Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon remain among the most enduring and important women in popular music. Each woman is distinct: King is the product of outer-borough, middle-class New York City; Mitchell is the granddaughter of Canadian farmers; and Simon is a child of the Manhattan intellectual upper crust. Collectively, they represent, in their lives and their songs, a great swath of American girls who came of age in the late 1960s.
Their stories trace the arc of the now-mythic generation known as “the 60s” — the female version — but in a bracingly specific and deeply recalled way, far from cliché.
The history of the women of that generation had not been written until now, and it is told through the resonant lives and emblematic songs of Mitchell, Simon, and King.
Filled with the voices of dozens of these women’s intimates, this alternating biography reads like a novel—except that it’s all true and the heroines are famous and beloved. Sheila Weller captures the character of each woman and gives a balanced portrayal, enriched by a wealth of new information.
Girls Like Us is an epic treatment of midcentury women who dared to break tradition and become what none had been before them: confessors in song, rock superstars, and adventurers of heart and soul.
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"Such a great book! Unlike some bios where the author seems just to spew facts, Weller really told a story about how these three women set the tone (soundtrack?) for feminist movements. I loved reading about how Joni, Carly, and Carole's lives were all intertwined--at times more closely than they even realized. Some of the other reviewers have commented on Weller's writing style. It is a bit clunky, but once you get used to her rhythm, it's a non-issue. HIGHLY recommended!"
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Kim (5 out of 5 stars)