When you read the foreword and the dust jacket, you will understand the premise of the book: the interviews in this book represent the distilled wisdom of some of our "tribal elders." All 25 of the women interviewed are at least 50 years of age, think of themselves as Texans and are accomplished in their fields (artists, coaches, attorneys/judges, church leader, educators, entrepreneur, historian, journalists, political officeholders, physician). Most of these women have been married and have children.

There are many reasons for anyone to read these interviews: these are "feel good" stories; they represent women from varied backgrounds and persuasion; almost to a person, they understand the importance of family and friends. For young women and mothers, there are additional reasons to read these stories. Why were these women so driven to achieve significant accomplishments outside their family life and how did they balance the demands on their time and energy.

I have my favorites and you will, too. PJ finishes her collection with the chapter on her mother who reared 10 children while establishing herself as author, historian, entrepreneur, photographer and community activist. This is a remarkable group of people. The book is well organized and easy to read. You'll want to go back and reread many of the chapters.

"Let me tell you what I've learned:" Texas Wisewomen Speak
by PJ Pierce
(Reviewed by Donna Remmert)
I needed perspective for my life. Even before finishing the Introduction to "Let me tell you what I've learned:" Texas Wisewomen Speak, I knew that I'd find it in this book. As I read one fascinating story after another, I made a list of friends to whom I would gift the book. They include a niece just graduated from college, a friend interested in entering the political arena, a single mom who feels guilty about her passion for artistic expression as a painter. I can't give my own copy to anyone because I'll want to read it again someday. My husband has temporarily laid claim to the book and his response is as enthusiastic as mine.
The wisdom of the twenty-five wisewomen featured in this book is profound and inspirational. And, PJ Pierce's wit and wisdom is revealed in her Author's Notes, in which she reveals her own insights as she interviewed each of these wisewomen. Another example of the author's wisdom in writing this book is how she involved her just-out-of-college daughters in the interviewing process and included her mother in the Epilogue, as yet another Texas wisewoman. These personal touches make a statement that I think is important.
This is a reader-friendly and entertaining book, full of remarkable insights about living life with a purpose while also taking time to smell the roses. I salute these high-profile Texas women for their willingness to reveal intimate details about their lives. They have all crossed the half-century mark and they represent a cross section of career paths, ethnic groups, and geographic areas of Texas. I'm not a native Texan, yet I loved reading about "the mystique of the Texas woman". These are unique stories yet they are also similar to tales told by women everywhere.
Texas women have a feisty, humorous and assertive way that fascinates me. Below are some samples of this feistiness and of the entertaining and compelling wisdom they express in this book:
'I believe that I have a spirit that is not going to disappear.' Barbara Jordan, former U.S. Representative (D-Texas) and educator, now deceased.
'Lots of solutions happen around a casserole. If you can put a meal on the table, you will find that it comes in handy, even if you are plotting a revolution.' Liz Carpenter, press secretary and staff director for Lady Bird Johnson.
'I am Texan enough that I refer to half of my relatives as 'sister' or 'brother,' even if they are really aunts and uncles. I even have an 'Aunt Sister.' Linda Ellerbee, broadcast journalist.
'I prefer the term 'Chicano' to Mexican American' because of the connotation. 'Chicano' has come to mean a reclamation of our heritage; it means self-determination.' Carmen Lomas Garza, artist.
'When I see kids who have potential that they aren't developing, I raise hell with them; I push them to do what they are capable of.' Barbara Jacket, U.S. women's olympic coach, 1992 Barcelona.
'I am told that I should be careful about criticizing the CIA - that I might get bumped off.... If you hear that I committed suicide, I didn't!' Sarah McClendon, senior-most member, White House Press Corps.
'There seems to be a general feeling that if you are funny, you're not serious. But people don't know how many brain cells it takes to be funny.' Ann Richards, former Texas governor.
The complete list of wisewomen who generously shared their perspective includes: Artists - Carmen Lomas Garza, Glenna Goodacre, Violette Newton. Athletic coaches - Jody Conradt, Barbara Jacket. Attorneys/Judges - Louise B. Raggio, Mary Lou Robinson, Sarah Weddington. Educators - Juliet Villarreal Garcia, Amy Freeman Lee, Diana Natalicio, Guadalupe C. Quintanilla. Entrepreneur - Ninfa Laurenzo. Historian - Pauline Durrett Robertson.
Journalists - Liz Carpenter, Linda Ellerbee, Sarah McClendon. Lawmakers and political officeholders - Wilhelmina Delco, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Barbara Jordan, Irma Rangel, Ann Richards, Judith Zaffirini. Physician - Edith Irby Jones.
"Let me tell you what I've learned:" Texas Wisewomen Speak is a book worth reading. PJ Pierce captures the spirit of all Texas women in her writing, making it clear that she too is a Texas wisewoman, born and raised in Amarillo.

