How many of these remarkable women have you heard of?
Sei Shonagon | Margaret Catchpole | Mary Hayden Russell | Harriet Ann Jacobs | Isabella Beeton | Mary Kingsley | Nellie Bly | Daisy Ashford | Ada Blackjack | Dang Thuy Tram | Doris Pilkington Garimara
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“Scribbling Women“ True Tales from Astonishing Lives Written by Marthe Jocelyn Category: Juvenile Nonfiction – Biography & Autobiography – Historical; Juvenile Nonfiction – Girls & Women Imprint: Tundra Books Format: Hardcover Pub Date: March 2011 Age: 14 UP Trim Size: 6 x 9 # of Pages: 208 pages ISBN: 978-0-88776-952-8 (0-88776-952-7)CDN Price: $21.99 / US Price: $19.95 |
| ABOUT THIS BOOK
In 1855, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote to his publisher, complaining about the irritating fad of “scribbling women.” Whether they were written by professionals, by women who simply wanted to connect with others, or by those who wanted to leave a record of their lives, those “scribbles” are fascinating, informative, and instructive.Margaret Catchpole was a transported prisoner whose eleven letters provide the earliest record of white settlement in Australia. Writing hundreds of years later, Aboriginal writer Doris Pilkington-Garimara wrote a novel about another kind of exile in Australia. Young Isabella Beeton, one of twenty-one children and herself the mother of four, managed to write a groundbreaking cookbook before she died at the age of twenty-eight. World traveler and journalist Nelly Bly used her writing to expose terrible injustices. Sei Shonagan has left us poetry and journal entries that provide a vivid look at the pampered life and intrigues in Japan’s imperial court. Ada Blackjack, sole survivor of a disastrous scientific expedition in the Arctic, fought isolation and fear with her precious Eversharp pencil. Dr. Dang Thuy Tram’s diary, written in a field hospital in the steaming North Vietnamese jungle while American bombs fell, is a heartbreaking record of fear and hope. Many of the women in “Scribbling Women” had eventful lives. They became friends with cannibals, delivered babies, stole horses, and sailed on whaling ships. Others lived quietly, close to home. But each of them has illuminated the world through her words. PRAISE FOR FOLLY: Kirkus
PRAISE FOR WOULD YOU?:
“It is difficult to overstate the brilliance of Would You?” – The Globe and Mail “…[an] exquisitely honed novel….” – Starred Review,
Publisher’s Weekly
PRAISE FOR A HOME FOR FOUNDLINGS:
“This fascinating tribute…is an excellent snapshot of the life of a foundling…. It is this personal connection to the history that makes Jocelyn’s book resonate with the reader. Her research is heartfelt and it shows in her work.” –
VOYA
“…this is a riveting read.”
– The Toronto Star
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My Review:
When Tundra Books offered me to participate in the “Scribbling Women” Blog Tour, I didn’t want to pass on the chance. “Scribbling Women”, written with a youth audience in mind, wonderfully detailed and concise illustrates the complex lives of 11 remarkable women in history: Sei Shonagon, Margaret Catchpole, Mary Hayden Russell, Harriet Ann Jacobs, Isabella Beeton, Mary Kingsley, Nellie Bly, Daisy Ashford, Ada Blackjack, Dang Thuy Tram, and Doris Pilkington Garmara. Each of these amazing women put forth attempts at breaking through their “traditional moulds”, in their day. Their accounts (diaries, letters, memoirs, novels, etc.) provide us with historical ‘records’ their lives, and of how society’s outlook was at that time.
Jocelyn highlights each woman within just a few pages, and also in chronological order. Researched and presented well, this book exemplifies how these women’s steps (albeit difficult for them), strengthened the foundation of the ground women walk on today. I like how each chapter can be read individually; this is great for our youth to be able to take in each woman’s tale separately; ultimately be able to give each woman’s life the focus it deserves. The book is a rich ‘history lesson’ in the complex and important ‘History of Women’. I would recommend this book for adults and youth alike; it’s a great tribute to these remarkable women, a great tribute to all women, and so very important to have included in our history.
You can also follow @TundraBooks, @scissorhouse, and the bloggers on twitter! We will be using the hashtag #ScribblingWomen
Not only does Tundra Books have a blog tour, they are also running a contest! Let’s just say that the prize quite amazing!
The prize: A collection of Marthe Jocelyn books – for the very young to young adults! That’s 28 books!
