A biography of jane franklin, benjamins sister, it is simultaneously a fascinating look at early america, a meditation on one remarkable mind by another, and, implicitly, a biography of all the other janeshistorys anonymous and overlooked women. The life and opinions of jane franklin virginia woolf, writing a room of ones own, invented a sister for shakespeare. Jill lepore, harvard historian and staff writer for the new yorker, has recreated the story of an obscure woman with a famous brother, though jane franklin, sister of benjamin, was real, and she. So we learn in book of ages, an astonishing, if necessarily sketchy, biography of jane franklin 171294 by jill lepore, a harvard university history professor and new yorker staff writer. In writing about jane mecom, the younger sister of benjamin franklin, lepore investigates how history is written and considers the silence of material that does not exist. Because of that, book of ages becomes almost more of a reflection about the lost lives of those who arent documented, especially the women of the past. While ben is on currency and splashed across textbooks, janes life. Ms lepores portrait of jane franklin could all change if all of a sudden a ruck of her letters is discovered in an attic in rhode island. But in jill lepores meticulously constructed biography, book of ages.
Jill lepore does a great job of recreating jane franklins life as best as she can, given that, as the author says, her paper trail is miserably scant. The life and opinions of jane franklin 20 is a biography of the eighteenthcentury figure jane franklin mecom by american historian jill lepore. Blindspot pays more attention to sensory truths than most history writing does. Sep 27, 20 to stare at these siblings is to stare at sun and moon.
Knopf all there is to know about edward mecom is a scant paper trail of failure furniture. Lepore recounts the founding of the new yorker in the 1920s and the origin of the magazines devotion to factchecking. The life and opinions of jane franklin by jill lepore knopf. Like her older brother, benjamin, jane franklin was a passionate reader, a gifted writer, and a shrewd political observer. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read book of ages. These truths of her title are the ones thomas jefferson called sacred and undeniable and benjamin franklin amended to. In the story of america, harvard historian and new yorker staff writer jill lepore investigates american origin stories from john smiths account of the founding of jamestown in 1607 to barack obamas 2009 inaugural address to show how american democracy is bound up with the history of print. While he was rich and famous, she was poor and obscure. A conversation with jane kamensky and jill lepore jane kamensky. Her books include the new york times best seller the secret history of wonder woman and book of ages, a finalist for. So did some of his friends, a group of modernist writers and artists that.
Dari michele, photo distributed by knopf doubleday publishing what would it mean to write the history of an age not only from what has been saved but also. Using period spelling and reproductions of archival documents, jill lepore gives us a book about books. The life and opinions of jane franklin by jill lepore. These truths by jill lepore overdrive rakuten overdrive. And lepores manner of writing can sometimes get annoying. Author jill lepore joins me from a studio in cambridge.
Taylor, the washington times go read jill lepores book of ages. The life and opinions of jane franklin, in which she recalls the life of benjamin franklins youngest sister, jane franklin. National book award finalist from one of our most accomplished and widely admired historians, a revelatory portrait of benjamin franklins youngest sister and a history of history itself. Mar 04, 2015 ms lepores portrait of jane franklin could all change if all of a sudden a ruck of her letters is discovered in an attic in rhode island. And she muses at length about janes book of ages, the document that supplies lepores own volume with its title. Jan 01, 20 jill lepore does a great job of recreating jane franklins life as best as she can, given that, as the author says, her paper trail is miserably scant.
The life and opinions of jane franklin by jill lepore in doc, fb2, txt download e book. Book of ages discussion questions history book discussion group. Joe gould, a madman, believed he was the most brilliant historian of the twentieth century. Jill lepore, staff writer at the new yorker and american history professor at harvard university, talks about her book, book of ages, in which she recalls the life of benjamin franklins. Making use of an amazing cache of littlestudied material, including documents, objects, and portraits only just discovered, jill lepore brings jane franklin to life in a way that illuminates not only this one woman but an entire worlda world usually lost to history.
Jill lepore is not simply an historian or a literary essayist or a social philosopher although she is an exceptional practitioner of all three. Book of agesthe life and opinions of jane franklinby jill leporeknopf. This she has done by divining the meanings left in historys erasures and then writing into. She deduces the contents of janes lost letters from benjamins replies. In her epic new work, jill lepore helps us learn from whence we came. Author interview jill lepore, author of book of ages. Her many books include the secret history of wonder woman, a national bestseller, and book of ages, a finalist for the national book award.
The life and opinions of jane franklin, she proves to be something more fabulous. Book of ages, by jill lepore for centuries, the memory of jane franklin has languished in brother benjamins shadow. Her books include the name of war, which won the bancroft prize. And she muses at length about janes book of ages, the document that supplies lepore s own volume with its title.