Liberty, Justice, and F'rall is a fun historical novel about the dog heroes of the Republic of Texas. Liberty is the soft-spoken golden retriever/narrator owned by Sam Houston; Justice is a handsome, black labrador who faithfully attends Jim Bowie; and F'rall is their mutt of a pup. Liberty gives a dog's eye view of life with Sam Houston, from the time she was given to Sam by President Andrew Jackson, through the war with Mexico. I read parts of this book aloud to third, fourth, and fifth graders during their library storytime. My Texas accent finally came in handy! The waiting list for this book is longer than the number of weeks left in school, so I will be buying two additional copies. It's a fun, energetic look at the war for Texas independence, which, by the way, took only 18 minutes to vanquish Santa Anna's army.

If you want your children to get into history this is a good start.

The author is familiar with all the aspects of the fall of the Alamo and puts the story from the view of the dogs (named Liberty, Justice and Furall) that were owned by the main characters of the hitorical incident.

The characters are easy and fun to follow for every adult that may read this wonderful and heartwarming story to their children. There is no political overtone, only a pivital hitorical event told from a different aspect.

This book has been chosen by the Daughter's of the Texas Revolution to be sold AT the Alamo book shop!

This is the perfect gift for any fan of Texas history. "Big Foot" Wallace was one of a kind. Our family is related to him and would like to hear from anyone else who may be related to him.

this is my husbands great great great uncle it was something reading about pure american history

Finally---the definitive history of The Light Crust Doughboys, one of the "big three" in the history of western swing and Texas-style country music (the other being Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys and Milton Brown's Musical Brownies). But this must-have book is so much more than a book: history "comes alive" with the included music CD which features a classic Doughboys' decade, the 1940s, alongside their contemporary Grammy-recognized work. And it's in this newer work that fans can really see the legacy and enduring power of a band that's been called country music's greatest historical band. In songs like "Texas Women", "Sending Me You", "Looking Through A Stained Glass Darkly", and "Amarillo, Where The Wind Blows Free, the reader can see how The Light Crust Doughboys keep evolving as artists while always keeping a foot in the best of their Texan and American past.The Light Crust Doughboys are one of the select bands in country music history equally renowned for their instrumental as well as their vocal prowess. Long known for their eclectic approach to music, combining elements of the blues, cowboy music, old-time, gospel, and dixieland, The Light Crust Doughboys are true American ambassadors and modern troubadours of American music. You'll read here of The Doughboys' pioneering use of electric guitar and electric bass in American music. You'll read that they pioneered being a western band in Hollywood's golden age (they pre-dated Bob Wills' film debut by four years). You'll read and hear how they combined gospel music and western swing (with gospel legend James Blackwood) to develop gospel western swing. You'll read how they came up with the idea of blending Pacific/California surf and Texas western swing with Ventures' guitar great, Nokie Edwards, resulting in critically-acclaimed roots music including an Americana Christmas album! Let's all hope that this book paves the way for long-overdue recognition in the NashVegas-dominated Country Music Hall of Fame as well as "early influences" recognition in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Is there a Pulitzer Prize for music history or Texana? This book and CD has earned it! And, do your heart and ears a big favor by searching for other Light Crust Doughboys' music and videos at Amazon.

The Light Crust Doughboys Are On The Air: Celebrating Seventy Years Of Texas Music by John Mark Dempsey (a native Texan and Assistant Professor of Broadcast Journalism, University of North Texas) is an enjoyable and informative study of The Light Crust Doughboys band and their Texas music, which was broadcast in the "golden era" of radio. Their long-lived radio show lasted from 1930 to 1952, and their particular brand of gospel music was nominated for the Grammys in 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002. An enjoyable, fact-filled, enthusiastically recommended blend of biographical background and cogent musical assessment of this evolving group, The Light Crust Doughboys Are On The Air is enhanced with a music CD featuring 30 of the band's most popular and beloved songs.

