The most popular question any pregnant woman is asked -- aside from "When are you due?" -- has got to be "Are you having a girl or a boy?" When author Andrea Buchanan was pregnant with her daughter, she was thrilled to be expecting a girl. Some people were happy for her; visions of flouncy pink dresses and promises of mother-daughter bonding were the predictable responses. Other people, though, were concerned: "Is your husband OK with that?" "You can try again." "Girls are tough." This mixed message led her to explore the issue herself, with help from her fellow writers and moms, many of whom had had the same experience. As she did in It's a Boy: Women Writers on Raising Sons, Buchanan and her contributors take on what it's really like to raise a child-in this case, a girl-from babyhood to adulthood. It's a Girl, is a wide-ranging, often humorous, and honest collection of essays about the experience of the mother-daughter bond, taking on topics like "princess power" ("Shining, Shimmering, Splendid"), adding a girl to a brood of boys ("Confessions of a Tomboy Mom"), dealing with a daughter's eating disorder ("The Food Rules"), and mothering "hardcore mini-feminists" ("Tough Girls").
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
I wanted to like it more:
I really really enjoyed It's a boy so I was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately I have to agree with most of the other reviewers. A specific feminist type of writer seemed to be the only writers to reflect on this relationship. I do consider myself a feminist, but not the type who would be horrified of all things typically considered female. It would be great to read a few stories like that, but the entire book. Most of the stories seemed to follow the same pattern, and I don't think they... more info
Unimaginative.:
I found this book, along with it's brother title, to be tirelessly repetitive and over simplified. Most of these women (the great majority of whom are upper middle class New Yorkers) have very similar stories to tell, albeit in slightly different ways and with a few truly unique perspectives and experiences. Whether reporting on mothering girls or boys: expectations based on very old gender stereotypes that are reinforced by the old, inevitable nature argument. I was saddened that the majority of these... more info
Disappointing:
I got this book because I absolutely loved "It's a Boy!", which totally helped me learn how to relate to and appreciate my son's "boyness". However, I was really disappointed in this collection of essays. I am not a feminist, so I could not relate to a lot of the viewpoints of the authors. Unlike a lot of them, I was thrilled to find out we were having a girl and couldn't wait to get everything pink and girly. I appreciate where they're coming from, but I just couldn't relate.
IF you have a teenage daughter...JUST GET THIS BOOK:
My husband brought this home for me and I tossed it on the book shelf for two years. I opened it last week and read and read and cried and laughed and when I put it down, I went to the computer and bought six copies, and will buy more to give to everyone I know with a teenage daughter. Read the story on page 199. it will KILL you! Amazing. And the one on page 36. I LOVE these women. Thanks Andrea. Sandy E.
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