Customer Reviews

Tapestries of Life: Women's Work, Women's Consciousness, and the Meaning of Daily Experience

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As a student and African American woman, I found the work of Aptheker amazing fitting to my experiences as a woman in American society. From the beginning of her work, she focuses on changing the way we think and see ourselves as women, all to often we have become so engross by the stereoypes of being a woman that instead of dispeling them, we only reinforce their negativety. This book was remarkably balanced and covered all aspects and roles of women lives sex, race, images, status, the mother, activist and artist. I would recommend this book to those who want to change the way they interact with not only others but ourselves. Within all of our communities, the women build a tapestry and there we find our culture, heritage, morals, heroes and strength. In the genuis of Bettina Aptheker these images our brought to life. She brings value to the dailiness of women, a mother who becomes the educator, provides food, moral, stablity, is lifted up to the status she deserves. The most powerful element of her work, was the respect she paid to race. Race is and will always be a major factor within American society, by taking a critical look at the experiences of women of difference races we are able to see there commonalties. You will not regret purchasing this book.

Being an artist, I am constantly spending hours and hours working on crafts, painting, drawing etc. Apetheker's idea that Art can tell the truth like nothing else really opened my eyes as to how I am expressing what I value through art. Before reading this it had never really occurred to me. I remember as a little girl looking at my mom's thumbtack collection. She had beautiful glass and ceramic thumbtacks from all around the world. After reading this book I realized that this is her way of expressing herself creatively. My mom has always loved to sew, and by collecting these thumb tacks it shows how much she values that. I loved how much I could relate to this book, I have always thought that women expressed themselves so much more creatively than men, in my opinion anyways, and it was just so interesting to read about that subject.

I bought this book for my women's studies class. The name goes perfectly with it. In this book the author tell many stories of her life. She includes the work of several other women authors. Bettina also shares her life as a lesbian and as a strong activist. Her book gave me another perspective on how important women's lives are no matter what their social status, race, sexual preference or whether they are professionals or stay at home moms. Bettina Aptheker strongly believes that women should break the mold that society has created for them. A mother who many times feels as a failure is been lifted to the importance she deserves for the contributions to our society. Women are maximized to their full potential. If you are looking for a change of view on women of all creed, race, social status, or sexual preference, I recommend you read this book. Bettina Aptheker is an example of women who want change and do something about it.

Upon reading this book I realized the complexity and importance of the communication of ones dailiness through all creative medium is the key to understanding the actual lives women live. The lessons I've learned from the women in my life, were subtly learned through observation and stories I've been told. All of the stories that the women in my life have shared with me, have shaped me to see the purpose and importance in being a woman. In the reading so far I have been able to relate to many of the stories the poems represented. The themes of Daily Resistance is Activism, Art Can tell the Truth Like Nothing Else Can and Personal Testimony is Valid are brought into awareness through this book and I highly recommend this book to all people.

The bottom line is that you are curious about this book and what it can offer you. I submit to you that this book will not only enlighten you but also expand your capacity for empathy.

Enlightenment; from the way you see the world, expect that to grow and widen to encompass even more possibilities. Aptheker is a great author who combines personal stories and the daily lives of the individual in a conscience way that anyone can understand. I didn't know what to expect from the book, the cover isn't very inviting and the preconception I had was that I expected this book to be the same as so many others. The truth is, that it isn't like any other book out there. The stories can rock you to your core and will threaten to toss your emotions in a tussle.

The book isn't standard reading, it offers you the chance to empathize with another person through a vivid and traumatic part of their life. These are tales of heroism and freedom, the stuff of legend, mixed with modern perspective. The historical and testimonial outlook also sheds light on the transformation of the human condition. What is the American dream? The struggle of so many and the determination of the author take you on a dramatic journey in this book.

I hope you enjoy this book!

Through Bettina Aptheker's Tapestries of Life book I was able to get a glimpse into lives of women from different backgrounds, nationalities, colors, and upbringings. Aptheker included short excerpts from books by strong women who wrote about women. The book has a great story about a life of a Japanese woman who described her mother's bound feet and what that part of womanhood in Japan entailed. I read about a Chicano culture and how women with that background handled life and independence by expressing themselves while still working in the kitchen and acting out all the traditional roles as women.

The best part I found about the book is when Aptheker writes about personal experience and validity of what a woman feels. When describing motherhood and experience of being a mother, Aptheker brought an example from the book Of Woman Born by Adrienne Rich. In doing so, she brought home a point that by reading this book she personally didn't understand the meaning of it until she learned to accept the concepts in the book from the writer's perspective and not through analysis weather or not the description was valid. The mere fact that the woman wrote about her feeling was enough to have those feelings accepted and validated. It is with this same approach that Aptheker writes about being a lesbian and coming out to her mother.

Through poetry, Apthker's book told me about women fighting to have a voice. A simple idea of a quilt became a reach description of generations of women's voices. This book was a requirement for my women's studies class but I think that every woman should read it because it tells women about finding a voice as a woman without needing a validation through the eyes of men.

Aptheker's book serves as a concise introduction to women's studies and as an interesting read. The thing I admire most is her willingness to incorporate other women writer's work within her book -- to let women speak for themselves. She weaves their unique voices into her "Tapestries" and I think the product gives and accurate and powerful look into the meaning of the storytelling, daily life, extraordinary struggles, sexuality, and cross-cultural connections of women. She writes in a way that is equally logical and spiritual. This book will not only move you, it will make you think about all the women in your life.