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Women of Colonial America: 13 Stories of Courage and Survival in the New World
by Brandon Marie MillerAn authentic, rich tapestry of women's lives in colonial America Using a host of primary sources, author Brandon Marie Miller recounts the roles, hardships, and daily lives of Native American, European, and African women in 17th- and 18th-century colonial America. Hard work proved a constant for most women--they ensured their family's survival through their skills while others sold their labor or lived in bondage as indentured servants and slaves. Elizabeth Ashbridge survived an abusive indenture to become a Quaker preacher, Anne Bradstreet penned epic poetry while raising eight children in the wilderness, Anne Hutchinson went toe-to-toe with Puritan authorities, Margaret Hardenbroeck Philipse built a trade empire in New Amsterdam, and Martha Corey lost her life in the vortex of Salem's witch hunt. With strength, courage, resilience, and resourcefulness, these women and many others played a vital role in the mosaic of life in colonial America.
Women of Courage: Inspiring Stories from the Women Who Lived Them
by Katherine MartinThese are the stories of more than 40 women who have had life-altering experiences, conquered challenges, and grew stronger.
Women of Courage
by Katherine MartinThe 41 ordinary and well-known women honored in this first book in New World Library's "People Who Dare" series have shown forms of bravery that, according to editor Martin, go largely unrecognized -- such as persevering in adverse circumstances, challenging tradition, showing vulnerability, fostering healing, and listening to one's heart. Concern about her children's education impelled Patty Murray (currently U.S. Senator from Washington) to run against an incumbent and win a seat in her state senate. Acting out of a deeply felt commitment to the poor, Dr. Janelle Goetcheus, along with other physicians she recruited, founded Christ House, a renovated apartment building where seriously ill homeless patients stay and receive care. After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Laura Evans celebrated her survival by founding Expedition Inspiration, an organization that takes breast cancer survivors on mountain climbs. Cora Lee Johnson's longtime dream of starting a community sewing center became a reality when she was 62 because, although poor and uneducated, she persevered by talking about the center to anyone who would listen. Men and women both will find inspiration for their own lives in these captivating stories.
The Women of CourtWatch: Reforming a Corrupt Family Court System
by Carole Bell FordHouston was a terrible place to divorce or seek child custody in the 1980s and early 1990s. Family court judges routinely rendered verdicts that damaged the interests of women and children. In some especially shocking cases, they even granted custody to fathers who had been accused of molesting their own children. Yet despite persistent allegations of cronyism, incompetence, sexism, racism, bribery, and fraud, the judges wielded such political power and influence that removing them seemed all but impossible. The family court system was clearly broken, but there appeared to be no way to fix it.
The Women of Duck Commander
by Lisa Robertson Beth Clark Korie Robertson Kay Robertson Missy Robertson Jessica RobertsonAn Inside Look at the Robertson Women In the pages of this book, you'll find both fun and inspirational stories . . . Kay shares the honest story of her relationship with Phil--and his wild and philandering years--and the challenges of being a teenage mother. Even more amazing, she shares the forgiveness she offered Phil and how they have now celebrated forty-eight years of marriage. Korie tells of her first encounter with Phil when she was in just the fifth grade. At that first meeting Phil came right out and told her what good husbands his boys would make and that she should keep an eye on them. She also shares the reaction her parents had when she told them that she and Willie were getting married when she was only eighteen. Missy tells the story of their daughter, Mia, who was born with a cleft palate, and their adjustments to this condition and Mia's joyful spirit that inspires them all. Jessica recounts her first conversation with Jep and how unimpressed she was when Jep bragged that his dad was the Duck Commander Phil Robertson. She told him she'd heard of Daffy Duck, Donald Duck, and Duck, Duck, Goose-- but not the Duck Commander. Lisa reveals the serious marriage problems she and Al had--problems that almost ended their marriage for good--and how they worked through those issues to have a more stable and loving marriage than she ever imagined possible.
Women of Hope: African Americans Who Made a Difference
by Joyce Hansen Moe FonerReaders of all ages will be inspired by women who blazed uncharted paths in journalism, politics, law, education, science, and the arts -- to make a better world for us all.
