Great Dames: What I Learned from Older Women

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Crown Publishing Group, 2001 - Biography & Autobiography - 248 pages
"Fascinating, gossipy, entertaining. . . ."
New York Times Book Review

They are ten outstanding women of the century. Each had an aura, including Thelma Brenner, the first great dame her daughter ever knew. Their lives were both gloriously individual and yet somehow universal. They were mighty warriors and social leaders, women of aspiration who persevered. They lived through the Great Depression and a world war. Circumstances did not defeat them. They played on Broadway and in Washington. They had glamour, style, and intelligence. They dressed up the world.

"Vivid, intimate portraits . . . a splendid tribute to ten of the century's grandest, most powerful women."
Us

"These women were our geishas, whispering in our ears to influence all aspects of American life."
—Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times

"Delectable, classy . . . a runaway hit."
—Liz Smith

"An engrossing introduction to a way of life that's now extinct, for better or for worse."
Chicago Sun-Times

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About the author (2001)

MARIE BRENNER is the author of four books, including House of Dreams: The Bingham Family of Louisville. Her numerous articles have been published in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair, where she is writer at large.

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