Backwards in High Heels: The Impossible Art of Being Female [Hardcover]

Tania Kindersley (Author), Sarah Vine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 2010

This smart and frank collection distills the trials and triumphs of being a woman, all in a gifty volume filled with whimsical fullcolor illustrations. In 15 subject-driven chapters relevant to women of all ages, authors Tania Kindersley and Sarah Vine’s essays cover topics ranging from feminism to face cream, motherhood to money, and politics to perfection. Titles like “The Danger of Romantic Love,” “Why There is No Such Thing as a Guilt-Free Working Mother,” “How Not to Go Mad,” parts 1 and 2, and “Why There is No Excuse for Bad Sex” develop into a tuned and sophisticated voice that is at once a mother, best friend, and shrink, revising expectations, bashing stereotypes, and illuminating the experience of life.

This is the ultimate sophisticated gift for any woman of any age. Both young and old will find familiarity in the admonitions, recollections, and powerful advice of two writers who have done it all. This “brilliant feat of realism,” so called by the Sunday Times Magazine, gently guides the way without claiming to have all the answers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

October 15, 2009, Plum Sykes, author of Society Girls, Bergdorf Blondes, and The Debutante Divorcée
"This book is the best friend I always wish I had: funny, witty, intelligent."

October 15, 2009, Lulu Guinness, British fashion designer and author of Put on Your Pearls, Girls!
"It's simply brilliant: buy it and give it to all your friends"

Harper’s Bazaar
“From feminism to face cream, Backwards in High Heels is a witty collection of essays about the joy and pain of being a lady.”

About the Author

Tania Kindersley has published six novels and her writing has appeared in various publications, including The Times of London and the Guardian. She lives in Gloucester with two black dogs and a pair of Gloucester Old Spot pigs.

Sarah Vine is a writer and editor at The Times of London. She co-authored The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls. Sarah lives in West London with her husband, two naughty children, and a naughtier Jack Russell.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (March 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762438819
• ISBN-13: 978-0762438815
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tania Kindersley is a British author. She has published seven novels, and written widely for various British newspapers and magazines. Backwards in High Heels is her first foray into non-fiction. She lives high up in North-East Scotland with two excellent black dogs and one very grumpy pig.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read!, June 17, 2010

By 

S. Levi (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Backwards in High Heels: The Impossible Art of Being Female (Hardcover)

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What a FUN book! The title immediately piqued my interest - it's a reference to one of my favorite quotes of all time, attributed to (or about) Ginger Rogers, it's about how Ginger had to do everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in high heels (meaning, obviously, that she had to be every bit as talented as he with an added degree or two of difficulty!) I love the design, as well. It's girly but not cutesy; feminine but not weak. It's pink, but a BOLD pink!

This book has so much going for it, I don't even know where to start. It offers candid observations, witticisms, and smart and applicable advice on every aspect of being female. The topics that are covered in this thorough tome are Love, Food, Career, Men, Health, Politics, Philosophy of Life and Self-Esteem, Dressing and Shopping, Motherhood and Family, Money, Grief, Age, Beauty, Sex, and possibly the most amusing chapter of them all, The Practical Chapter. This offers actual recipes and some random (but very helpful, astute) nuggets of advice they couldn't fit in elsewhere.

This book is NOT "The Rules" nor is it Sex & the City. It may, perhaps, have a bit of "He's Just Not That Into You" thrown in, among other things. (However, if it gets made into a Drew Barrymore movie, I'm going to cry.) It does give great advice on dating, men in general, and every single subject you can think of that relates to a woman's life - and not just one kind of woman but all of them: stay at home moms, career-driven women, singles, marrieds, and everyone in between.

I highly recommend this book to ANY woman of ANY age. Everyone should have this on their bookshelf or nightstand. Give it to your mom for Mother's Day, a neighbor for Christmas, your aunt for her birthday, a college-bound daughter or niece. It's fun, educational, inspiring, hilarious, eye-opening, and quite entertaining. This is the book you never knew (or maybe you did know) you needed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A keeper, March 29, 2010

By 

Kristine Hale (Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Backwards in High Heels: The Impossible Art of Being Female (Hardcover)

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There are a lot of reviews that mention this book being like having a discussion over cocktails with a good friend. I couldn't think of a better description than that. Just as you may disagree with a friend, you will probably find yourself disagreeing with the authors. Just as you may find insight and humor in a discussion, you will find that here. And like any good friend, you will love this book despite its flaws, shortcomings or assumptions. You will love it for its witty, humorous style and relatability.

Sitting down with this book makes you feel like you are not alone in being a woman that doesn't fit into the categories that fashion magazines and bad television would have us believe we must fit in. It is a book I would recommend to any woman and one that I will keep on my shelf for those days when it feels like I have been walking against the wind.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book about "the impossible art of being female", July 30, 2010

By 

L. Abel (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Backwards in High Heels: The Impossible Art of Being Female (Hardcover)

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Backwards in High Heels is an insightful and charming collection of essays on what it means to be a woman. The 15 chapters cover topics from relationships, gender roles, work, and so much more. (A particular favorite of mine is "The Danger of Romantic Love.") In today's celebrity and image obsessed culture it's refreshing to read essays about women that focus on quality issues. Similarly the encouraging tone that promotes sisterhood instead of jealously is a welcome change. I also really enjoyed the style of the book itself. With a beautiful cover and colorful designs throughout the book, this is a book that looks good on your shelf.

What I liked best is the conversational tone. The essays are like a conversation you would have with a smart and funny girlfriend. The style of the book makes it very approachable. You can read a section here and there when you have a minute.

This would make a great gift for the fellow women in your life: mothers, daughters, aunts, friends, etc.