True North: A Memoir [Paperback]

Jill Ker Conway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1995

Conway's The Road from Coorain presents a vivid memoir of coming of age in Australia. In 1960, however, she had reached the limits of that provincial--and irredeemably sexist--society and set off for America. True North--the testament of an extraordinary woman living in an extraordinary time--te lls the profound story of the challenges that confronted Conway, as she sought to establish her public self.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Conway continues her autobiography in this follow up to The Road from Coorain, picking up with her arrival in the U.S. to begin graduate studies at Harvard, and culminating with her being named the first woman president of Smith College in 1975.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-Following The Road from Coorain (Knopf, 1989), Conway leaves Australia to discover the freedom of open inquiry at Harvard University, and to break away from her mother's oppressive demands. For the first time, she forms true friendships with other women and develops a sense of confidence and happiness that becomes almost complete when she marries Professor John Conway, her "true north" (compass point). The Conways face serious challenges as they move to Canada where the author teaches history and later becomes vice president of Toronto University. As the book ends, she is president of Smith College. Conway writes in a clear, brisk, literary style that is readable, engaging, and sometimes lyrical. She details successes and pleasures as well as personal sorrows and disappointments that require background knowledge from the earlier title. The final third of the book is a technical discussion of university-administration issues and of less general appeal, but good for readers interested in academic careers. Mature YAs seeking biography or women's studies will find Conway's continuing journey a fascinating one.
Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st edition (August 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679744614
• ISBN-13: 978-0679744610
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars truth about academia, February 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: True North: A Memoir (Paperback)

This "sequel" to Road From Coorain was not a disappointment. It is beautifully written, sensitive and so clearly represents what it was (and still is) like for women in academia. As a young woman in higher education, I know that I will read this book again and again. It affirms the experiences of women who are climbing the tenure ladder in an old boys network that does not welcome women and provides the mentorship that we so desperately need.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, January 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: True North: A Memoir (Paperback)

Jill Ker Conway is not only a master of narrative prose, but also her life serves as an example from which many individuals, not just women, can learn from and relate to. Her description of her graduate experience at Harvard sounds ideal, her description of academea's treatment of women past and present is relative, and her dedication to helping others through her administrative posts at both the University of Toronto and Smith College are invigorating. She personifies what academea is about - examining issue's in microscopic detail and helping to make the institution better.

This book is particulary relevant to women in academea for the aforementioned reasons, and for the fact that Conway describes how she helped change these situations at the University of Toronto by organizing her female colleagues to obtain more equitable pay in comparison to their male colleagues.

I would gladly recommend this book to anyone in higher education, either student or faculty, or anyone interested in persuing the study of history at the graduate level.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YOUNG WOMEN, READ THIS! Find out now ..., October 26, 2000

By 

jumpy1 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: True North: A Memoir (Paperback)

I am grateful to Ms. Conway for baring the truth, as a service to those who need to hear it. I can see that her personal rantings have annoyed other readers, but my response was to the contrary. I have had similar experiences in the corporate world as a woman, and am grateful to find someone to back up my observations. Jill Conway proves that she will not back down to anyone who stands in the way of progress when she has a good idea, and those few who interpret it as antagonistic to their agendas, I suggest they re-examine said agendas, and not blame one of the few who actually succeeds in getting things done for the good, in spite of hopeless bureaucracy.