Customer Reviews

She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a life long poetry lover I've learned that favorite poems take on added beauty and meaning when read by an accomplished actor. Thus finding SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY, a collection of poems selected by Caroline Kennedy and read by such luminaries as Jane Alexander, John Bedford Lloyd, Hope David, and Campbell Scott, has given me great pleasure. To hear beloved words again is always a joy but to hear them in these voices is truly wonderful.

As many know, Kennedy has authored and edited a number of books on constitutional law, American history, politics, and poetry. Now she turns her attention to the passages of a woman's life, selecting poems illustrative of those milestones. We have opportunities to learn again from the wisdom, experience and wit of such superb wordsmiths as Edna St. Vincent Millay, Pablo Neruda, W. H. Auden, W. B. Yeats, Dorothy Parker, and more.

The book is divided into sections that explore and celebrate portions of a woman's life, such as "Falling In Love," "Breaking Up," "Marriage," "Motherhood," "Death and Grief." Kennedy has said that her favorite section is "How To Live" as it "....includes the poems that started this book, and many others, each containing wisdom that has helped me on my own journey."

Although SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY is subtitled A Woman's Journey Through Poems, both men and women will be enriched by these readings as they travel their own life journey.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

Just when it appears poetry has become obsolete, along comes a champion who returns it beautifully to the forefront--to it's rightful place! Caroline Kennedy has compiled a wonderful book which looks at a woman's special journey through life. It elevates the female role to a place of beauty and honor. I loved the format and illustrations. Take off the cover and you will find gorgeous boards as well. This would make a very special Mother's Day gift for the woman who loves books. I love my copy! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Lovely book....and lovely idea, to give the gift of a poem. Thank you, Caroline, for sharing your family's tradition...and reminding me of my mother. She gave me a set of books of poetry, when I was a child, that I continue to cherish. In our family, we all make cards for each other, of every mood and mode. Today, sending your books of poetry to special girls in my family---one being a birthday girl. Hope you continue to share poetry.

This collection of poetry is not your ordinary collection by any means. If I could give it a ten instead of a five I would!

When Caroline Kennedy was a little girl, her mother, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, read poetry to her. I remember from her book The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis that this is where Caroline first began to appreciate poetry.

That deep appreciation for poetry has now translated into an amazing collection of works by many accomplished poets including Anne Sexton, Edna St. Vincent Millay, W.B. Yeats, Rumi, Sylvia Plath, Sappho, Shakespeare, and my personal favorite Mary Oliver--as well as many more.

Some of the poetry will be familiar to readers, some not. Some of the poets will be familiar, some not. Some are traditional, some are very modern. And, if you are already fond of poetry, I'd wager a guess that you're sure to find at least one that can be called "one of your favorites." For me, the absolute best treat was to find, in the "How To Live" section, my very favorite poem--one that I carry with me wherever I go: Mary Oliver's "The Journey." Which one will you choose as your favorite from the collection?

Kennedy has brought together nearly two hundred poems that speak to many of the milestones in every woman's life. Each section is prefaced with a short musing by Kennedy about the theme. What is apparent in all of them is that she is keenly aware of the differences and the common threads that make the collection and this book a perfect one for any and all women.

In her Introduction, Caroline Kennedy shares that each of three friends gave her a poem when she turned fifty. She hung on to them and shared them when it seemed appropriate to do so. She states "That's the gift of poetry--it shapes an endless conversation about the most important things in life." She reflects on her fifty year journey in womanhood through poems that speak of such shared women's topics as falling in love, breaking up, work, clothes and things of this world, motherhood, silence and solitude, growing up, and friendship.

Of women, Kennedy says "Women have always been the weavers of the world, literally and figuratively. We weave people together, we weave the experiences of life into patterns, and we weave our stories into words. Poetry has been one of the ways we do this. Poems distill our deepest emotions into a very few words--words that we can remember, carry with us, and share with others as we talk and weave the cloth of life."

Treat yourself to this soulful collection of poems. Savor the wisdom and beauty found in the words of Kennedy and the poets she has brought into your life. Return to them often. Share them whenever you can. Feel them touch your very soul.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

My daughter just moved to Wa. State from Ga. with her family. I miss her so much. This book will be a perfect expression of how much she is missed and loved.

I ordered 4 copies of this book, one for my wife, one for my mother, one for my mother-in-law and one for my daughter who is also a mother. I figured that 2 of them would like it, but I was shocked when all four read and now quote from it. It was the perfect gift to 3 generations of moms. The poems are short and they can read all night or pick just one when they have time. My suggestion, go for it if you need a nice gift for that special woman in your life.

We bought this for Grandma for Mother's Day and both of us are enjoying it. I will be buying more copies for gifts. It is poems for women, so I wouldn't give this as a high school or college graduation gift, but these poems are like waves of refreshment. I don't know the last time I read a poem before this book, so it is a nice change from novels or self-help or cookbooks, which are my three main reading categories. I'd say this book feels like a mini-vacation or a guilty pleasure you can enjoy throughout the day. I'm sure I wouldn't have discovered this if it didn't get the publicity from being attached to Caroline Kennedy, and I'm very glad I did! Nice to give as a gift, even to someone you don't know very well. Definitely a gift that keeps on giving. Enjoy!

She Walks in Beauty is a "beautiful" collection of poems about women and their journeys through life. I purchased several and have given the books as gifts for retirements, birthdays, and as thank yous. I plan on giving several of the books as Christmas gifts to special women who have made a difference in my life.

Caroline Kennedy's intro to the book is beautifully written and great care was given to the selection of the poems. It is a book that one can read under a tree during the summer or in front of a fire in the winter - whatever time of the year, it will give one a piece of mind and comfort. Oh yes, I saved one of the books as a gift to myself.

This was a beautiful collection of poems. Ms Kennedy does an outstanding job of collecting poems that truly do describe a woman's journey through life. Even if you are not a connoisseur of poetry there is something for you in here, from the heart-warming to the witty. I kept finding poems that I just HAD to share with my girlfriends, husband, and mother. Definitely worth it!

I am so happy with my recent purchase of "She Walks in Beauty". It was a walk down memory lane with the selected collection of poetry, and definitely brought a smile to my face, Thank You.