Women of Ideas: And What Men Have Done to Them
by Dale SpenderThis is a classic reference work and, from beginning to end, a provocative and stimulating read. With characteristic energy, humour and learning, Dale Spender has dug into the hidden past and uncovered shining examples of women's creativity and intellectual prowess which had been suppressed or stolen by men. Men have removed women from literary and historical records and deprived women of the knowledge of their intellectual heritage. Now this lost history of women's thought is set out for all to see.
Women of Letters, Manuscript Circulation, and Print Afterlives in the Eighteenth Century
by Melanie BigoldUsing unpublished manuscript writings, this book reinterprets material, social, literary, philosophical and religious contexts of women's letter-writing in the long 18th century. It shows how letter-writing functions as a form of literary manuscript exchange and argues for manuscript circulation as a method of engaging with the republic of letters.
Women of Means: Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics and Other Poor Little Rich Girls (Celebrating Women Ser.)
by Marlene Wagman-GellerA deep dive into the lives of rich and famous women in history. &“Wild and witty, gossipy, and glamorous. A sheer delight.&” —Becca Anderson, author of Badass Women Give the Best Advice and The Book of Awesome Women #1 Bestseller in Women&’s Studies and Rich & Famous & Royalty Biographies From the author of Great Second Acts and Behind Every Great Man, we now have Women of Means, vignettes of the women who were slated from birth—or marriage—to great privilege, only to endure lives which were the stuff of Russian tragic heroines. Women of Means is full of the best biographies of all time. Some of the women whose silver spoons rusted include: · Almira Carnarvon, the real-life counterpart to Lady Cora of Downton Abbey · Liliane Bettencourt, whose chemist father created L&’Oreal . . . and was a Nazi collaborator · Peggy Guggenheim, who had an insatiable appetite for modern art and men · Nica Rothschild, who traded her gilded life to become the Baroness of Bebop · Jocelyn Wildenstein, who became a cosmetology-enhanced cat-woman · Ruth Madoff, the dethroned queen of Manhattan · Patty Hearst, who trod the path from heiress to terrorist &“If you&’ve ever wished you had all the money in the world, read Women of Means by Marlene Wagman-Geller. Written in her usual witty prose, these enthralling but petrifying mini-biographies show that when a woman is too wealthy, it can be a curse rather than a blessing.&”—Jill G. Hall, author of The Green Lace Corset &“Wagman-Geller&’s stories made me gasp and lodged my chin firmly on my chest as she chronicled the lives of women without a financial care in the world, whose appetites led so often to disaster.&”—R. D. Kardon, author of Flygirl
Women of Modern India - Sister Nivedita - Grade 3
by Oxford University Press London"Sister Nivedita: Women of Modern India" highlights the transformative journey of Sister Nivedita, who initially joined Swami Vivekananda in his mission but later devoted herself to the cause of educating and empowering Indian women. This edition provides a succinct overview of her significant contributions, emphasizing her establishment of a small school in Kolkata and tireless efforts towards women's education and empowerment. It illuminates Nivedita's pivotal role in shaping the socio-cultural landscape of India through her progressive initiatives, making a lasting impact on the advancement of women in the country.
Women of Mystery: The Lives and Works of Notable Women Crime Novelists
by Martha Hailey DuBoseIn this remarkable book, Martha Hailey DuBose has given those multitudes of readers who love the mystery novel an indispensable addition to their libraries. Unlike other works on the subject, Women of Mystery is not merely a directory of the novelists and their publications with a few biographical details. DuBose combines extensive research into the lives of significant women mystery writers from Anna Katherine Green and Mary Roberts Rinehart with critical essays on their work, anecdotes, contemporary reviews and opinions and some of the women's own comments. She takes us through the Golden Age of the British women mystery writers, Christie, Sayers, Marsh, Allingham and Tey, to the leading crime novelists of today, focused on the women who have become legends of the genre. And though she laments, "so many mysteries, so little time," she makes a good effort a mentioning "some of the best of the rest."When DuBose writes of the lives of her principal players, she relates them to their times, their families, their personal situations and above all to their books. She subtly points out that Sayers, whose experience with the men in her life was inevitably disastrous, created in Lord Peter the ideal lover -- one who is all that a woman desires and needs. DuBose gives us the curriculum vitae that Dorothy Sayers created to help her bring Peter Wimsey to a virtual actuality. Ngaio Marsh would give up an active presence in the theatrical world she loved, but she recreated it for herself as well as her readers in many of her novels. The biographies of these woman are as engrossing as the stories they wrote, and Martha DuBose has shined a different, intimate and intriguing light on them, their works, and the lives that informed those works. This book is so full of treasure it's hard to see how any mystery enthusiast will be able to do without it. And what a gift it would make for anyone on your list who has been heard to announce "I love a mystery."Some of the treats inside:In the Beginning: The Mothers of DetectionAnna Katherine GreenMary Roberts RinehartA Golden Era: The Genteel PuzzlersAgatha ChristieDorothy L. SayersNgaio MarshMargery AllinghamJosephine TeyModern Motives: Mysteries of the Murderous MindPatricia HighsmithP.D. JamesRuth RendellMary Higgins ClarkSue Grafton and more!!
