Her Book: Every-day Help for Every-day People

by Dorothy Dix

From Literary Digest Review, 1926: In this book, just published, Dorothy Dix, "The Little Lady of New Orleans" has a message of cheer, wit, and wisdom for the •young, middle-aged, and old — for husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, sweethearts and lovers. And all she has to say out of her profound knowledge of life and human nature is pungent, sincere, and absolutely free from mushiness or sentimentality, flavored by keen sympathy and broadminded tolerance. Some typical Dorothy- Dixian chapter headings are: "To Marry or Not to Marry," "Should Women Tell?" "How a Husband Likes to be? Treated." "Grafting on the Old Folks." "The Mother-in-Law, " "When Your Children are Glad You Die," "What Price Pleasure;" "How to Catch a Wife." "Why Divorce is Common," "Lost Love," "The Lucky Working Woman," "Jealousy," "Trial Divorce." This new volume contains the best thoughts the author has expressed in a life-time of newspaper writing and confidential correspondence.

347 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 1926

About the author

Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer (November 18, 1861 – December 16, 1951), widely known by the pen name Dorothy Dix, was an American journalist and columnist. As the forerunner of today's popular advice columnists, Dix was America's highest paid and most widely read female journalist at the time of her death. Her advice on marriage was syndicated in newspapers around the world. With an estimated audience of 60 million readers, she became a popular and recognized figure on her travels abroad. In addition to her journalistic work, she joined in the campaign for woman suffrage and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Reviews

[♑︎♑︎♑︎ ♑︎♑︎♑︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dorothy Dix" was the pen name for Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer (1861-1951), who was famous and beloved in the early 20th century as a writer and journalist and advice columnist. Some of her books are now quite bizarre and repulsive and have aged badly--her first book for example was a collection of "folk wisdom, written in Negro dialect, as conversations between Mirandy and persons of her race," published in 1914, and it would be difficult to find a more representative example of the pervasive crushingness of systemic racism at work in early 20th century American culture. Dix's "Her Book" in contrast is a witty collection of essays about how to achieve a happy family life and it still feels quite sage. As I read I kept thinking "wow, this is really good advice." Of course it's also a peek into the world of early 20th century domesticity, but the differences between then and now were far less than I would have expected. The book reminds me in its tone of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People," and deserves to be as well-known.

[FirstNations Bobations · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is pretty down to earth stuff. Given the times I'm surprised she was published. Entertaining and worth a read.