Warning: When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple (Hardcover)

~ Jenny Joseph (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Would make a wonderful gift" -- The Newton Kansan

...changed the face of aging for women in the United States. -- Sandra Martz, founding editor and former publisher of Papier-Mache Press and consummate

Product Description

Voted Britain's best-loved poem by viewers of BBC TV's Bookworm, this perennial favorite with its declaration of defiance against convention appeals to all those with a secret desire to throw off the strictures of propriety and set out deliberately to shock and be outrageous. It sums up this wish perfectly with its pronouncement: 'When I am an old woman I shall wear purple/With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me/I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired/And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells." Reprinted here as a gift book with line drawings by Pythia Ashton-Jewell, this edition of the classic is ideal both for those who know and love the poem and for those who have yet to relish its gleeful anticipation.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Souvenir Press (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0285634119
• ISBN-13: 978-0285634114
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 4.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #59,940 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #21 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Literature & Fiction > Poetry
  #51 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Single Authors > British & Irish
  #67 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Gifts

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hit Home and Made Me Smile..., March 24, 2002

By	laura mancuso (Houston, Tx.) - See all my reviews

I read the book several years back. I loaned it to a friend, and took a Job Transfer shortly thereafter.
Well, needless to say, I think the friend liked the book also.
So, today I am ordering it for my 2 daughters. They are approaching their 40's, and I know they will love it as much as I did.
The Author does an excellent job in depicting that which makes us smile at ourselves, as we grow older. She lets you know that growing old can be a lot of fun.
",,,I shall wear purple", is a very appropriate title. And, when a Woman nears that special time , OLD AGE, wearing purple is almost an unwritten rule.
The Author tells that in Old Age, you can get more respect. If for no other reason, than just being your Old Self.
I highly recommend reading at least twice. You'll never feel the same about yourself.
The picture on the cover and the poem that goes along with it,are alone worth the price of the Book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid!, July 31, 2009

By	Voice of Zip (Greenbrae, CA) - See all my reviews

I heard Jenny Joseph interviewed on NPR many years ago, and have since added a fair amount poetry and writing authored by women to the literature classes I teach. I have found this book to be particularly valuable as regards promoting an increased awareness of women - not just their writing - but also how the human condition is uniquely evinced and exemplified by the women in our world. I also feel that this is an excellent book for discussion and for helping young men begin - while YOUNG - to be sensitive to and respectful of women in general. Gentlemen seem to be a vanishing breed these days; perhaps this book's eloquent poetry and revealing anecdotes about women can help foster a bit more understanding and mutual appreciation. My wife and I have given several copies as gifts, and they have always been well-received.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Now That I Am An Older Woman, August 7, 2005

By	E. Welch - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The poem itself has been around for many years. Bought 3 copies of the book for 2 sisters and a friend - it has really good illustrations to go with the text. Everyone approaching 50 needs this!