Women of Privilege: 100 Years of Love & Loss in a Family of the Hudson River Valley
by Susan GillottiWomen of Privilege traces the decline of a once-privileged Hudson River Valley family whose neighbors were Vanderbilts, Delanos, and Roosevelts. Based on diaries and journals, and written by a family descendant, it combines biography and memoir with social history.
The Women of Rothschild: The Untold Story of the World's Most Famous Dynasty
by Natalie LivingstoneIn The Women of Rothschild, Natalie Livingstone reveals the role of women in shaping the legacy of the famous Rothschild dynasty, synonymous with wealth and power.From the East End of London to the Eastern seaboard of the United States, from Spitalfields to Scottish castles, from Bletchley Park to Buchenwald, and from the Vatican to Palestine, Natalie Livingstone follows the extraordinary lives of the Rothschild women from the dawn of the nineteenth century to the early years of the twenty-first. As Jews in a Christian society and women in a deeply patriarchal family, they were outsiders. Excluded from the family bank, they forged their own distinct dynasty of daughters and nieces, mothers and aunts. They became influential hostesses and talented diplomats, choreographing electoral campaigns, advising prime ministers, advocating for social reform, and trading on the stock exchange. Misfits and conformists, conservatives and idealists, performers and introverts, they mixed with everyone from Queen Victoria to Chaim Weizmann, Rossini to Isaiah Berlin, and the Duke of Wellington to Alec Guinness, as well as with amphetamine-dealers, suffragists and avant-garde artists. Rothschild women helped bring down ghetto walls in early nineteenth-century Frankfurt, inspired some of the most remarkable cultural movements of the Victorian period, and in the mid-twentieth century burst into America, where they patronized Thelonious Monk and drag-raced through Manhattan with Miles Davis. Absorbing and compulsive, The Women of Rothschild gives voice to the complicated, privileged, and gifted women whose vision and tenacity shaped history.
Women of Sicily: Saints, Queens and Rebels
by Jacqueline AlioRarely have women found their place in the chronicles of Sicily's thirty-century history. Here one of Sicily's most popular historians introduces seventeen women of varied backgrounds who defied convention to make their mark in the annals of the complex history of the world's most conquered island.Meet a timeless sisterhood of pious Roman maidens, steadfast Sicilian queens, and a Jewish mother who confronted the horrors of the Inquisition. Theirs are inspiring stories of the courage of conviction bursting forth to overcome the challenges of adversity. The lengthier ten biographies constitute full chapters, while seven are concise sketches of a few paragraphs each.In addition to these profiles - most of these women lived before 1500 - the author presents a general survey and chronology of Sicilian history. Significantly, the book treats Sicily as the sovereign nation most of these women knew, and not as a 'region' of the unified Italy or a tiny piece of Europe. The chronology (timeline) reaches into the present century, and there's an appendix dedicated to Sicilian women today.Until now, biographies of Sicilian women written in English (as the original language) have been the work of foreign authors. This one is a milestone, the first book about the historical women of Sicily written in English by a Sicilian woman in Sicily. It reflects a special passion and an astute understanding of its subject.Some of the information is the result of original (scholarly) research, and a few facts were garnered from unique sources. The chapter on Queen Maria Sophia of the Two Sicilies, who died in 1925, is the lengthiest treatment of her ever published in English, and it was based in part on an unpublished interview with somebody who knew the Queen, namely her niece, the late Princess Urraca. Living links of this kind are precious in historical writing.While the concise overview of the status of women in twenty-first century Sicily is provided merely for the benefit of readers who wish to compare the past and present, the pages dedicated to that topic are a rare occurrence in book publishing, especially in English. Here the author's statements are based on facts and statistics rather than anecdotes or stereotypes. It is clear that she knows her subject.With its chronology and reading list, this volume is useful as a reference, but its narrative makes for an interesting read. Jackie Alio is an insightful author, one of Sicily's most talented historians, and this book was long overdue.
