A convincing fictional world needs the truths of the flesh, ear, nose, and eye more than the truths of the archive. Blindspot pays more attention to sensory truths than most history writing does. Lepores life of jane franklin, with its strikingly original vantage on her remarkable brother. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read book of ages. Like her brother, jane franklin was a passionate reader, a gifted writer, and an. Historian lepore the mansion of happiness, who has a knack for crafting a beautiful, inventive, and accessible story, has delicately and creatively pieced together a biography of jane franklin, despite a lack of surviving letters jane wrote little else, except for a small handstitched book in which she recorded the births and deaths of her. Oct 20, 20 jill lepore reconstructs the life of an 18thcentury woman, benjamin franklins favorite sister. Jan 01, 20 jill lepore does a great job of recreating jane franklins life as best as she can, given that, as the author says, her paper trail is miserably scant. Dec 12, 20 lepore is the history and literature department chair at harvard university. Book of ages on apple books apple books apple apple. A biography of jane franklin, benjamins sister, it is simultaneously a fascinating look at early america, a meditation on one remarkable mind by another, and, implicitly, a biography of all the other janeshistorys anonymous and overlooked women. And lepores manner of writing can sometimes get annoying. Dari michele, photo distributed by knopf doubleday publishing what would it mean to write the history of an age not only from what has been saved but also. While benjamin was able to forge a path to greatness from his obscure beginnings, jane, trapped by gender, starved of education, was not.
She is also a staff writer for the new yorker magazine, and her 2005 book new york burning was a finalist for the. The life and opinions of jane franklin kindle edition by lepore, jill. A biography of jane franklin, benjamins sister, it is simultaneously a fascinating look at early america, a meditation on one. Making use of an amazing cache of littlestudied material, including documents, objects, and portraits only just discovered, jill lepore brings jane franklin to life in a way that illuminates not only this one woman but an entire worlda world usually lost to history.
Jacob riis coopted it to highlight the gap between the tenements and townhouses in late nineteenth century new york, while jill lepore uses franklins saying as the epigraph to her work focused on the founding fathers sister, titled book of ages. The life and opinions of jane franklin 20 is a biography of the eighteenthcentury figure jane franklin mecom by american historian jill lepore. From new yorker staff writer and harvard historian jill lepore, the dark, spellbinding tale of her restless search for the longlost, longest book ever written, a centuryold manuscript called the oral history of our time. Book of agesthe life and opinions of jane franklinby jill leporeknopf. This reminds me of henry fords contention that history is bunk. But in jill lepores meticulously constructed biography, book of ages.
A conversation with jane kamensky and jill lepore jane kamensky. In the remarkable book of ages, harvard professor and new yorker staff writer jill lepore examines the life of jane franklin mecom. National book award finalist from one of our most accomplished and widely admired historians, a revelatory portrait of benjamin franklins youngest sister and a history of history itself. Jill lepore brings jane franklin to life in a way that illuminates not only this one woman but an entire worlda world usually lost to history. Historian jill lepore shines a light on the leaders underserved or overlooked by american history textbooks. The life and opinions of jane franklin by jill lepore knopf. Book of agesthe life and opinions of jane franklinby jill lepore knopf.
Sep 27, 20 but in jill lepores meticulously constructed biography, book of ages. The life and opinions of jane franklin, by jill lepore june 27, 2014. Author interview jill lepore, author of book of ages. She deduces the contents of janes lost letters from benjamins replies. Her books include the new york times best seller the secret history of wonder woman and book of ages, a finalist for the national book award. Jill lepore born august 27, 1966 citation needed is an american historian. Her books include the name of war, which won the bancroft prize. Mar 04, 2015 ms lepores portrait of jane franklin could all change if all of a sudden a ruck of her letters is discovered in an attic in rhode island. Book of ages, about ben franklins sibling the new york times. Gelles is a senior scholar at stanfords clayman institute for gender research and the author of. Knopf all there is to know about edward mecom is a scant paper trail of failure furniture. While ben is on currency and splashed across textbooks, janes life. She is the david woods kemper 41 professor of american history at harvard university and a staff writer at the new yorker, where she has contributed since 2005.
Because of that, book of ages becomes almost more of a reflection about the lost lives of those who arent documented, especially the women of the past. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Jill lepore reconstructs the life of an 18thcentury woman, benjamin franklins favorite sister. Book of ages, by jill lepore for centuries, the memory of jane franklin has languished in brother benjamins shadow. Largely uneducated, poor, married to a man who likely suffered from mental illness, jenny nonetheless remained close with her famous brother throughout their lives. Jill lepore books list of books by author jill lepore. Her many books include the secret history of wonder woman, a national bestseller, and book of ages, a finalist for the national book award. The life and opinions of jane franklin, in which she recalls the life of benjamin franklins youngest sister, jane franklin. National book award finalist one of the best books of the year npr time magazine the washington post entertainment weekly. Jill lepore opens a smeared casement on the life of jane, benjamin franklins gifted sister, confidante, and lifelong correspondent. Her books include new york burning, a finalist for the pulitzer prize.