The unique and historically accurate Lone Star Heroines trilogy by Melinda Rice brings real events in Texas history to life as it shows young readers how girls living at different eras experienced and contributed to dramatic events. In Messenger On The Battlefield (1556227884, ...) is set in 1835 when 11-year-old Isabelina Montoya is happy to hear that her older sister has accepted the marriage proposal of a handsome Mexican solder. But when Texas goes to war against Mexico, dividing Isabelina's family, a decision must be made as to whether they should remain true to their Mexican heritage or fight for their new Texas homeland! Fire On The Hillside (1556227892, ...) is set in the spring of 1847 and finds 13-year-old Katherine Haufmann arriving from Fredericksburg, Texas with her family as immigrants from Germany. As she struggles to get used to her new home, Katherine becomes intrigued by the mysterious fires that start appearing in the nearby hills. While the rest of the townsfolk focus on peace talks with the Comanche, Katherine decides to discover the cause of those mysterious fires. Secrets In The Sky (1556227876, ...) is set in 1943 as World War Two is raging overseas. 12-year-old Bethany Parker lives in Sweetwater, Texas, when the Women Air Force Service Pilots come to town. When one of the women dies during a training flight, Bethany is convinced the mysterious crash was the work of a Nazi spy -- and sets out to prove it! The Lone Star Heroines is an outstanding and very highly recommended series of historical novels for young readers that are each enhanced with a "Sources" bibliography for the further study and more detailed study of Texas history.

The year is 1847, and thirteen-year-old Katherine Haufmann lives with her family in Fredricksburg, Texas. The Haufmanns and their neighbors are immigrants from Germany who founded the town the year before. Even though she has been in Texas a year, Katherine still thinks of Germany as her home, and longs to return. After her father joins a peacemaking expedition to the Comanche Indians, Katherine and the other residents of Fredricksburg notice strange fires on the hillside outside of town, that appear each evening at dark in the same exact two places and last until dawn. With fear rising of a possible attack, either by the Comanche or by bitter Americans who feel the Germans have stolen their land, Katherine takes it open herself to find the origin of the mysterious fires - and puts herself in far greater danger than she ever could have imagined. Based on real events in Fredricksburg, Texas, in the spring of 1847, this is the story of a spunky and courageous young girl who, in her quest for the truth, finds that her home is where she least imagined it being.

What fun the authors must have had in writing this book! As they did in Volume I (1836-1936) Ms Bresenhan and Ms. Puentes give us quality color pictures of Texas quilts, pictures of the quilters and stories about the quilts and the makers. After seeing the quilts and reading the stories you feel as if you know these Texas women who expressed their artistic creativity through the medium of quilt-making.

Included in volume II (1936-1986) are quilts by Pamela Studsill, a two time recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship. Also featured is the "Pele" quilt by fiber artist Beth Kennedy. And of course there are also some very traditional quilts from the 30's and 40's and delightful innovative work from the 70's and 80's.

I cannot believe someone hasn't reviewed this book yet. It is wonderfully charming with beautiful, large color pictures of 63 quilts made in Texas between the years of 1836 and 1936. Accompanying each quilt is also a picture of the quiltmaker and a page about her life and quilt.

The stories of the women are as interesting as their quilts. One story tells of a woman alone with her baby, hearing the Indians circling her log cabin. She spins all night to listen to the whistle of her spinning wheel so as not to be afraid. What wonderful foremothers we had, who left us a legacy of their courage and industry as well as their beautiful handiwork.

Brown knows the west and fits great detail of cowboying into a surprisingly deep story. The characters are rich and the narative clear and well done.

Brown knows cowboys, its obvious. This is a good quick reading, surprisingly deep and thoughtful western with plenty of action.

Merejildo Grijalva was an Indian Scout who was captured by the Chiricahua Apaches in 1849 and lived more than a decade among the people under such renowned Native American leaders as Miguel Narbona, Mangas Coloradas, and Cochise. Indeed, it was Cochise who used Grijalva as his interpreter in the late 1850s. In 1859, Apache agent Michael Steck encouraged Grijalva to escape the Apaches and two years later aided the American army working in the New Mexico Territory and out of Fort Bowie, Arizona. Edwin Sweeney's Merejildo Grijalva: Apache Captive, Army Scout is number 96 in the University of Texas at El Paso Southwestern Studies series and a work of impeccable scholarship that will be much appreciated by students of Native American studies and western frontier history.