Women of Steel and Stone: 22 Inspirational Architects, Engineers, and Landscape Designers
by Anna LewisReporting on a range of historical and contemporary female builders and designers, this educational book strives to inspire a new generation of girls in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math. With many of the profiles set against the backdrop of such landmark events as the women's suffrage and civil rights movements and the Industrial Revolution, and with original interviews from a number of current architects and engineers, this book provides inspiration and advice directly to young women by highlighting positive examples of how a strong work ethic, perseverance, and creativity can overcome life's obstacles. Each profile focuses on the strengths, passions, and interests each woman had growing up; where those traits took them; and what they achieved. Sidebars on related topics, source notes, and a bibliography make this an invaluable resource for further study.
The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today
by Shannon BreamThe women of the Bible lived timeless stories—by examining them, we can understand what it means to be a woman of faith. People unfamiliar with Scripture often assume that women play a small, secondary role in the Bible. But in fact, they were central figures in numerous Biblical tales. It was Queen Esther’s bravery at a vital point in history which saved her entire people. The Bible contains warriors like Jael, judges like Deborah, and prophets like Miriam. The first person to witness Jesus’ resurrection was Mary Magdalene, who promptly became the first Christian evangelist, eager to share the news which would change the world forever. In The Women of the Bible Speak, Fox News Channel's Shannon Bream opens up the lives of sixteen of these Biblical women, arranging them into pairs and contrasting their journeys. In pairing their stories, Shannon helps us reflect not only on the meaning of each individual’s life, but on how they relate to each other and to us. From the shepherdesses of ancient Israel who helped raise the future leaders of the people of God, to the courageous early Christians, the narrative of the Bible offers us many vivid and fascinating female characters. In their lives we can see common struggles to resist bitterness, despair, and pride, and to instead find their true selves in faith, hope, and love. In studying these heroes of the faith, we can find wisdom and warnings for how to better navigate our own faith journeys. The Women of the Bible Speak outlines the lessons we can take from the valor of Esther, the hope of Hannah, the audacity of Rahab, and the faith of Mary. In broadening each woman’s individual story, Shannon offers us a deeper understanding of each, and wisdom and insights that can transform our own lives today.
Women of the Catacombs: Memoirs of the Underground Orthodox Church in Stalin's Russia (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies)
by Wallace L. Daniel Archpriest Aleksandr MenThe memoirs presented in Women of the Catacombs offer a rare close-up account of the underground Orthodox community and its priests during some of the most difficult years in Russian history. The catacomb church in the Soviet Union came into existence in the 1920s and played a significant part in Russian national life for nearly fifty years. Adherents to the Orthodox faith often referred to the catacomb church as the "light shining in the dark." Women of the Catacombs provides a first-hand portrait of lived religion in its social, familial, and cultural setting during this tragic period.Until now, scholars have had only brief, scattered fragments of information about Russia's illegal church organization that claimed to protect the purity of the Orthodox tradition. Vera Iakovlevna Vasilevskaia and Elena Semenovna Men, who joined the church as young women, offer evidence on how Russian Orthodoxy remained a viable, alternative presence in Soviet society, when all political, educational, and cultural institutions attempted to indoctrinate Soviet citizens with an atheistic perspective. Wallace L. Daniel's translation not only sheds light on Russia's religious and political history, but also shows how two educated women maintained their personal integrity in times when prevailing political and social headwinds moved in an opposite direction.