The life and opinions of jane franklin, which was a finalist for the 20 national book award for nonfiction. Taylor, the washington times go read jill lepore s book of ages. The life and opinions of jane franklin view larger image. So we learn in book of ages, an astonishing, if necessarily sketchy, biography of jane franklin 171294 by jill lepore, a harvard university history professor and new yorker staff writer. Book of ages discussion questions history book discussion group. She writes about american history, law, literature, and politics.
And she muses at length about janes book of ages, the document that supplies lepore. Lepore is the history and literature department chair at harvard university. Written by jill lepore, audiobook narrated by robin miles. Book of ages is the latest example of lepore s project of reclaiming and revising aspects of american history a task she accomplishes, as in her 2012 essay collection the story of.
The life and opinions of jane franklin, recently placed on the long list of nominees for the national book award in. Because of that, book of ages becomes almost more of a reflection about the lost lives of those who arent documented, especially the women of. The youngest sister of the inventor and politician benjamin franklin, jane franklin was his closest confidant. National book award finalist one of the best books of the year npr time magazine the washington post entertainment weekly the. Largely uneducated, poor, married to a man who likely suffered from mental illness, jenny nonetheless remained close. Books by jill lepore author of the secret history of.
From one of our most accomplished and widely admired historiansa rev. In the story of america, harvard historian and new yorker staff writer jill lepore investigates american origin stories from john smiths account of the founding of jamestown in 1607 to barack obamas 2009 inaugural address to show how american democracy is bound up with the history of print. Mar 28, 2014 to be sure, book of ages isnt perfect. Book publishers dont have the budgets to comb so closely. The life and opinions of jane franklin, recently placed on the long list of nominees for the national book award in nonfiction, this moon casts a beguiling glow. Reviewed by rachel adams, columbia university the question now inevitably asks itself, in 1939, wrote virginia woolf whether the lives of great men only should be recorded.
Joe gould, a madman, believed he was the most brilliant historian of the twentieth century. Lepore spends pages pondering things only peripherally related to the book at large, such as pages and pages of painful detail about the frankln family soap recipe. Deftly combines biography and cultural history to trace the entwined stories of marston, wonder woman, and 20thcentury feminism. Lepore recounts the founding of the new yorker in the 1920s and the origin of the magazines devotion to factchecking. Historian jill lepore explores this extraordinary, overlooked life in a discussion of her new book book of ages. Her books include the new york times best seller the secret history of wonder woman and book of ages, a finalist for. Over the centuries, americans have read and written their way into a political culture of ink and.
Elizabeth cady stanton, walter lippmann, benjamin lay, margaret. A biography of jane franklin, benjamins sister, it is simultaneously a fascinating look at early america, a meditation on one remarkable mind by another, and, implicitly, a biography of all the other janeshistorys anonymous and. Jill lepore, a staff writer, has been contributing to the new yorker since 2005. Book of ages is a wonderfully honest book, leaving nothing off of the story of jane and benjamins childhood friendship, youth, and diverging paths as each. The life and opinions of jane franklin jill lepore. Ms lepores portrait of jane franklin could all change if all of a sudden a ruck of her letters is discovered in an attic in rhode island. The life and opinions of jane franklin virginia woolf, writing a room of ones own, invented a sister for shakespeare.
Wonder woman, lepore argues, is the missing link in the history of the struggle for womens rightsa chain of events that begins with the womens suffrage campaigns of the early 1900s and ends with the troubled place of feminism a century later. Jill lepore does a great job of recreating jane franklins life as best as she can, given that, as the author says, her paper trail is miserably scant. Sep 20, 2018 lepore recounts the founding of the new yorker in the 1920s and the origin of the magazines devotion to factchecking. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading book of ages. Lepore a professor of american history at harvard, a new yorker writer, and the author of book of ages is an endlessly energetic and knowledgeable guide to the fascinating backstory of wonder woman. Book of ages is a beautiful portrait of a forgotten woman, whose importance lies in her ordinariness. And she muses at length about janes book of ages, the document that supplies lepore s own volume with its title. The life and opinions of jane franklin by jill lepore. Lepore is a scholar of this era and has a wealth of study to fill in the gaps of the documentary record. Jill lepore is the david woods kemper 41 professor of american history at harvard university and a staff writer at the new yorker. Book of ages quotes showing 128 of 28 one half of the world does not know how the other half lives, franklin once wrote. Taylor, the washington times go read jill lepores book of ages. Author interview jill lepore, author of book of ages bookpage.
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