As an English teacher, I'm ashamed to admit that I knew very little about either Elizabeth Barrett or Robert Browning before picking up this book. The story of their maid, Lily Wilson, gives an interesting perspective on the private life of Elizabeth and Robert. And I admired that Forster depicted the two famous literary figures as she saw to be accurate, rather than glamorizing and glorifying them as there might be a temptation to do. The two poets are very human, often fussy, melodramatic, and given to self-aggrandizement. That made me all the more interested in the story of Lily and the difference in their lifestyle and hers, and of course their indifference to the way they treated her. It's been a while since I read something like Jane Austen, so it was refreshing and fascinating to dip back into a world with social codes so different from ours today. This book must have taken years to research, and Forster's depiction of Victorian life shows the evidence of that research.

There was a page-long afterword that explained which parts of the book were true, but I wanted more. I wish Margaret Forster had written more books like this! You won't be sorry you picked it up.

I knew next to nothing about the subject matter of this book when my mother lent it to me (she loved it as well). Forster is able to completely personalize the social constrictions of Victorian society through the eyes of Wilson, Lady's Maid to the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Honestly enjoyable and a treat to read. I couldn't help noticing all the 5 star ratings here - well deserving of this fine author. Bravo!

I have to start out by saying that it has been 9 years since I read this book, but even now it stands out as one of the most telling books I have ever read about a genious writer named Elizabeth Barret Browning. In Lady's maid the story of Elizabeth Barret Browning is told from the eyes of her Maid servant. This unusual perspective gives the reader the ability to see the writer(Elizabeth Barret) from a third party focus instead of a introspective focus. The book is sooo good that you are instantly transfixed after the first page. If you are wise you will buy the book and read it when you can literaly sit down and read it cover to cover and enjoy it. It is that good! Enjoy and be edducated. Remember to have lots of tissue at the end, you will need it!

The TWO GARDENERS in question are Katherine White of New Yorker fame and Elizabeth Lawrence who wrote a garden column for years for the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. White's columns on gardening written for the New Yorker magazine were compiled by her husband E. B. White (CHARLOTTE'S WEB, STUART LITTLE) and published after her death in 1977 in the book entitled ONWARD AND UPWARD IN THE GARDEN. Lawrence wrote a number of books, including THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE and THE LITTLE BULBS. Her book THE MARKET BULLETINS was completed by the New Jersey gardener Alan Lacy. The market bulletins were wonderful publications farm women in the South used to communicate information about seeds, plants, animals, receipts (what they called recipes), and other items they for sale or being sought. Elizabeth shared a good deal of information about the market bulletins which were not published north of Virginia with Katherine whose one interests lay with garden catalogues when their friendship began.

Lawrence and White corresponded for several decades. The two women discussed their gardens, their columns, their books, and their lives. In the early part of their correspondence, they often wrote each other by return mail. Toward the end of Katherine's life, the letters were few and far between as illness began to affect her movement and ability to see. In spite of their suffering, they continued to observe the world around them and relay how things were going in the garden-the latest blooms, the ravenous mice, the unexpected cold snap, the new greenhouse. Their words remind me of the hope and comfort women have long experienced when a letter from a loved one arrives. As my 87-year old aunt with whom I still correspond says, it doesn't matter what you write, the smallest thing matters.

The editor of this collection of letters Emily Wilson, quotes a librarian who remarked after having read the letters Elizabeth and Katherine wrote to each other, "I got a feeling of moral interdependence on a creative level. Somehow I had viewed the creativity of successful people as a strong force that perhaps needed channeling but not encouragement. Now, on this new-to-me-plane, I see again that no man is an island."

As the editor of TWO GARDENERS/KATHARINE S. WHITE AND ELIZABETH LAWRENCE, I welcome hearing from readers. I am now writing the biography of Elizabeth Lawrence and would benefit from hearing others' understanding of her, both in these letters and in her books. Emily Herring Wilson

Delightful! The correspondence of 19 years between White and Lawrence is insightful, informative and elegant! Their letterse (far more elegant than e-mail) give us glimpses into life in the 60's and 70's and beyond. This book, which is expertly edited by Emily Herring Wilson has inspired a perennial garden at our Wisconsin home and a renewed interest in the writings of E.B. White, not to mention the writings of Katharine White and Elizabeth Lawrence. These two career women and ladie were supportive and encouraging of one another for 19 years!

Whaley and Wongs updated bible for paediatric nurses is essential reading now it has gone in to its seventh edition, Those who had the 1995 version will already be familiar with the fully comprehensive care plans and evidence based practice rigorously detailed within the book, but 2002's new edition not only updates knowledge but also improves clarity using excellent illustrations, and also includes an entire new chapter regarding community care- an issue at the forefront of modern nursing. This is a core text for all students and qualified nurses alike.

