About this title: At the turn of the century, a time when women had few choices, Bess Steed Garner inherits a legacy - not only of wealth but of determination and desire, making her truly a woman of independent means. From the early 1900s through the 1960s, we accompany Bess as she endures life's trials and triumphs with unfailing courage and indomitable spirit: the sacrifices love sometimes requires of the heart, the flaws and rewards of marriage, the often-tested bond between mother and child, and the will to defy a society that demands conformity. Told in letters we follow the remarkable life of Bess Steed ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Viking Adult
Date Published: 1978-05-26
ISBN-13:9780670777952ISBN:0670777951
Description: Fair. Former Library Book. Clean copy with normal wear for condition. Shelf wear is normal or better for the condition. May have book store stamp, price marking or former owner name. Dust Jacket may have a few small tears in it. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Viking Adult
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780670866045ISBN:0670866040
Description: Good. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (including dustcover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "from the library of" labels. read more
"A Woman of Independent Means is a little saga that follows the life of Bess, a woman living through the tumultuous first half of the 20th century. It is a time of war, of depression and hardship, of a blossoming women's rights movement and confusion over modernity and tradition. Bess stumbles through each of these obstacles throughout her life. The book is written in a letter format, which is a little annoying, because the reader must figure out who the letter is to, what the date is, what events Bess is referring to, etc. It's a bit distracting and I believe it takes away from the meaning of the book. It's also a liiiittle bit corny, I think, akin to those fake diaries of made up young girls that I used to gobble up as a kid. I like the ideas presented in the book, however, and I love Bess's strength as well as the different women's issues discussed, such as Bess's boredom at having to leave society during her pregnancy. I'm also sort of a sucker for the whole "person's life throughout the eras" genre of fiction. I love watching character development and aging. No matter what I thought of the book itself or its style, by the end I certainly felt close to Bess. No, really."
"Through a series of letters, this woman offers glimpses into her life from 1900-1960s as she deals with love, family, and an independent means that not only encompasses some financial freedom and business savvy but characteristic traits. While the premise was interesting, I found the woman to be less so - and also discovered, half way through I had read the book before but did not recall. That says it all."
"I am going to finish this book, but I am not happy about it. I tend to find epistolary novels a little lazily done and this one does an especially bad job of fleshing out other characters. As for the protagonist, she is an overbearing nightmare. I also got the impression early on that her husband was cheating on her, but never got any confirmation on this. I wouldn't blame him."
"Although I like the basic premise of this epistolary novel, I quickly became impatient with the voice of the narrator and the exhaustive yet often unremarkable and/or repetitive detail. I would have liked to have seen a steeper learning curve in Bess over her long lifetime; she seemed extremely self-centered throughout. There were some good little surprises, though, and I did like the last entry."
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