What do you have to do to enter? Follow the blog tour and leave a comment on any of the participating blogs, but it must be on their “Scribbling Women” blog tour posts. So, don’t leave a comment at Talking with Tundra, go visit the bloggers’ posts! Tundra will be updating the links daily to make it easier for you to follow the blog tour and enter the giveaway.
Details: Here’s the best part, you can leave a comment on ALL of the blogs and that will count as 31 entries! Spamming doesn’t count, so one thoughtful comment per blog please.
Dates: Contest starts on Monday, March 28, 2011 and closes on Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 11:49pm EST. One winner will be randomly selected and announced on Monday, April 11, 2011 to receive the prize.
Stay tuned for all of the tour stops!
I was fortunate to have been given the opportunity to interview Marthe Jocelyn; given that Marthe might be overwhelmed with this blog tour, I chose to keep the interview light and short.
Thank you Marthe, for answering all of my questions! I am honoured to include your answers to my questions:
“ I would love to know more about your personal life; as well as what goes on, in a regular day, in the life of an author. How do you manage your time? Where do you find your inspiration? If you hadn’t become an author, what would you have been inclined to do? Is there a goal or a dream you have not yet fulfilled?”
I would love to know more about your personal life…
Hmmm, not much reader interest there I’m afraid. I moved back to Canada two years ago, after about thirty years in New York City. I live in Stratford, Ontario, in a house that belonged to my grandparents. My daughters are both grown; one lives in Toronto and the other in Philadelphia. I currently live alone, with work and work-related travel being my main occupations.
Pretty dull, eh?
No horse-thieving or whaling or cannibal encounters, no undercover exploits or escape from whipping… I hardly qualify as a scribbling woman!
What goes on, in a regular day, in the life of an author?
Well, it depends on the season as to where I write, my favorite being a table on my front porch overlooking the street. There is no regular day for an author, but a regular week for me will certainly hold most of the following: going to the library, sitting on a train, going to the theatre, reading a book, taking a walk, taking photographs, cutting shapes out of paper, working at my treadmill desk, shifting piles of notes, checking email, thinking about what to make for supper… pretty much like anyone’s life.
How do you manage your time?
Not very well! But currently I’m following the advice of Laurie Halse Anderson who suggests that a To-Do list is not quite enough. More effective than just listing the tasks for the day is to write down at what TIME you’re going to perform them. If you cooperate with yourself, this gives a structure to your work life that faintly resembles having a job out in the real world.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Although I’ve certainly had moments where it feels as though the storm clouds have parted to reveal a radiant sun, those moments usually last for the three minutes that you can see it happen in nature. “Inspiration” is rare and fleeting. Much more useful is thinking, or better yet, not thinking too much while typing – or scribbling – steadily, until one nice sentence leads to another and before you know it you have a paragraph.
If you hadn’t become an author, what would you have been inclined to do?
Before writing professionally, I was a designer of toys and children’s clothing. I probably would have just kept doing that if I hadn’t begun selling my books. You can see that background if you look at my picture books – they are illustrated with collage, often using fabric and toy-looking characters.
Is there a goal or a dream you have not yet fulfilled?
Most of my unfulfilled dreams have to do with visiting countries that I would love to see – or places where I’d like to live for a couple of months – like Ireland, Prague, Newfoundland, Savannah, Nigeria, New Zealand… the list is too long to fit into a lifetime.
That must give an incredible sense of continuity to live in your grandparents’ house. I love looking at old family portraits of both relatives I was able to know and those I wasn’t. And of course, nothing beats a window overlooking the porch. They don’t build houses like that anymore.
Pingback: “Scribbling Women” Blog Tour: Day 5 « Talking with Tundra
Yes, I have an over-developed sense of personal history, what with an attic and cellar full of other generations’ cast-offs, including trunks full of letters that I haven’t even read yet. Whew.
Thanks, Jeannine, for hosting my book on your blog. I’m glad you pointed out that each chapter/woman can be read individually. I think that will make the book useful in a classroom.
Thank you for visiting my blog and for your comments. You’re an amazing woman.
i agree that each chapter stands alone. it is a nice thing occasionally to pick up a book you can open and read comfortably from any point.
I’m still learning new stuff about Marthe. Cool. Another great stop on this tour.
Good day Max here, Enjoy your website listed here at http://mybitsandbleeps.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/tundra-books-%E2%80%9Cscribbling-women%E2%80%9D-blog-tour/ and I have went ahead and even linked this to it on the “sites we like” section of the page so that some people can see the idea also. Check it out at {site removed as it is unknown to me} you could possibly find it engaging and I encourage you to have a look.
Thank you for your comment.