Women of the Catskills: Stories of Struggle, Sacrifice & Hope (American Chronicles)
by Richard HeppnerHailing from the home of industrious, strong and creative individuals, the women of the Catskills have embodied this rugged spirit best. Though often overlooked in Catskill Mountain history, their stories are inspiring, like that of Candace Wheeler, who used her rural upbringing to achieve personal success and improve life for others. They are personal, such as Lucy Lobdell's story. A century ahead of her time, she challenged conventional thoughts on equality and lifestyle. Most of all, they reflect the spirit of their surroundings, as independent women like Marion Bullard challenged the status quo to build a better community. Overcoming the physical challenges of mountain life and the societal obstacles they faced because of their gender, Catskills' most fearless women are revealed by local historian Richard Heppner.
The Women of the Copper Country: A Novel
by Mary Doria RussellFrom the bestselling and award-winning author of The Sparrow comes an inspiring historical novel about “America’s Joan of Arc” Annie Clements—the courageous woman who started a rebellion by leading a strike against the largest copper mining company in the world.In July 1913, twenty-five-year-old Annie Clements had seen enough of the world to know that it was unfair. She’s spent her whole life in the copper-mining town of Calumet, Michigan where men risk their lives for meager salaries—and had barely enough to put food on the table and clothes on their backs. The women labor in the houses of the elite, and send their husbands and sons deep underground each day, dreading the fateful call of the company man telling them their loved ones aren’t coming home. When Annie decides to stand up for herself, and the entire town of Calumet, nearly everyone believes she may have taken on more than she is prepared to handle. In Annie’s hands lie the miners’ fortunes and their health, her husband’s wrath over her growing independence, and her own reputation as she faces the threat of prison and discovers a forbidden love. On her fierce quest for justice, Annie will discover just how much she is willing to sacrifice for her own independence and the families of Calumet. From one of the most versatile writers in contemporary fiction, this novel is an authentic and moving historical portrait of the lives of the men and women of the early 20th century labor movement, and of a turbulent, violent political landscape that may feel startlingly relevant to today.
The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen, and the King's Mother
by Philippa Gregory David Baldwin Michael Jones#1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory joins two eminent historians to explore the extraordinary true stories of three women largely forgotten by history: Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford; Elizabeth Woodville, queen of England; and Margaret Beaufort, the founder of the Tudor dynasty.In her essay on Jacquetta, Philippa Gregory uses original documents, archaeology, and histories of myth and witchcraft to create the first-ever biography of the young duchess who survived two reigns and two wars to become the first lady at two rival courts. David Baldwin, established authority on the Wars of the Roses, tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the first commoner to marry a king of England for love. And Michael Jones, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, writes of Margaret Beaufort, the almost-unknown matriarch of the House of Tudor. Beautifully illustrated throughout with rare portraits and source materials, The Women of the Cousins' War offers fascinating insights into the inspirations behind Philippa Gregory's fiction and will appeal to all with an interest in this epic period.
Women of the Frontier: 16 Tales of Trailblazing Homesteaders, Entrepreneurs, and Rabble-Rousers (Women of Action #3)
by Brandon Marie MillerIn 1849 Luzena Wilson set out for California in a covered wagon with her husband and two little boys, hungry to join the tide of gold seekers. Like thousands of others, Luzena undertook the nearly 2,000 mile journey to an unknown land, where she'd rise from flood and fire, a survivor of the wild frontier. From months on the trail to life in a sod hut, western women adapted to their new lives and found beauty in the rugged, often dangerous landscape. They helped tame the Wild West as they farmed, ranched, kept shops, founded libraries and churches, staffed schools, and won the right to vote. Using journal entries and letters home, author Brandon Marie Miller lets the women speak for themselves in tales of courage, enduring spirit, and adventure. Meet women such as homesteader Miriam Colt, entrepreneur Clara Brown, army wife Frances Grummond, naturalist Martha Maxwell, missionary Narcissa Whitman, and political rabble-rouser Mary Lease. Women of the Frontier also recounts the impact pioneers had on those who were already living in the region. As white settlers gobbled up the lands of Native Americans and people of Spanish descent, the clash of cultures brought pain to many including Rachel Plummer and Cynthia Ann Parker, and spearheaded the work of Susette la Flesche and Sarah Winnemucca, who fought the government's treatment of American Indians.
The Women of the House: How a Colonial She-Merchant Built a Mansion, a Fortune, and a Dynasty
by Jean ZimmermanWOMEN'S HISTORY (from back) Brash and ambitious, twenty-two-year-old Margaret Hardenbroeck Philipse arrived in Manhattan and promptly built an empire of trading ships, furs, and real estate- including all of today's Westchester County. She became the wealthiest woman on the Hudson River while raising five children and keeping a spotless linen closet. And she started all this in 1659. Here is the captivating story of a dynasty of powerful, courageous women and the house they built from storehouse to mansion.
