RaveThe Pittsburg Post-Gazette... a first-hand history of second-wave feminism; it’s a manifesto regarding the rights and value of women; it’s a harangue on the politics of aging, and it’s a memoir of romantic and sensual love. Although brief, the tome covers a lifetime of observations from one of the great masters of literature ... Allende crams much into the thin book — the density of its thoughts are clearly inversely proportional to its length. My copy is un-loanable because of a considerable amount scribbled in the margins, underlined and highlighted ... While maintaining sharp wit in her prose, her thoughts in The Soul of a Woman often find themselves contradicting one another...Allende is doing what the best essayists do: She’s working out an idea on the page, showcasing for the reader a remarkable mind at work — a mind unafraid of change and unafraid of being honest. To call this book unflinching is both true and an understatement ... a charming read. And while, yes, it’s many things in a small package, it’s also a call to arms for the next generation.
Mariah Carey, with Michaela Angela Davis
PositivePittsburgh Post-GazetteMany readers will look for the gossip, and in this regard, the book does not disappoint ... There is wonderful gossip in who gets unnamed shade (Celine Dion) and who doesn’t even merit a reference (Eminem) ... But this is not a traditional memoir, limiting itself to autobiographical details and the spilling of tea. The Meaning of Mariah Carey craves more and focuses on her greatest love of all: music ... offers insight into the process executed by a prodigiously talented lyricist and musician. Mariah Carey shows her work, and the best passages dive into the details of a song’s production ... an imperfect, but fun read — an important contribution to the genre of celebrity memoir, even as it transcends definition. Something Mariah Carey has always done well.
