Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage: Classic Advice for Contemporary Dilemmas [Paperback]

Abigail Grotke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 8, 2006

Since 1998, Miss Abigail’s Time Warp Advice (missabigail.com) has provided classic advice for contemporary dilemmas to readers of all ages, from all walks of life. Author Abigail Grotke offers readers a chance to step back in time as she pulls out relevant quotes, tidbits, and words of wisdom from her collection of old advice books in a quest to solve modern-day problems (she has over 1,000 advice books in her library!). The books span a period from 1822 to 1978 and cover the age-old topics of dating, love, living together, marriage, beauty, puberty, and sex.

While the language is often quaint and curious, the insights provided remain remarkably fresh. This book takes an affectionate look at how advice throughout the ages is still meaningful today.

Combining the best of Miss Abigail’s question and answer columns, each chapter features sidebars containing freestanding tips or selections related to chapter topics. Additional material includes short features on selected authors, silly book titles, and entertaining flap copy or jacket material. Retro book covers, advertisements, "chick-lit"-style line drawings, and other amusing, related ephemera serve to illustrate the book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you're looking for old-fashioned relationship advice...Miss Abigail is your gal."

About the Author

Haunted by a charm-school class in junior high school and the inability to do her own hair or apply makeup, Abigail Grotke has been collecting outdated advice books for almost twenty years. She has an extensive background in print and digital publications and a keen interest in historical materials and pop culture, not to mention a love of crawling around dirty used bookstores to find the perfect book to add to her collection. Grotke has combined selections of advice from her books with witty commentary to create her award-winning Web site, Miss Abigail’s Time Warp Advice, and a high-profile weekly column for the London Times Magazine from September 2001 through February 2003. During the day, Grotke is a digital projects coordinator at the Library of Congress, and has previously worked in the publications office of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In 2004, she was named one of 55 Library Journal “Movers and Shakers,” an annual feature which sets out to identify “emerging leaders in the Library world." She lives in an old house in Takoma Park, Maryland, with her terrier mutts, Frieda and Felix, and amazing collection of ice crushers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press (February 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560258357
• ISBN-13: 978-1560258353
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,794,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Haunted by a charm school class in junior high school and the inability to do her own hair or apply makeup, Miss Abigail (also known as Abigail Grotke) has been collecting classic advice books for over twenty-five years. She has an extensive background in print and digital publications and a keen interest in historical materials and pop culture, not to mention a love of crawling around dirty used bookstores to find the perfect book to add to her collection. She has combined selections of advice from her books with witty commentary to create her award-winning Web site, Miss Abigail's Time Warp Advice, and a high-profile weekly column for the London Times Magazine from September 2001 through February 2003. During the day, she works on digital library projects for the Library of Congress, and has previously worked in the publications office of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In 2004 she was named one of Library Journal's "Movers and Shakers," an annual feature, which sets out to identify "emerging leaders in the Library world." She lives in a vintage house in Takoma Park, Maryland, with her husband Denis Malloy and their terrier mutts Lulu and Felix.

Visit http://www.MissAbigail.com for more information and to see the site that started it all!

Note from the Author: The new book is coming! It should be available on Amazon soon... !

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars better than dear abby, March 15, 2006

By 

jebaer "jebaer" (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage: Classic Advice for Contemporary Dilemmas (Paperback)

This is a funny, nostalgic and wonderful book. Miss Abigail has a genuine affection for her subject and it shows.

Using texts from the early 20th century and even earlier she manages to find bits of advice that you will want to remember:"The more mature girl knows that she doesn't need to resort to either slapping or running in order to deal with the too-amorous boyfriend. She wards off unwelcome behavior with a firm refusal to cooperate, accompanied by a knowing smile and a suggestion of some alternate activity. She may say "Not now Ambrose--let's go get a hamburger, I'm hungry."

Miss Abigail covers almost everything from going steady to getting married. Even though the advice is vintage it's still good (hamburgers notwithstanding). Miss Abigail is funnier and smarter than Dear Abby and she has better hair too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quaint but timely, March 23, 2006

By 

Linda G. Salisbury "author of the Bailey Fish... (Mineral, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage: Classic Advice for Contemporary Dilemmas (Paperback)

This is a delightful compilation of advice that while quaint and quirky, is every so timley. It is what our mothers and grandmothers told us, and probably what we told our children. I love the beauty tips, and what to say on dates. It is a must-read for brides, and those who date or want to learn how to behave in social situations. I plan to read it often and buy a number of copies for wedding and birthday presents.

5.0 out of 5 stars Tongue in cheek humor, August 5, 2006

By 

Linda A. Joseph "Give me a DEAR day!" (DC Suburbs, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, and Marriage: Classic Advice for Contemporary Dilemmas (Paperback)

This book will have you grinning and grimacing at etiquette over the years. If your mother ever told you that "nice girls don't wear black underwear," this book will give you some insights into what her mother may have said to her... and back a few generations to boot.