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Publisher:
HarperTorch / HarperCollins |
Release
Date: July 27 2004 (reprint) |
ISBN:
0061008079 |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Paperback |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Fiction |
Reviewed:
2004 |
Reviewer:
Patricia Aliventi |
Reviewer
Notes: |
Copyright
MyShelf.com |
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A Woman of Substance
By Barbara Taylor
Bradford
We've
come a long way, baby! Twenty-five years ago Barbara Taylor Bradford
first published "A Woman of Substance," depicting the
life story of Emma Harte. At the time, this character was an anomaly:
a strong, independent woman in control of some of the largest corporations
in the world.
Not
only has Emma come a long way from her beginnings as a house-maid
to a British Squire in a Northern English town, but we've come such
a long way since the book was first published. At times, this shows
quite a bit. The novelty of a strong woman at the helm of a corporation
went out with Alexis Carrington. No longer do the majority of people
regard homosexuality as "sexual perversion." Women generally
are not able to use the fact that men in the boardroom automatically
dismiss them as just another pretty face as a tool to subvert their
power.
However, the
book serves as a great reminder of how far we've come, especially
from Emma's inauspicious beginnings. Her single-minded pursuit of
power and money, thinking that will be the only thing to protect
her in the world, lead her to make some poor decisions. After one
loveless marriage she enters into purely for the protection a man
offers her, followed by another marriage disaster, she finds the
love of her life, only to realize she can never be his wife.
Barbara
Taylor Bradford does an excellent job of characterizing Emma as
a young woman and showing the dearth of choices or slim possibilities
for any sort of future for a young peasant girl. At the same time,
she's given Emma enough depth that I found myself rooting for her
and at times unable to put the book down, wanting to see how she
would arrive to the point at which the book began. Most of the story
is told as a flashback after beginning with Emma as an older lady.
At times
the pacing is off. Certain portions of Emma's life are told in great
detail, while others are simply glossed over. However, I still found
myself not wanting to put the book down. It's a terrific book which
will make any woman appreciate the opportunities we now have.
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