Raised like a princess in one of the most powerful families in the American South; Henrietta Bingham was offered the helm of a publishing empire. Instead; she ripped through the Jazz Age like an F. Scott Fitzgerald character: intoxicating and intoxicated; selfish and shameless; seductive and brilliant; endearing and often terribly troubled. In New York; Louisville; and London; she drove both men and women wild with desire; and her youth blazed with sex. But her love affairs with women made her the subject of derision and caused a doctor to try to cure her queerness. After the speed and pleasure of her early decades; the toxicity of judgment from others; coupled with her own anxieties; resulted in years of addiction and breakdowns. And perhaps most painfully; she became a source of embarrassment for her family--she was labeled "a three-dollar bill." But forebears can become fairy-tale figures; especially when they defy tradition and are spoken of only in whispers. For the biographer and historian Emily Bingham; the secret of who her great-aunt was; and just why her story was concealed for so long; led to Irrepressible: The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham.Henrietta rode the cultural cusp as a muse to the Bloomsbury Group; the daughter of the ambassador to the United Kingdom during the rise of Nazism; the seductress of royalty and athletic champions; and a pre-Stonewall figure who never buckled to convention. Henrietta's audacious physicality made her unforgettable in her own time; and her ecstatic and harrowing life serves as an astonishing reminder of the stories that lie buried in our own families.
#130 in Books Elie Wiesel 2006-01-16 2006-01-16Original language:FrenchPDF # 1 8.26 x .39 x 5.50l; .30 #File Name: 0374500010120 pagesNight
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. So powerful! So Moving!By RtisticMeI loved this book; though I was horrified by what I was reading. Elie Wiesel suffered great loss and tragedy and saw such atrocities! And he brought me along with him. To read his perspective of what was happening around him at such a young age was gut wrenching. If you are interested in the Holocaust; it is a must read. I just happened to read it before visiting the Holocaust Museum in DC. It made all of the difference to me. I could hear Mr. Wiesel's words. I could smell the smells and hear the sounds; yet not a word was spoken in the museum. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone. Both of my children have to read it for school and I am thrilled that they will learn from a first hand account.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Lest we forgetBy BarbaraIt is hard to rate or review like "Night". The written descriptions are so vivid and tragic; you wish no one ever had to go through something so horrific. This should be a must read for all humans; to allow us to better empathize with one another on a human level; no matter race; religion or creed.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Very Important BookBy Orville WrightI was not aware of this book until the announcement of Elie Wiesel's death recently. This is an important and well written book about the horrors of the Nazi death camps from the perspective of a victim who was lucky enough to survive the end of the war. I wish I had read this book years ago. I find it incredible that there are still people who deny that the holocaust even happened. This book is a testament to their willful blindness.