Jill lepore books list of books by author jill lepore. Over the centuries, americans have read and written their way into a political culture of ink and. Data science, jill lepore reminds us in this brilliant book, has a past, and she tells it through the engrossing story of simulmatics, the tiny, longforgotten company that helped invent our dataobsessed world, in which prediction is seemingly the only knowledge that matters. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of book of ages by jill lepore. The life and opinions of jane franklin, jill lepore argues, little of what benjamin franklin wrote not the silence dogood essays, not poor richards almanack, not the way to wealth. Her books include new york burning, a finalist for the pulitzer prize. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Jill lepore, a staff writer, has been contributing to the new yorker since 2005. She writes about american history, law, literature, and politics.
The life and opinions of jane franklin kindle edition by lepore, jill. And she muses at length about janes book of ages, the document that supplies lepore. One half of the world does not know how the other half lives, franklin once wrote. From new yorker staff writer and harvard historian jill lepore, the dark, spellbinding tale of her restless search for the longlost, longest book ever written, a centuryold manuscript called the oral history of our time. Her first book, the name of war, won the bancroft prize. The life and opinions of jane franklin by jill lepore and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Lepore spends pages pondering things only peripherally related to the book at large, such as pages and pages of painful detail about the frankln family soap recipe. But in jill lepore s meticulously constructed biography, book of ages. This reminds me of henry fords contention that history is bunk.
Because of that, book of ages becomes almost more of a reflection about the lost lives of those who arent documented, especially the women of. Meet bens sister jane, historys forgotten franklin. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The life and opinions of jane franklin, which was a finalist for the 20 national book award for nonfiction. Books by jill lepore author of the secret history of. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading book of ages. The life and opinions of jane franklin ebook written by jill lepore.
The life and opinions of jane franklin, recently placed on. Sep 20, 2018 jill lepores guiding star is the declaration of independence. Book of ages, about ben franklins sibling the new york times. Historian lepore the mansion of happiness, who has a knack for crafting a beautiful, inventive, and accessible story, has delicately and creatively pieced together a biography of jane franklin, despite a lack of surviving letters jane wrote little else, except for a small handstitched book in which she recorded the births and deaths of her.
With careful and ingenious research, jill lepore uncovers the surprising life of the obscure sister to a very famous man. The life and opinions of jane franklin, recently placed on the long list of nominees for the national book award in nonfiction, this moon casts a beguiling glow. The youngest sister of the inventor and politician benjamin franklin, jane franklin was. Deftly combines biography and cultural history to trace the entwined stories of marston, wonder woman, and 20thcentury feminism. Mar 28, 2014 to be sure, book of ages isnt perfect.
Alan taylor, author of the civil war of 1812 this is a brilliant and delightful book. Jill lepore is the david woods kemper 41 professor of american history at harvard university and a staff writer at the new yorker. The youngest sister of the inventor and politician benjamin franklin, jane franklin was his closest confidant. Jill lepore reconstructs the life of an 18thcentury woman, benjamin franklins favorite sister.
Book publishers dont have the budgets to comb so closely. Author interview jill lepore, author of book of ages bookpage. The life and opinions of jane franklin by jill lepore 3. Lepore a professor of american history at harvard, a new yorker writer, and the author of book of ages is an endlessly energetic and knowledgeable guide to the fascinating backstory of wonder woman. Over the centuries, americans have read and written their way into a political culture of. Oct 20, 20 she deduces the contents of janes lost letters from benjamins replies. Lepore is a scholar of this era and has a wealth of study to fill in the gaps of the documentary record. Her books include the new york times best seller the secret history of wonder woman and book of ages, a finalist for the national book award. Largely uneducated, poor, married to a man who likely suffered from mental illness, jenny nonetheless remained close. In book of ages, historian jill lepore draws a portrait of one of the american revolutions little women. Jill lepore talked about her book, the secret history of wonder woman, in which she examines the feminist underpinnings of the november 16, 20 interview on book of ages. Her many books include the secret history of wonder woman, a national bestseller, and book of ages, a finalist for. She is the david woods kemper 41 professor of american history at harvard university and a staff writer at the new yorker, where she has contributed since 2005.
Republicans were more prochoice than democrats up until the late 1980s. In the remarkable book of ages, harvard professor and new yorker staff writer jill lepore examines the life of jane franklin mecom. A convincing fictional world needs the truths of the flesh, ear, nose, and eye more than the truths of the archive. Book of ages a wonderful story told with great care.
Oct 30, 20 like her older brother, benjamin, jane franklin was a passionate reader, a gifted writer, and a shrewd political observer. Gelles is a senior scholar at stanfords clayman institute for gender research and the author of. Jill lepore born august 27, 1966 citation needed is an american historian. This eloquent book reveals two remarkable siblings and their intertwined and revolutionary lives.
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