Quilt of Words

by Sharon Niederman

Historically, the Southwest has attracted people with yearnings for freedom and adventure, people who define themselves as individuals. Unlike their husbands and brothers, women in the Southwest did not, for the most part, subdue and tame the land; but their character and individuality were manifested as they lived with and improved upon conditions as they found them. Their fascination with their way of life and the need for self-expression led them to write of their experiences, providing them with a creative outlet and offering those who came later a unique window into the past.A Quilt of Words won the Border Regional Library Association 1989 Southwest Book Award for literary excellence and enrichment of the cultural heritage of the Southwest. It was also awarded the National Federation of Press Women first prize for history in 1989.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1988

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a friend from Paperbackswap.com. I enjoyed reading this book, especially since deals with women and history. It is amazing to me what the women from that time period went through and dealt with during the time frame of 1860-1960. I've also been working on my families genealogy and while none of my ancestors (as far as I'm aware) traveled to the Southwest, this book gives me an idea of what life was like during those years, it gives me a better context than any history class that I've taken!

[Michelle Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good if you like authentic history. I am amazed by these strong women and also amazed by how life crushes them. Life was hard. We have it good.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one started off interesting, then got really boring, and thankfully ended on a high note. The collection of women's tales is pretty impressive. Unfortunately at times this just read as a thesis - yet a very thin one. Some of the journals/oral histories were very well written/spoken and others were just painful to get through. I know I shouldn't have expected amazing writing, but I was still disappointed by lack of cohesion/purpose in many of the stories

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short autobiographical reflections of women who lived in the southwestern U.S.. The period covered is the 1800s to mid-1900s and includes women with diverse experiences and backgrounds. Each selection begins with the author's description of the writer and her circumstances.

[Terry Tschann Skelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of women's experiences in the Southwest: a cross-section of women, from a Yavapai woman from central AZ to eastern upper-crust former debutantes who share their feelings, memories and thoughts. Fascinating!

[Violet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is exactly what the title says: diaries, letters, and accounts of about fifteen different women who lived in the southwest. This book was okay, but I really could't get that into it.

[Myrna Hewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating collection of women -- some wealthy, some poor, most with families, all making lives in 3what is basically a wilderness.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remembrances from 15 women of times in the American Southwest over a period of 100 years. Several were very descriptive and interesting while some were rambling and not very focused.

[Roxie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is one thing to read about someone in a history book by a practiced author, but quite another to read someone's own thoughts and words. Each woman presented herein has a distinct voice from a highly educated and practiced politician dropping a name or two to a dear old grandmother grateful to be alive; Richard Wetherill's widow, or a visitor working through the personality landmine that was Mabel Dodge... The introductions to each women completed by the authoress, Sharon Niederman, helped understand the background leading to the events mentioned in these accounts.

I am glad to have met all the women presented in this book. Some I even wish I'd met in person...some sort of worried me... HA
Read this! It will expose you to the challenges of living in the southwest, and may inspire you to search out adventures for your personal story.

[Ann Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting accounts of life in SW, mostly 4 corners states. Hard to overlook the misspellings & grammar errors, but the stories were of hard scrabble & forging ahead, despite bad odds.