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She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey Through Poems Audiobook
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(3.05) - 818 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
This power and moving work examines what it means to be a girl, a sister, a mother, a wife—a woman—and all the challenges and cheer it brings to life.
In She Walks in Beauty, Caroline Kennedy has once again marshaled the gifts of our greatest poets to pay a very personal tribute to the human experience, this time to the complex and fascinating subject of womanhood. Inspired by her own reflections on more than fifty years of life as a young girl, a woman, a wife, and a mother, She Walks in Beauty draws on poetry's eloquent wisdom to ponder the many joys and challenges of being a woman. Kennedy has divided the collection into sections that signify to her the most notable milestones, passages, and universal experiences in a woman's life, and she begins each of these sections with an introduction in which she explores and celebrates the most important elements of life's journey.
The collection includes works by Elizabeth Bishop, Sharon Olds, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mary Oliver, Pablo Neruda, W. H. Auden, Adrienne Rich, Sandra Cisneros, Anne Sexton, W. S. Merwin, Dorothy Parker, Queen Elizabeth I, Lucille Clifton, Naomi Shahib Nye, and W. B. Yeats. Whether it's falling in love, breaking up, friendship, marriage, motherhood, or growing old, She Walks in Beauty is a priceless resource for anyone, male or female, who wants a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it means to be a woman.
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"A beautiful series of poems grouped around each stage of a woman's life. Caroline Kennedy writes a brief essay before each section. There are beautiful black and white drawings of flowers and greenery scattered throughout the book. A book to treasure and share with any special woman in your life."
— Terri (4 out of 5 stars)
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“All in all, a warm and comfortable anthology for anyone (men, too) seeking solace in verse.”
— Library Journal
She Walks in Beauty Listener Reviews
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" Beautiful tribute to the stages of women's lives through poetry from all periods of literture. "
— Mfbirkett, 2/18/2014 -
" I thought it would be works that she had written. I really don't want to read the writings of others titled: She Walks in Beauty... I wanted to know life and poetry from an American icon other then Twain's perspective. "
— Chantay, 2/14/2014 -
" Big surprise, I loved a poetry compilation aimed at women. :-) There were certainly a few poems here I thought were a little "out there" and then of course many I already knew and loved, but loved the collection overall. "
— Michelle, 2/7/2014 -
" Beautiful book. I also loved the black and white photos flowers. "
— Peggy, 1/30/2014 -
" Truly one of the most beautiful anthologies of poetry I have ever read. I keep it on my nightstand and go to it again and again. "
— Monica, 1/30/2014 -
" As a poet and poetry lover, I have thoroughly enjoyed the poems selected and the introductions written by Ms. Kennedy. Actually I have been impressed with the other poetry books she has edited. "
— Barbra, 1/23/2014 -
" This is an anthology of poetry about, by and for women, divided thematically. Poetry is always very hit and miss, being dependent on personal taste, but there were a lot of poems I liked in this anthology and enough variety in authors and time periods that anyone should be able to find something they like in it. I particularly liked Edna St Vincent Millay's 'Well, I have lost you' and Constantine P Cavafy's 'Ithaka'. "
— Xorosho, 1/23/2014 -
" The poems in this anthology speak to me in a very special way and it's another of the books that I read almost on a daily basis because it's beautifully put together and timely in my life. "
— Linda, 1/20/2014 -
" Very easy and enjoyable anthology to read and connect to. Made me feel like I was in college again, just sitting around pondering womanhood. "
— Linda, 1/14/2014 -
" amazing collection of poems spanning all seasons of life. "
— Kristiana, 1/9/2014 -
" A beautiful collection of poetry for women .. really accessible even if you don't read poetry! "
— Maree, 11/21/2013 -
" This book is a collection of very diverse pe]oetry dedicated to the stages and of women's lives. The poems are an interesting collection of varied genres and time periods. "
— Kathryn, 11/20/2013 -
" Wonderful time spent with the beauty of words. Caroline Kennedy did an artistic job of editing and presenting these poems. Many are poems that are recognizable. Others are new. All are worth having with you to come back to again and again. "
— Sally, 11/17/2013 -
" Aside from the really annoying black and white photos of flowers that graced every few pages, the collection of poems were lovely. I'd like to read more from Lynda Hull, Vikram Seth, Julia Alvarez and Marge Piercy. "
— Amy, 11/14/2013 -
" A truly lovely & diverse collection of poems about friendship, grief, marriage, work and how to live. I loved that she included everything from Corinthians to Rita Dove, Mary Oliver to W.H. Auden. A heartwarming & elegant collection. "
— J., 11/5/2013 -
" Lovely. A book to savor slowly and to return to. "
— Margie, 10/3/2013 -
