of that joy and what God really meant us to be. I believe it says that we should be more faithful to God in pursuing our true God given talents. I fear booksellers may make a mistake and put this in the children's section and they will NOT understand it. It is beautifully written and illustrated. Each illustration is rich in content. If you understand it's intent you will find it very thought provoking.

Thom has fictionalized a true story with such powerful description that one forgets the fact that most of the details are imagined. They are, however, totally believable, and even though the reader knows the ending (she finally makes it home), the book is difficult to put down. Every footstep of the journey is vivid. The author also manages to portray the Indians as human beings in spite of the gory details of the massacre. Mary Ingles was a fourth great-grandmother of a friend of mine, and this makes the book more immediate for me. My own great-great grandfather was survivor of a Shawnee massacre in the same area 20 years later. I am astounded at the courage and endurance of these brave people who were our forebears. As a writer, I was amazed at how many different ways Thom describes weather, terrain, pain, and terror. Mary's decision to give up her baby to the Indian girl was a selfless, practical act, and her mental and emotional strength kept her from descending into a morass of romantic, sentimental, blubbering guilt. This book should be required in American history courses as adjunct reading material. It tells us what a history book cannot--the human side of the early development of this country.

As a West Virginia resident and one that lives near the Ohio river, I find myself thinking about Mary and her journey home. I find myself wondering what the river looked like to her. This is a fantastic book. I have passed this book on to several people and they all tell me that they can not put it down.
If you read this book you will find yourself asking, "what is going to happen next".
What is so remarkable is that this is a true story. I found myself crying when Mary left her newborn baby behind. The perils she and Gretel endure are unbelievable. I would hope that I would be able to persevere as she did in such trying times. I don't think a man could have done any better.
West Virginia history classes need to teach about this wonderful women and not focus so much on learning the counties. I could not believe that this story takes place in our beautiful state and had never even heard of this woman.
The Hallmark channel showed a TV movie based on the book but played lightly on the hardships and was not a true adaptation of the book.

I've read this book three times and teach it to my twelfth grade English classes. Mary Ingles is an inspiration of the possibilities of endurance of the human spirit. Victim of a brutal Shawnee attack in the summer of 1755 she is force marched from Virginia to Shawnee, Ohio while nine months pregnant giving birth on the trail. She is sold into slavery and taked to the area near Big Bone Lick State Park in Kentucky. Together with an old Dutch woman she escapes and begins a 1,000 mile trek home through unknown and hostile wilderness. In 43 harrowing days she goes from 125 pounds to under 80 pounds as she faces the elements, starvation, wild animals, hostile Indians, implacable nature, and a companion that turns cannibal. The reader shares the agony of the journey with Mary as she must go the final miles on her hands and knees. The most amazing thing about the story is it is true. Like his other historical novels Thom has done his research and he makes the history come alive for his reader.

This is a stunning retelling of the story of Mary Magdalene, the follower of Christ who played a critically important role in the Easter story.

As the book begins,the disciples are at the stage where the sting of Jesus' death has begun to be healed by the events of Pentecost. It is a time when Mary reflects on her life thus far.

As a young woman, Mary naievely gets herself into a position conductive to what we would now call date rape with a young man who is already engaged. Of no use to her family after her deflowering, she is thrown into the streets, where to survive she is forced to become a kept woman. As time goes on, she tries to compensate for her helplessness by using her sexuality to gain a measure of power - until she meets Jesus and her life is changed forever.

In the early days of the church Mary must now face a life without her Teacher, the knowledge that the chances of ever meeting a man who would be willing to marry her is now slim to none, the possibility that some or all of her male friends might be executed ... and her past, which now comes back to her.

Although the characters from Mary's past and Peter and Andrew's families are added to flesh out the story, the novel sticks to biblical accuracy. The fact that Mary has to deal with her past life even after her salvation is also true to life and very realistic.

The secondary characters are also well drawn, especially an overwhelmed but unflappable Simon Peter and a fascinating Joanna - who along with Mary herself proves that the female disciples played a different but no less essential role in early Christianity than the Twelve. The section where she describes her conversion is one of the most interesting parts of the book to me, and makes me wonder why Mr. Lemmons created a fictional friend of John's for book three instead of telling the story of this undoubtedly gutsy lady who left not only her husband but Herod's court for Jesus. Surely she deserves as much attention as Lydia Purpuraria.

Maybe I should wait to finish the book before writing a review, but I have no reason to believe this book will turn bad: it's so good.

I enjoy reading good religious fiction because sometimes we get to thinking that Biblical figures weren't anything like real people. Mary of Magdala, Peter, Andrew, Stephen: they're all so very real when seen through the author's eyes. We can feel sorrow and joy, excitement and fear through these well known people.

It's also difficult to fill in the blanks left in the Scriptures. Maybe we're meant to imagine what goes in the blanks. Just what were the seven demons expelled from Mary of Magdala? Who was Stephen? Why was he martyred? What did he do to get the attention of Saul? And what about Saul? We know what motivated him-he tells us in his own letters. And we know the followers of the Way found it very hard to trust him in the beginning. Seeing all of this action unfold in this novel really helps put some flesh onto the Acts of the Apostles.

Religious fiction at its best should make one want to turn to the Scriptures, to read and pray again over the messages to be found there now that we have become friends with the people we read about.

I own the second book in this series and I'm looking forward to it. I hope it's as good as this one.

I read this for a Christian bookclub I belong to. I loved reading it, comparing it to the Bible and learning more about the first Christians and their fight to spread the Good News. Mary Magdalene's story is timeless because it shows how so many women have lived their lives in pain before finally finding Jesus and beginning a new life. I strongly recommend this to Christians longing to learn more. I definitely look forward to reading the next Daughters of Faith novel.