Women of the Northern Plains: Gender and Settlement on the Homestead Frontier, 1870-1930
by Barbara Handy-MarchelloWinner of the 2006 Caroline Bancroft History Prize. "Impressively researched and highly readable, Barbara Handy-Marchello's analysis of North Dakota farm women's roles will become the standard by which other works on the subject will be judged." Paula M. Nelson, author of The Prairie Winnows Out Its Own. In Women of the Northern Plains, Barbara Handy-Marchello tells the stories of the unsung heroes of North Dakota's settlement era: the farm women. As the men struggled to raise and sell wheat, the women focused on barnyard labor-raising chickens and cows and selling eggs and butter-to feed and clothe their families and maintain their households through booms and busts. Handy-Marchello details the hopes and fears, the challenges and successes of these women-from the Great Dakota Boom of the 1870s and '80s to the impending depression and drought of the 1930s. Women of the frontier willingly faced drudgery and loneliness, cramped and unconventional living quarters, the threat of prairie fires and fierce blizzards, and the isolation of homesteads located miles from the nearest neighbor. Despite these daunting realities, Dakota farm women cultivated communities among their distant neighbors, shared food and shelter with travelers, developed varied income sources, and raised large families, always keeping in sight the ultimate goal: to provide the next generation with rich, workable land. Enlivened by interviews with pioneer families as well as diaries, memoirs, and other primary sources, Women of the Northern Plains uncovers the significant and changing roles of Dakota farm women who were true partners to their husbands, their efforts marking the difference between success and failure for their families. Barbara Handy-Marchello is a history professor at the University of North Dakota.
Women of the Pandemic: Stories from the Frontlines of COVID-19
by Lauren McKeonThe story of the pandemic is the story of women. This riveting narrative offers an account of COVID-19, reminding us of women's leadership and resilience, reflecting back hope and humanity as we all figure out a new normal, together.Throughout history, men have fought, lost, and led us through the world's defining crises. That all changed with COVID-19. In Canada, women's presence in the response to the pandemic has been notable. Women are our nurses, doctors, PSWs. Our cashiers, long-haulers, cooks. In Canada, women are leading the fast-paced search for a vaccine. They are leading our provinces and territories. At home, they are leading families through self-isolation, often bearing the responsibility for their physical and emotional health. They are figuring out what working from home looks like, and many of them are doing it while homeschooling their kids. Women crafted the blueprint for kindness during the pandemic, from sewing masks to kicking off international mutual-aid networks. And, perhaps not surprisingly, women have also suffered some of the biggest losses, bearing the brunt of our economic skydive. Through intimate portraits of Canadian women in diverse situations and fields, Women of the Pandemic is a gripping narrative record of the early months of COVID-19, a clear-eyed look at women's struggles, which highlights their creativity, perseverance, and resilience as they charted a new path forward during impossible times.
Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha
by Lesley DownerEver since Westerners arrived in Japan, they have been intrigued by Japanese womanhood and, above all, by geisha. This fascination has spawned a wealth of extraordinary fictional creations, from Puccini's Madame Butterfly to Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. But as denizens of a world defined by silence and mystery, real geisha are notoriously difficult to meet and even to find. As a result, their history has long been cloaked in secrecy. Lesley Downer, an award-winning writer, Japanese scholar, and consummate storyteller, gained more access to this world than almost any other Westerner, and spent several months living in it. In Women of the Pleasure Quarters, she weaves together intimate portraits of modern geisha with the romantic legends and colorful historical tales that shape their fascinating past. Contrary to popular opinion, geisha are not prostitutes but, literally, "arts people." Accomplished singers, dancers, and musicians, they are, above all, masters of the art of conversation, soothing the worries and stroking the egos of wealthy businessmen who can afford their attentions. Looking into such traditions as mizuage, the ritual deflowering that was once a rite of passage for all geisha, and providing colorful descriptions of their dress, training, and homes, Downer transforms their reality into a captivating narrative, and reveals an enthralling world unlike any other.