Laura Shapiro

The author examines the writings or memoirs of Dorothy Wordsworth, Rosa Lewis, Eleanor Roosevelt, Eva Braun, Barbara Pym, and Helen Gurley Brown. I feel sorry for anyone asked to dine with the Roosevelts, and I think I'd rather die of hunger than eat some of the things Helen ate to keep her figure. I don't think the book was particularly well-written. The prose did not always flow, and I lost interest quite often. I enjoyed Dorothy Wordsworth's chapter because we learn a lot about her care for her more famous brother William. Much of Pym's narrative was taken from her books--a treat for her fans. The book was definitely written for a popular audience, and it uses the "hidden endnotes" scheme where one doesn't know sources until they happen to look in the back. (Did I mention how much I detest this modern publisher practice?) I think the book will provide an interesting discussion for the book club for which I'm reading it.… (meer)

Interesting, BUT it could have used an editor. For example, there were lots of opportunities for more photographs, but the density of the text and the size of the print made the book more difficult to read. Looks matter. There is one illustration of the first Betty Crocker, but none showing how she changed through the ages. There is a discussion of how much fruit and vegetables Americans ate in the 40's, but not information on how much they consume now and how that has changed. However, it was still an interesting look at the role of women in the kitchen over the past 50 years.… (meer)