I think this is just a wonderful book, not only because we have the same last name,but the name of Grijalva goes back into history, like Juan de Grijalva 1518 explorer, Juan Pablo Grijalva, with the 1775/76 Anza Expedtion. You have to read this book yourself to understand what Edwin R. Sweeney wrote in this book.

After all that has been written about Jackson, Vandiver's treatment is still the best. Highly recommended.

This is an essential book for anyone's personal library. Smart, concise, well-illustrated, and comprehensive it tells the story of one of early America's greatest field commanders. Never engaging the question of North versus South and the issues that sculpted the Civil War, Vandiver focuses on the man, his legend, and the simple values he built his life around.

A chance viewing of a pale, white-haired terrorist and she finds herself whisked away to Moonglow, Texas complete with the new identity of Molly Hansen. She leaves behind her job, her fiancé, and her identity to protect her life -- a life she's come to intensely dislike until Dan Shackelford shows up to repair her government provided house. But Molly's no dummy, and it doesn't take long to figure out that Dan's no repairman even if he is a fabulous kisser. And his presence makes Moonglow and her new identity a pleasure. As women line up to welcome Dan back to Moonglow, however, Molly takes great pleasure in keeping him to herself and finds her new identity isn't so bad as long as Dan hangs around.

With his disreputable appearance, Dan Shackelford doesn't look like a deputy U.S. marshal. Bitter, dissolution, and drinking too much, Dan's on extended medical leave after he failed to protect his partner from a hitman. But when someone breaches the security of the witness protection program's database, Dan finds himself called back into service and returning to his hometown to protect Molly, even if word has it that all the members of the terrorist group that destroyed her life are now dead. As threatening phone calls begin to belie the assurance of no danger, however, Dan finds his skills not just as handyman, which are seriously lacking, but his reputation as well as the sheriff still treats him like poor white trash and women wish to rekindle the past.

Author Mary McBride creates a first rate romance with characters the reader can't help but care about in MOONGLOW, TEXAS. Despite the serious setting of the witness protection program, this lighthearted romance will but the glow on a sultry summer night. As Dan heals the scars of the past, and Molly faces the challenges of her present, watching them create a future together is pure pleasure. Amusing, entertaining, and heated, MOONGLOW, TEXAS comes highly recommended.

Molly Hansen doesn't particularly care for her home in Moonglow, Texas but when the U.S. Marshals' office sends over a handyman to work on her place, she figures it's not her place to argue. The house and the identity were given to Molly about a year ago when she entered the Witness Protection Program after witnessing a terrorist act. There is nothing about her new life Molly finds appealing and little she enjoys about Moonglow until the handyman from hell enters her life.

When Dan Shackelford left Moonglow twenty years ago, he never expected to come back much less return posing as an itinerant handyman. He might not know much about home improvement but figures he can play his unexpected assignment by ear. Still suffering from the tragic fallout of his last assignment, Dan is less sure of his skills as a Deputy Marshal than as a handyman. When WITSEC is compromised by hackers, however, he accepts the low-priority case of protecting Hansen knowing it is his last chance to prove himself capable of his professional duties. He never suspects that his charge will give him new hope both professionally and personally.

Mary McBride has written a story that is nearly flawless both in style and characterization. The irony is that part of the charm of this book stems from the imperfections of the hero. Dan Shackelford is both amusing and admirable in his role as a reluctant hero. His desire to go through life in a drunken haze only increases when he returns to Moonglow, the town where everyone literally knows his name and his reputation for trouble precedes him. He finds his depression lifting every now and again as he comes to befriend and eventually love Molly Hansen whose unflagging faith in him stuns and shames him out of his self-imposed misery. Molly is a wonderful heroine who has come to accept her new life. She's smart and practical so it doesn't take her long to realize that Shackelford is anything but handy to have around the house. But she is drawn to him, the Moonglow lore about his troubled adolescence, and the man he has become. McBride does an excellent job of developing Dan and Molly's relationship and drawing an appealing image of Moonglow, which only gets better for both the reader and Molly when Dan reluctantly drove back into town.