" A well thought out selection of appealing poems, nicely presented. "
— Abcdarian, 7/12/2013 -
" This is such a beautiful collection of poems. I'm getting this for my mom as Mother's day gift, she'll love it. "
— Joe, 6/12/2013 -
" I can find inspiration on any page "
— Martha, 4/26/2013 -
" Smart, thoughtful... "
— Jen, 4/23/2013 -
" A book of beautiful poetry with selections from various poets as they relate to the phases of a woman's life. I read selected poems. Read on my ipad. "
— TeriC, 3/28/2013 -
" Some genuinely nice poems. More than I expected to find, really. "I Want You Women Up North To Know" is a classic. "
— SmarterLilac, 12/6/2012 -
" Kennedy has collected a wide variety of classic and contemporary poems, and arranged them in chapters resembling the seasons of a woman's life. Each section has an introduction with comments about that particular phase of life, and specific comments about some of the poems she has chosen. "
— Nina, 10/20/2012 -
" I really liked the concept of this book, but then realized that I'm really not into poetry after I started this book. I didn't make it through the entire book before I had to put it down and resign myself to my lack of interest. Maybe I'll appreciate it more at a different time. "
— Sherry, 7/15/2012 -
" Wonderful poems for every period of your life. "
— Sally, 5/19/2012 -
" A nice book of poetry...pertaining to all aspects of a woman's life. Good for friends, love and being a woman. "
— Stephanie, 10/22/2011 -
" I was not terribly impressed with this book. A lot of the poems just really didn't make any sense to me. I'm guessing that the poems chosen are meant to be artistic in nature. I tend to lean toward classic literature. I'm sorry but I probably would not recommend this book to anyone else. "
— Melissa, 10/11/2011 -
" This book is one of the most brilliant compilations of poetry I've ever read. Beautiful. "
— Grace, 6/29/2011 -
" Beautiful tribute to the stages of women's lives through poetry from all periods of literture. "
— Mfbirkett, 6/10/2011 -
" A woman's journey through poetry was simply beautiful. So many of my favorite poems were in this collection and I read new ones that I loved. Every part of a woman's life is depicted in these pages. "
— Lovescaleb, 6/1/2011 -
" Kennedy has collected a wide variety of classic and contemporary poems, and arranged them in chapters resembling the seasons of a woman's life. Each section has an introduction with comments about that particular phase of life, and specific comments about some of the poems she has chosen. "
— Nina, 5/30/2011 -
" A physically beautiful book, filled with equally beautiful poems. Some will make your heart hurt and some will inspire you to live. Very recommended! "
— Jennifer, 5/29/2011 -
" An inspirational tale that came together from thousands of minds, feelings, and choices meshed together to form one unforgettable story. "
— Nai, 5/26/2011 -
" Well organized book, however, some of the poems were strange and had no relevance to its category. "
— Stephanie, 5/22/2011 -
" The introduction to each section is wonderfully written and some of my favorite poems are included in this collection. I have read quite a few already however this is a book that you would read and re-read often. "
— Connie, 5/18/2011 -
" I recommend it. Something in there for everyone. "
— London, 5/17/2011 -
" The poems in this anthology speak to me in a very special way and it's another of the books that I read almost on a daily basis because it's beautifully put together and timely in my life. "
— Linda, 5/14/2011 -
" Caroline Kennedy once again has shown us that with guidance you can lead readers to poetry. it is nice to see poetry made for the general reader. "
— Seaclifflibrary, 5/13/2011
About Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy is the author and editor of twelve New York Times bestselling books on American history, politics and poetry. She is also an attorney and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017 and is the only surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, she is active in the efforts to improve New York City public schools and serves as President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
About the Narrators
Hope Davis, an actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has starred in more than twenty feature films, including Arlington Road, American Splendor, and Next Stop Wonderland. Also an accomplished stage actress, she earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the Broadway play God of Carnage. She was voted Best Actress in 2003 by the New York Film Critics.
Jane Alexander‘s acting career has encompassed a Tony® Award, and six other nominations; she is a four time Oscar® nominee; the author of Command Performance, documenting her tenure as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1993-1997; and she is Commissioner of Parks, the Taconic Region, for New York State.
Campbell Scott has, in addition to his numerous stage and film credits, narrated more than forty audiobooks, including This Boy’s Life and Into Thin Air, and won seven AudioFile Earphones Awards.
John Bedford Lloyd, Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, has appeared in many major motion pictures, including The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Delancey, The Abyss, The Manchurian Candidate, and Philadelphia. His television credits include Suits, Pan Am, Law & Order, Spin City, and The West Wing.