Enchanted Companions : Stories of Dolls in Our Lives [Hardcover]

Carolyn Michael (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2001

Warm your heart with men and women's captivating memories of their dolls beautifully and uniquely told in Enchanted Companions - Stories of Dolls in Our Lives. Delight in over forty photographs dating from 1904 to the present. From a ninety-two year-old grandmother's to a nine year old child's, these inspiring tales of love and loss, joy and heartbreak, family and culture express the power of dolls in people's lives. Be transported to a time of innocence, trust and enduring companionship as you laugh and cry your way through this artful book of uncommon generosity and beauty.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

I was so moved and inspired by the stories my men and women friends wrote for me, that I decided to self publish them so I could share them in each contributors' own words. I also had an artistic vision for the book, wanting it to reflect the beauty of the stories and the love and generosity with which they were given to me. I hadn't a clue about how to do that, so for the next seven years, as I gathered stories and photographs, I researched how an individual might put a book together. I read a lot of books about publishing, attended lectures and talked to people who know the business. My appreciation for every book I've read grew with each experience. With a lot of help - and I mean enormous, unwavering support and help - from some dear friends and my sister, I was finally able to present my friends and their families with a completed book. We had a grand celebration and several months later, had further cause to celebrate when "Enchanted Companions" won first place for nonfiction in the Writer's Digest National Self Published Book Awards contest.

From the Author

When I heard a woman's poignant story about her only doll, a story she'd kept silent for over 80 years, I was propelled into action. For the next few years, I gathered people's recollections about their dolls. The result is "Enchanted Companions", a heartwarming collection of my friends' memories of their dolls written in their own words and accompanied by photographs pulled from attics across the continent and beyond. * A 5 year-old girl is given a doll companion to ease the pain of leaving her mother and Korean homeland for a new life in America. * A boy stops playing with his beloved G.I. Joes when he feels he has disappointed his brother. * During her 3 year confinement at an internment camp of Japanese-Americans during World War 11, a woman teaches herself and others to make dolls. * A girl weeps when one day she suddenly realizes her dolls are not real.

Each man and woman's story, from a 92 year-old grandmother's to a 9 year-old child's, expresses a truth about the human experience and our need for meaningful connection.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Storyweaver (January 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967911109
• ISBN-13: 978-0967911106
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,567,172 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanted Companion, December 16, 2001

By 

Tracy Robert (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enchanted Companions : Stories of Dolls in Our Lives (Hardcover)

This book was created by Carolyn Michael, her friends, and other contacts as a part of individual and group writing practice. The author states in the introduction that she was inspired by a story written by another participant about her mother's feelings about a special doll. The story is the first story in the book, entitled "Who Would I Tell?" by Susan Berlin. This treasure holds 24 more stories, which the author has been collecting since 1993. This memoir style collection speaks with many voices, including several pieces by children. The stories are brought to life with black and white photos of the dolls that are in each story and by picures of the writers as children. My favorite story in this collection is called, "The Night My Fanny Hit the Wall" by Nina Munk, who was 15 when she wrote this story. She speaks of the touching moment when she realized that her dolls were not real. Carolyn Michael's collection allows each writer to share their own personal experience, while connecting the reader with the common experiences that many of us have shared. I would recommend this book for adults and older children who value the memories of love and friendship with their own special dolls, and for those who want to reflect on a cherished time in childhood.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm, funny, wonderful, poignant and very surprising!, March 1, 2007

By 

Doll Lover (Guerneville, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Enchanted Companions : Stories of Dolls in Our Lives (Hardcover)

All these words describe Carolyn Michael's book Enchanted Companions. But mostly it is full of surprises. None of the stories are predicatable or the sort of stories I would imagine that people would have about dolls. Dolls touch peoples' lives in unexpected ways. My favorites stories were "George Rufus Yoder" and "Bawl Room Dance." Amazing writing and a beautifully put-together book. I want volume two if there is one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book, September 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Enchanted Companions : Stories of Dolls in Our Lives (Hardcover)

filled with heart, laughter, joy and memorable characters. Vintage black and white photos of doll owners and their "enchanted companions" enhance this delightful book. A marvelous gift.