The Fierce Beauty Club: Girlfriends Discovering Power and Celebrating Body and Soul

Fierce Beauty Club: Girlfriends Discovering Power and Celebrating Body and Soul From Publishers Weekly The fiction-writing edict "show, don't tell" works well for Herron in this chronicle of eight real women, ages 22 to 71, who meet regularly at an oceanfront art studio in Santa Barbara to talk about their lives, problems, desires, dreams and what it means to be female. In such "girlfriend groups," the author claims, women can rediscover their "feminine soul." Herron worries that women have lost "the motherline," a group of female elders who traditionally helped initiate them into adulthood. (Herron's own mother died when she was 12, possibly influencing her concern over "the disruption of the fabric of female community.") Though Herron sometimes slips into a blanket criticism of feminism and into generalized assumptions about women's traits and desires, her group of "fierce beauties" does provide a rare model of mutual support. A young wife learns to take responsibility for her own sexuality; a middle-aged woman responds to her husband's affair; a bed-and-breakfast manager buys her own hotel; a septuagenarian has her first "fling" since her husband's death; an accountant becomes a full-time artist; a business executive travels to Africa, takes up photography and quits her job. Many such stories of female empowerment flow through Herron's nine-step program "to help women love and believe in themselves." Complete with "Fierce Beauty Tips," this glimpse of women's honest thoughts and feelings is part slumber party and part study of goddess/feminine archetypes. As such, it may help ease readers' sense of isolation and disrespect in society, even if it doesn't fulfill Herron's wish of spawning a plethora of new "girlfriend groups." Agent, Tom Grady. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Herron, executive director of the Gender Relations Institute and the Fatherhood Coalition, recounts the stories of a group of eight women who met for years in a Santa Barbara, CA, art studio to become "fierce beauties"--women who refuse to be victims, celebrate their bodies, and meet regularly with female friends. With more than 20 years of counseling experience, Herron knows New Age feminism and hopes to help women reconnect with their souls and form their own fierce beauty clubs. Chapters cover healing female shame, communing with the goddesses, claiming the lost part of oneself, finding one's erotic voices, discovering one's creative fire, and finding spiritual sources of love. The result is a slow read with involved sentence structures and concepts that a counselor though not necessarily a lay reader would be familiar with. Occasional sidebars with general tips interrupt the text. This book will have an audience in some public libraries and bookstores specializing in feminine issues.-Susan E. Burdick, MLS, Reading, PA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Dr. Connie Zweig, co-author, Romancing the Shadow "This book is

Seems like there are more books being published about feminine power now than ever before. In a field packed full of silly fluff with no substance at one end of the spectrum and ponderous scholarly tomes at the other, this one is a stand out. It is easy to read and entertaining as it digs into the questions of how to find your feminine power in our still male-dominated society. And does it thoughtfully with great depth. The author, Elizabeth Herron and a group of eight other women, ranging from Gen-xers to grandmothers, have been meeting regularly to support each other as they confront the big and small issues associated with being women. They are "The Fierce Beauty Club." Blending their intimate stories with psychological insight, this book reveals that each of us possess the tools to enhance our own emotional independence, physical and spiritual well being, and to realize the power of community. The Fierce Beauty Club is about unleashing the goddess within. It's about understanding the subtleties of a woman's mind and body. And it's about giving in with abandon to fun, pleasure, fear and love. Ultimately, it's about embracing your true self by recognizing and fulfilling the profound need that women have to be connected to other women. Who knows? Read this book and you may be inspired to form your own neighborhood Fierce Beauty Club!

I love the title of this book (if you follow my other reviews I tend to gravitate to books with great titles!) The book itself did a good job of presenting issues that many women have to deal with in their lives including realizing their inner power, forgiveness, sexuality and creativity. The book includes notes from a women's group that the author participated in named, aptly enough, the Fierce Beauty Club. The text includes conversations from this group and you do learn to care about the members of the group. Each major section begins with a conversation that the group is having about a particular topic. The author then uses the discussion as a springboard into a detailed analysis of a single issue. The text is engaging, though I found a couple of the analogies the author used a little weird. Every once in a while the author includes a Fierce Beauty Tip like, "What do you really know about your mother? What were her dreams and fears? What gave her joy and caused her pain? Discover everything you can about your mother as a person. Write a story about her life." These tips would make an excellent tool to jumpstart your journaling if you are feeling stale. Honestly I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't just finished reading The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life: Create All That You Need With Just What You've Got. These two books are very similar in topics discussed. I personally enjoy Jennifer Louden's writing style more. It has a lighter touch and she seems to have a sense humor that is compatible with my own. The Comfort Queen's Guide is more what I call 'chickish.' If you don't like fluff (I like fluff. Part of the reason I read is to be entertained.) you would probably enjoy this book more.

This book affords you the way in which to look deep within yourself to find happiness that is not superficial. Find your real friends and make new. Have a great time. No limit to the possibilities of your soul.