Reviews


Title: LifeLines: A Collection of Works by Six Women

Authors: Diane Amento Owens, Linda Levitt, Amy Landa, Missy Martin, 
Ann McCoole Rigby and Susan Tully

Stories of Love, Life, Loss, Family and Hope as quoted from the beautifully designed cover of this book simply tells it all. LifeLines is a compilation of delightful stories and poems about the lives of six very creative women living very ordinary lives, that is, if anyone lives an ordinary life. These are moms, wives, lovers, and career women, all very talented and willing to share the intimacies of their lives. From potty training to sex, from Starbucks to divorce court, these women write about daily challenges, describing with such candor, their inner most feelings.

And if you think that this book is not for you, think again; this book is for everyone. For the fifteen- year old girl who doesn’t think Mom loves her or will ever understand her, read on. For the newlywed or mother-to-be who is unsure of what lies before her, read on. For the mothers of children of every age, you are not alone, so read on, and for the senior who just wishes to remember, enjoy. And guys, don’t feel left out. Here is your chance to see life from a woman’s point of view; one that probably isn’t so far from your own.

Missy, Ann, Susan, Diane, Linda and Amy (I feel I can call them all by name for after reading their book, I know them as kindred spirits) are all multi-tasking moms from Arizona, who put family first. Some have put careers on hold to raise their young ones, all fly through days of joy and stress and still have the fortitude to share with their readers. Though some have previously had works published, these six women came together when they joined MothersWrite and formed the Wednesday Night Writers’ Group. The result is a delightful, well-written book. Be prepared to laugh and cry; the very first poem I read brought tears to my eyes. This was such a lovely read. Highly recommended by reviewer: Elaine Fuhr, Allbooks Reviews

Available at www.lifelinesweb.com and Barnes and Noble.
• Title: LifeLines: A Collection of Works by Six Women
• Authors: Diane Amento Owens, Linda Levitt, Amy Landa. Missy Martin, Ann McCoole Rigby, Susan Tully
• Publisher: AppleStar Publishing LLC, Phoenix
• ISBN:-10: 0-9786114-0-3
• Pages: 291
• Price: $17.95
• Feb. 2007



LifeLines Book Review

Reviewed by Lynn C. Tolson, www.beyondthetears.com

LifeLines is a compilation of essays written by six women. Each author conveys her unique personality within a main text: women writing about the human condition in a perfectly female perspective. Each writer had another career besides that as daughter, wife, and mother, among them a teacher, astrologer, accountant, occupational therapist, public administrator, and mental health administrator. For these women, who met twice a month to write and critique their work, a book of well-developed stories evolved called LifeLines.

The book is divided into 12 categories with clever titles that reflect the "lifelines" theme: Line-up, Bloodlines, Sidelines, Mooring lines, Punchlines, Walking A fine Line, Holiday Lines, Severed Lines, alignments, Intersecting Lines, Bottom Line. In each chapter, every author contributes an appropriate reflection of that category. For example, "Lineup" is a chapter that defines the "who's who" of the entire book, describing in each author's voice her own brief biography in her own specific style. Amy Landa writes about the intensities of life with a creative prose. Linda Levitt uses details to describe in totality what she is conveying. Missy Martin writes clear and concise. Diane Amento Owens, a mother of four teenagers, writes with a sharp wit. Ann McCoole Rigby weaves the bitterness of her arthritis within her sweet observations of life. Susan Tully writes with a distinctive sense of humor. With six unique voices, there is a style to resonate with any reader.

The book offers the reader an analysis of life, love, and loss. The authors examine relationships, make confessions, and offer revelations. They cover civil rights, child-birth, infant death, and divorce. They explore the lessons learned from parents and as parents. Prose, poetry, and illustrations enrich the book and engage the reader.

Each author writes with a generous spirit, and then the authors give even more. The last chapter, Bylines, is about the writing process and the support within writing groups. If a reader is looking for essays with an honest exploration, then LifeLines is a reader's choice.

LifeLine’s Authors Tell It Like It Is
Sonoran Living Live
ABC, Channel 3
January 26, 2007 

December’s Featured Authors

December, 2006  
LifeLines tells the tale of love, loss and motherhood
Ahwatukee Foothills News
September 30, 2006
 
The Arizona Republic

Reviewers Choice: www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/jun_07.htm

LifeLines: Stories of Love, Life, Loss, Family and Hope
Although I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Lifelines, I was soon touched in a way I hadn’t imagined. The book is written by six women, Amy Landa, Ann McCoole Rigby, Susan Tully, Missy Martin, Linda Levitt, and Diane Amento Owens, all from different backgrounds and lifestyles, but joined together by the fact that all are mothers. Lifelines is a collection of short stories, poems, and personal accounts by each of these women, which provide both a distinctive and yet, at the same time, a universal look into motherhood, family, and life in general. Although this book is not an instructional book by any means, it serves as a reminder to all of us not only what’s important in life, but how we got where we are. The book is not a difficult read, but is probably best read slowly, in pieces, allowing reflection on each unique account. The stories are ones all mothers are familiar with (relationships, childbirth, holidays, birthdays, teenagers, etc.), and the expressions of emotion will make you laugh, cry, and run to hug those who are important to you. With stories that we can all relate to on some level, this book is an important read for mothers everywhere.

LifeLines: Stories of Love, Life, Loss, Family and Hope
Amy Landa, et al.
AppleStar Publishing
4234 North 35th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85018
0978611403, $17.95
www.LifeLinesWeb.com

As a way to rise above their ordinary lives of laundry, babies, deadlines, and doldrums, six remarkable women meet every Wednesday night in Phoenix, Arizona as a writing group. "LifeLines: Stories Of Love, Life, Loss, Family And Hope" is a collection of their individually told stories, anecdotes, vignettes, and observations. Their particular stories are further individualized by being published in a different font for each of them. Their subject matter deals with their lives as mothers, daughters, sisters, and lovers. Each deftly told story is written with candor and designed to 'shatter the idea spoon-fed to our public that female perfection trumps all'. The women writers compiled in this remarkable, unique, and enthusiastically recommended volume include Ann McCoole Rigby; Missy Martin; Susan Tully; Linda Levitt; Diane Amento Owens; and Amy Landa. "LifeLines" is engaging and enthusiastically recommended reading that will strike chords of familiarity and appreciation within the mind of the reader.