California's Daughter: Gertrude Atherton and Her Times

by Emily W. Leider

A Stanford University Press classic.

428 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Kalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pioneer for women! She cracked me up - such spirit! A true feminist and makes me proud to be a woman.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was good incite into the life of a California author I often hear about but have never read, I must admit that this is the first time I've read a biography where I have questioned whether the author liked their subject.

I understand that Atherton was a bit of a controversial character (people seemed to either love her or hate her), and I certainly would not like to have the biographer sugar coat anything or display hero-worship, but the little jabs into the personality of someone long-gone seems a bit unfortunate. But then I like more objective views of people of the past, or pure historical fiction, one or the other.

If you are interested in the life of this Californian author/socialite/etc. then I would recommend reading this book. It is well researched and provides a good view of Atherton and where she fell in the social & literary circles of her day.

[Therese Wiese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting - California history with turn of the century details.