I have a hard time reading some books that are required in nursing school. However this book is exceptional! I loved this reader friendly textbook. It is very easy to understand. I wish more of my books were like this one. Thank you Donna Wong.

The 6th edition of this textbook is the best ever. Wong as usual provides the latest research with every topic covered. The color-coded chapters make it easy to use. The CD-ROM is very useful as a study aid and to view clips of nursing procedures. Highly recommended for nursing students and practicing pediatric nurses.

Between the pages of this book Elisabeth Wilson bares her soul as artist and writer. Beautiful artwork combined with deeply moving prose creates a wonderful work that strikes a resonant chord in the reader. The final part of the book includes the materials and techniques that she used to create the artworks in the book. Wonderfully touching, a highly recommended read for when you want to turn your mind from the troubles of the day to a deeper, peaceful place.

Kaleidoscope: Artistic Techniques For The Creative Soul by Elisabeth Keely Wilson is an inspirational book that blends beautiful, full-color artwork and innovative, brief, almost poetic commentaries about metaphysical and spiritual thoughts to guide the reader on an uplifting and transforming journey of personal insights and intimate revelations. Nurturing the creative spark that resides within, the bold, abstract yet vivid paintings have an especially profound impact in this superb presented volume of imagery, simple mental exercises, meditations to help transcend creative block in any literary or artistic medium. Kaleidoscope is highly recommended for students of metaphysics, spirituality, and the use of art for generating self-introspection.

I have toured the USA with a production of BRUNDIBAR, the children's opera from Theresienstadt, for two years and I served on the Alabama Holocaust Commission. To truly understand Theresienstadt (Terezin) and the Holocaust this is a MUST read. Here, in their own words are relfections, poetry, and day to day recollections of Hitler's "model camp" known as Theresienstadt through the eyes of the boys from L417 who were between 12-14 years old. The book details the beginnings of the "Republic of Shkid" and using photographs, poetry, and authentic works of art, the book gives the reader a truly rare and inspiring glimpse into concentration camp life. If you really dare to begin to understand anything about the Holocaust then begin with this book! Vedem - "In the Lead" will forever lead me!

As the daughter of one of the authors I have heard all the stories of the holocaust and how the boys of room L417 found refuge in "Vedem" without their parents. I believe strongly that had the boys survived they would have shared a lot with the world. By simply reading a few lines of Petr Ginz's poems,art and stories you realise that he would have excelled had he had the chance which unfortunetely was cruelly torn from him. Even worse is the fact that he was not alone. Most readers do not realise that they were little boys who were taken out of their homes and away from all that they knew before the age 15 and some as young as 10.This book relates to children because it does not describe in detail the horrors but more so the small "joys" of the camp. Adults can relate because the work and articles emit the feelings of the citizens in hell. Therefore this book is truly a wonderful piece of work. For those who are interested: the book will be published in paperback soon.

This books was very helpful in my study of the Cranial Nerves. Not ony did it show the nerves in 3-D, but it also gave clincal applications of each cranial nerve. It was tremendously helpful because it gives the nerve components which makes clinical applications relevant. The detail of this book is sufficient and meets the needs of a medical school student. It is a "must-have" for medical school and the boards.

Cranial Nerves is great for helping medical and graduate students understand some of the spatial relationships with cranial nerves. It gives a clear and concise review of each cranial nerve and then adds some valuable clinical aspects. The use of color coding throughout the book helps the student to follow a cranial nerve or component throughout the various diagrams in a logical fashion. Most of my class has or has borrowed this book even though it is not even listed on the required or recommended readings for the Neuroscience class! All in all a wonderful book.

I had read this book before, but just re-read it this weekend.
It is one of the best books on the British Royal Family that I have read. The author's insights and observations are right on target. It was published in 1993 before the tragic death of Princess Diana, but that does not change his thoughts on the problems of the monarchy. Nothing will change until the death of Queen Elizabeth II as she is too bound up in tradition to modernize. The whole family lives in a time warp.

I recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in the history of the House of Windsor and how it is crumbling.

I highly recommend this book. Initially, I had some reservations about the format: Wilson went to people who knew or had contact with Shostakovich and had them write essays about their experiences, which she then put together to form the book. My hesitation stemmed from the fear that the book would read like a series of seperate articles, rather than a continuous biography, but fortunately they were not realized. The book reads like a biography with a continuous and logical flow. Because most of the accounts are firsthand, there is an certain amount of intimacy and detail that even the most thoroughly researched biographies lack. Wilson pretty much lets the individual contributors speak for themselves, only inserting paragraphs of related historical and political events where necessary for context. Although the book is a biography about Shostakovich's life, work, and personality, it also drops a few clues about performance of his works. Wilson humbly declares that the book is probably not the 'definitive' biography of Shostakovich but that she felt compelled to write it because most if not all of Shostakovich's contemporaries are getting up there in years, but I'd say the book is a definite must-read for anyone interested in Shostakovich's music.

