Reviews for The Englishwoman in America (Cambridge Library Collection - History)

The average rating for The Englishwoman in America (Cambridge Library Collection - History) based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-09-30 00:00:00 Suzanne Flewelling This book reads like a Christmas family update letter from a distant relative. There are attempts at pithy observation and profundity that come off as sincere, but a bit banal. There are turns of phrase that I can imagine being spoken with that slight hint of self-assessed cleverness that some people exhibit, when talking about themselves in a breathless manner, looking for the approval that affirms just how marvelous they are. And yet, the book has value as a personal view of life in North America in the 1850's and was worth my time for that. Bird is casually racist without any awareness of that fact, but is also genuinely compassionate. She speaks from a position of Christian privilege and superiority, calling the Catholic faith false, while praising her own, without a hint of understanding of the irony. She is supremely judgmental, but also humble in many respects, and clearly loves the travels, and the people who provide for her on the trip. She is very human, and she presents a very human view of the country and its people at that time.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-04-01 00:00:00 Diane Rawls Free download at Librivox, here: Narrated by Sibella Denton. ************************************* *A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains 4 stars *Unbeaten Tracks in Japan TBR *The Englishwoman in America TBR