The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them

Syndicated columnist /radio host Amy Dickinson has beautifully written a loving tribute to the special women in her family who taught her what "family" is all about, and also to the small New York town her family has called home for over 200 years. With endearing honesty, humor, and warmth, she shares her poignant story of raising her daughter as a single mother with the unconditional love and support of her extended family of strong, independent women in Freeville, N.Y. With divorce and single motherhood a common state in her family, she had many inspiring examples to learn from...on how to survive and build a new life for herself and her daughter. Ms. Dickinson is a magnificently talented writer who truly has a gift for drawing us in. The sense of community and small town life she eloquently describes is very heartwarming. Many of the anecdotes of her close-knit family were very touching. She reminds us all of the importance of family as a source of strength and inspiration. I absolutely loved this engaging, enjoyable memoir and I highly recommend it!

As the mother of an only daughter, I found great wisdom in the anecdotes the author shared. I think her life is interesting and the way she tells her story was warm and honest. She handled the lemons that life gave her and not only made lemonade but improved upon the recipe. I was rooting for her throughout the book. I too have a wonderful relationship with the women in my life, my sisters, nieces, aunts and daughter. Ms. Dickinson's book helped me to see them not just as my family, but as the force from which I can tap my strength when needed. I loved reading 'The Mighty Queens of Freeville' and am looking forward to reading the author's next book.

The notion that Amy Dickinson and her family "led small lives of great consequence" intrigued me and I'm sure a lot of other readers as well. Allowing us a peek into her personal life, through her funny stories and no-nonsense writing style, makes me feel as if I know her. I now read her daily column in the L.A. Times like it's a conversation with an old friend. This engaging memoir and touching tribute to strong women is a slice of real life. By the end of the book we know all about the community and rituals she grew up with and how these have influenced the major life decisions she's made. And she delivers this by getting to the heart of the emotion. Dickinson's insights about divorce, being a single parent and mother-daughter relationships are candid and funny - not necessarily subjects you'd expect to smile so much about. But she brings a quality to her writing that entertains and educates. You just know that all those women watching her back have given her security and confidence so she can find her way in a world that's not always so easy to navigate. Without making a big deal of it, she serves as a role model for all women who want to nurture their families and still take care of themselves.

Who among us, especially single mothers, have not feared that our children might make the same mistakes we do? Who among us, wives, mothers, and sadly enough daughters, have survived so well when our hearts have been broken by the men in our lives who've left us? Who among us want to validate our lives by sharing our and their mistakes with others so that others can learn from us? Who better to be an advice columnist and author than the strong woman who has experienced mistakes, shared them with the older, wiser women in her life, and learned from them? This book is a casual, relaxing read that makes us realize the need to be grounded in our strongest roots. It is a simple pleasure to be enjoyed in solitude; like sipping red wine and nibbling chocolate while contemplating life.

When my review copy of The Mighty Queens of Freeville arrived in the mail, I finished it that same night. Though I only intended to read a few pages to get a feel for the writing, I simply couldn't put it down. This book is a memoir, the story of "a mother, a daughter, and the people who raised them"; the Mighty Queens of Freeville are the women of Dickinson's extended family who live and thrive in tiny Freeville NY. Author Amy Dickinson writes "Ask Amy", the syndicated advice column that replaced that of the late Ann Landers (though I didn't know that when I requested the book). This book though is not about Dickinson's career; it is about the women who ultimately gave her the skills she needed to make a success of her job. This memoir follows Dickinson from her divorce in England (when daughter Emily is a toddler) to Emily's freshman year of college. Dickinson's writing is no-nonsense and engaging. The women in her life are simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary- her mother rises above her father's abandonment and the loss of the family farm to eventually find her niche as a college professor. Dickinson is by turns funny and touching, and the book is a wonderful tribute to her family and its resilience. I highly recommend this wonderful book. Definitely five stars, and would make a great gift for the important women in your life.