Shostakovich: A Life Remembered is an essential book for anybody interested in Russian composers and Russian music history. The book is very engrossing and accurate in it's descriptions, perhaps because it is taken from interviews the author made with people that were close to Shostakovich throughout his long career as a composer.

My favorite anecdote was about the naming of Shostakovich as told by his aunt. It is very funny to read the priest's reaction and sugguestion of a new name for the child. It is a book that brings up the essence of who Shostakovich was and it presents stories behind the music. I highly recommend this book to anybody interested in the story behind the music.

We have too easily forgotten that sport, art, music, science and dance were all sites where Cold War battles were fought. The deprivations of post-Revolution Leningrad combined with the Stalinist years worked to drive the naturally introverted, intense and secretive Shostakovich even more into himself.

This has made Shostakovich a fascinating topic for biographers, speculators and ideologues of all kinds. In addition, we also overlook the fact that musicians will by nature reveal themselves most fully in their art. So if we wish to understand the "real" Shostakovich, we need to turn to his music.

Given these reflections, I found this to be an informative, insightful and moving book. The technique of breathing life into the man through the eyes of others - from his Godmother to neighbours, conductors and family - built a unique multi-level picture of the man underneath the many myths. Will we ever know him fully? Probably no more than we know Shakespeare or Rembrandt both of whose art rises above their particular context.

Finally, I am greatful to Wilson because her book acted to drive me back to the music. I have since returned to Shostakovich's symphonies, chamber music and even the jazz suites with new love and energy. Well worth reading.

Swell illustration of why so many teenage girls suffer losses in self-esteem as they get older. Shows that this can be prevented & is a "can-do" book, not a "girls as victims" books. Delves into the world of teenage girls & the challenges they face as they grow up & struggle to remain whole human beings. I do have to say, though, in the chapter about how beauty is used is women's false "power", using the Baby-Sitters' Club series as an example, especially the one about Mary Anne's haircut, was a poor example. Mary Anne gets the haircut & realizes that people react differently to her, BUT in the end of the book described in here, Mary Anne does come to realize that beauty is only a fleeting, superficial goal(especially since she's not very pretty, but is very bright) & comes back to earth quickly( especially when her boyfriend gets jealous & makes her cry!). The Baby-Sitters' Club series would be better used as an example of resistance to the status quo, as the girls in that book remain connected to each other & refuse to fall into the "chronic victim" mode despite peer pressure & haircuts & all. This book would have done better to praise the BSC, rather than criticize the series. If the authors wanted to use an example of negative images of girls, they should have gone after another series "The Fabulous Five" by Betsy Haynes. Now THERE was a series that used girls' appearances as "bartering" tools. Many of the girls in the "Fabulous Five" were not only appearance-obsessed, but too focused on what the boys wanted, & often were pitted against each other in competition for male approval. Otherwise, this book is very vivid & a strong guide for both mothers AND daughters.

Mother/Daughter Revolution should be standard issue - given along with baby's birth certificate - to any woman in this country who gives birth to a female child. It is that good. Drawing on numerous studies and sources, Mother/Daughter Revolution details the sudden drop in self esteem which girls in our culture experience as they approach adolescence, and the myriad of ways in which this is expressed. It also examines the underlying societal flaws which allow this to occur and the societal situations in previous generations which led to the current state of events. Many books have done the same, including "Reviving Ophelia" by Mary Pipher and "Raising a Daughter" by Ellium and Ellium. Where Mother/Daughter Revolution departs from these books (which are also must-reads) is in it's hands on analysis of how mothers can de-code the messages they recieved at the hands of their cultural mileu and how they can then join their daughters in resisting the influences of the patriarchy that seeks to deprive them of their essential selves. It describes the Mother/Daughter conflict in a new way, a way that circumvents all the psycho-babble about identity and the necessity of a girl child divorcing herself from her mother - and presents a new paradigm for being a mother and a daughter in this culture. When Mothers and Daughters become aware of the influences which seek to tear them from their main source of support (each other) they can work to become empowered, so the bond between them can help the daughter grow to maturity with her mother beside her, instead of growing to what society teaches women to expect - an adolescence where the daughter and the mother are constantly at war, with neither one emerging unscathed.