Just as We Were: A Narrow Slice of Texas Womanhood

Picking up this book was a trip into my Texas past. A glimpse of a rariified style of life that I pined for as a girl growing up in Grand Prairie....I don't think we had a Junior League. "Just As We Were" actually proves again, that no matter the side of the tracks you came from, Texas women are a singular breed, smart, strong, and comitted.

Prudence has an unofficial fan club in El Paso, Texas. It started with her first book, Thundering Sneakers, and when the second one came out, Retreads, we were all thrilled. Now, with this treasure, Just as We Were, well, it's just too much! Prudence writes with such wit and wisdom about the things many women do in their lives. I never realized how funny some of the stuff is that we do until I read about it from her view point. The Junior League stories are enough to make your sides split, I actually read parts of it at our own Junior League meeting one time! Don't get me wrong, you DO NOT have to be a member of the Junior League or anything else to enjoy this book. She writes about things from two sides and it is a great experience. Sad things, like aging parents and the painful parts of child rearing can be funny and ultimatly less painful from Prudence' perspective. I highly recommend this book!

Junior Leaguers finally have a voice!!! Prudence Mackintosh has captured a part Texas womanhood in a series of hilarious essays just published in book form. I laughed hard but wait, this is more than just personal and funny stories. Mackintosh acts like a social anthropologist, commenting upon all the things that make Texas women's lives unique.So if you want a delightful read and if you want to understand Texas (or Southern) women, read this book. Actually, if you want to understand women at all read this book because she really touches on issues like growing up, children, college, domestic help, and aging parents which are experiences most middle class women have had. Elizabeth Cauthorn ([email protected])