Sister: The Life of the Legendary American Interior Decorator Mrs. Henry Parish II

If you love interior design or just reading about intriguing personalities you will love this book. You will be wonderfully entertained and understand the life style and work of one of the worlds design legends.

This book is a fascinating account of the life of a woman from a privileged social background who defended tradition while breaking with it completely: starting her own business, forming friendships in the art and design world, painting the antique mahogany tables red and stripping the stained wood floors. An oral history told by the people who knew her best, "Sister" illustrates by their varying perspectives how Sister Parish was many things to many, very different people, and how creative, innovative talent can override even the inherited attitudes of the people who possess that talent to change taste and style. A very interesting, fun book: gossip, decorating tips, and all.

This book is superb. I am a window dresser for a high end furniture store. Three other co-workers plus myself have been waiting for our copies of this book to come in for weeks! We come to work in the morning and rave to each other about what we have read. It is written in such an interesting manner. There are wonderful excerpts from conversations with people about Sister. Some are: Letitia Baldrige (Jackie O's former secretary), Mark Hampton, Parish-Hadley decorators and her children plus lots more. It's written in vivid detail and transports you to another time. Sister remembers rooms in such a manner that you feel as if you are there in the bright sunny rooms of her childhood at the beginnings of the century. Not only that, but this books paints a good picture of what life was like for the upper class pre-WWI and after both wars. I highly recommend it. One thing my friends and I all love is the way that this book is written with "blips" from all of her family and friends. You feel as if you sitting there having a conversation with all of these truly fascinating people.

Well written and thoughtfully organized, I throughly enjoyed this window into the life and times of Sister Parish. A worthy addition to any reading list.