Generations of Women: In Their Own Words [Hardcover]

Mariana Cook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 1998

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A pearl of wisdom passed along from mother to daughter can be far more valuable and often more lasting than any heirloom treasure. Generations of Women captures the gems that women bequeath each other generation after generation: knowledge from experience; strength from perseverance; courage; love; and determination. With a candid introduction by Jamaica Kincaid, this newest celebration of inheritance by Mariana Cook follows the success of her Fathers and Daughters and Mothers and Sons. Spanning as many as five generations, Cook turns her camera to women of all backgrounds and perspectives. Here mothers and daughters speak from every stage of life, sharing their own stories in their own voices -- each lluminated by Cook's graceful portraits. The result is a frank and uplifting record of women's lives, the legacies they share, and the differences that shape who they are. Through photographs and dialogues, Generations of Women reveals the unbreakable bonds that hold the women of a family together.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Because many of the handsome family portraits in this album of mothers and daughters are set against a velvety black background, the women jump out at the viewer with almost nothing to distract the eye. Some of the photos are arresting-Whoopi Goldberg en famille, for example--and others more plebian, but it's a pleasure to trace the generations through similarities to the eyes or hands, or, in the case of adopted children, a certain stance. Jamaica Kincaid contributes a dark and incantatory opening essay. "I have a mother, and I know her now and she had a mother; her mother is now dead," she writes. "...I knew that woman, my mother's mother; I know her more deeply and more fully than if I had spent every day of my childhood life with her." Brief paragraphs from each of the other women photographed point up the complex connection between mothers and daughters. What makes these texts particularly piquant is the words women choose to define their relationships when only a few are allowed. --Francesca Coltrera

About the Author

Mariana Cook was born in New York City, where she still resides. A protegee of Ansel Adams, Cook has photographed dozens of today's most admired and controversial writers, artists, and public figures--many of whom she has paired with their daughters for this volume.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 108 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 3, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811819078
• ISBN-13: 978-0811819077
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,192,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With words and photos, a beautiful tribute to the family., July 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Generations of Women: In Their Own Words (Hardcover)

Marianna Cook renders each family so beautifully with her camera. With words and photographs, this book beautifully chronicles women and their families. No two portraits are alike, and everyone telling of the relationships shared within each.

Accompanying each portrait are interviews of the family members, some surface, but mostly poignant revelations about the relationships that they share with one another. I know that this book will touch everyone, not just those pictured within its cover.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at women in the family., November 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Generations of Women: In Their Own Words (Hardcover)

What is most interesting is how Ms. Cook captures the relationships of the women pictured in her photographs. You get a real sense of the proximity or the distance between family members. This book is a loving tribute to the family and would be a great gift to someone in your own.