Comments on: The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway http://www.girldetective.net/?p=1405 Reading, Writing, Movies and Mothering in Minneapolis, Mostly Fri, 15 May 2026 14:57:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: girldetective http://www.girldetective.net/?p=1405&cpage=1#comment-11809 girldetective Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:17:27 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=1405#comment-11809 Mary--no apologies allowed! You have a good memory of the book. I didn't notice her description of her mother as uneducated. She detailed how her mom educated herself, and then how her mother would always support Jill's academic successes. Her criticism of her mother was focused on her unhealthy control issues, as I read it. Kate, I'm glad to hear the others are worth checking out. I'd heard of True North, and am interested to follow it. And your indication of a synchronicity is exactly how I felt when I read the book and it echoed the Wiggins that I'd read and was written so recently, when Conway's was written twenty plus years ago, and chosen at random my my book group. I'll see if I can find that NY article online. Mary–no apologies allowed! You have a good memory of the book. I didn’t notice her description of her mother as uneducated. She detailed how her mom educated herself, and then how her mother would always support Jill’s academic successes. Her criticism of her mother was focused on her unhealthy control issues, as I read it.

Kate, I’m glad to hear the others are worth checking out. I’d heard of True North, and am interested to follow it. And your indication of a synchronicity is exactly how I felt when I read the book and it echoed the Wiggins that I’d read and was written so recently, when Conway’s was written twenty plus years ago, and chosen at random my my book group. I’ll see if I can find that NY article online.

]]> By: Kate http://www.girldetective.net/?p=1405&cpage=1#comment-11807 Kate Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:15:46 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=1405#comment-11807 I loved Conway's memoirs--she has another about her later years in school and then her work in Canada and at Smith. Strangely enough, she was quoted extensively in a recent article in the New Yorker on the firing of the Merrill Lynch CEO. Twice in a 5 day period, after not thinking about her for years. That usually means there's something I should be paying attention to . . . I loved Conway’s memoirs–she has another about her later years in school and then her work in Canada and at Smith. Strangely enough, she was quoted extensively in a recent article in the New Yorker on the firing of the Merrill Lynch CEO. Twice in a 5 day period, after not thinking about her for years. That usually means there’s something I should be paying attention to . . .

]]> By: Mary http://www.girldetective.net/?p=1405&cpage=1#comment-11805 Mary Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:18:13 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=1405#comment-11805 We read this a while back in my book group. I'm terrible at recalling lots of detail (and this was a while ago), but I seem to remember feeling frustrated with her characterizations of her mother as "uneducated". Certainly her mother was not formally educated, and, if I remember correctly, was not happy with the choices she felt she had in her life, but the vast quantities of books she sent for and devoured must still be given some level of respect. Then again, as someone who remains frustrated with much of what passes for formal education, perhaps I'm biased. I'm hoping that I've remembered this book correctly and you're not scratching your head wondering what on earth I'm referring to. :) We read this a while back in my book group. I’m terrible at recalling lots of detail (and this was a while ago), but I seem to remember feeling frustrated with her characterizations of her mother as “uneducated”. Certainly her mother was not formally educated, and, if I remember correctly, was not happy with the choices she felt she had in her life, but the vast quantities of books she sent for and devoured must still be given some level of respect. Then again, as someone who remains frustrated with much of what passes for formal education, perhaps I’m biased.

I’m hoping that I’ve remembered this book correctly and you’re not scratching your head wondering what on earth I’m referring to. :)

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