The Girl on the Wall: One Life's Rich Tapestry |  | Author: Jean Baggott
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £17.99
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Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 80643
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.4
ISBN: 1848311265
EAN: 9781848311268
ASIN: 1848311265
Publication Date: February 18, 2010
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Product Description
Inspired by ceilings of Lincolnshire's Burghley House and by the History degree she had begun, the author began to stitch a tapestry which looked back at her life and the changing world around her. It took sixteen months to complete. The tapestry consists of over 70 intersecting circles, each telling some aspect of her life.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 6
One life's rich tapestry June 3, 2010
M. Planting-dijkstra (Netherlands)
The book was what I expected, the story of the life of Jean Baggott and her personal memories of history, very well told and wonderfull documented in a marvellous embroidered tapestry.
 Nostalgic memorabilia April 13, 2010
A. M. Bradshaw (worcestershire uk)
A novel idea on a personal note. Educational to learn historic facts about England before during the WW1. A lovely way to utilise the writers expertise of Embroidery that encaptures the experiences of a family.
A real slice of social history April 3, 2010
Poohbear Mummy
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As a keen stitcher myself I was some what curious about this book. I received this as a gift and was unable to put it down until I finished! Being a child of the 1980's much of the books content occurs "before my time" but what a time that was. I have really enjoyed reading about the history of all things from the war and rationing to the space missions and the cold war. I would never have picked up a plain history book but the fact that the author tells the story through a tapesty of her life was just inspiring.
A great read and a great gift.
A valuable achievement March 13, 2010
S. Bryant (Wiltshire, England)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I feel as if I know the author and her family after reading this. What fantastic powers of recall she has, and I feel almost as if I've lived her life as she's recounted it. I certainly saw it all in my mind's eye as if I'd been there. A certain amount of it from the late fifties on is familiar from my own memories (I share an alarming number of decades with her). However, what is most refreshing is to have it all recounted by someone with such acute powers of observation and such an astute ability to assess the significance of what she was seeing, alongside the purely personal memories. It's a truly valuable overview of twentieth century history and social history, and so much more valuable for being from the viewpoint of a down to earth `real' person who lived through such varied and difficult times at the sharp end, where the wool wasn't so easily pulled over the eyes. We can't have too many of this type of account, but in fact they are fewer and further between than they should be, and I don't think it is too much of an overstatement to say that this is an invaluable contribution to the nation's archives.
It was a truly inspired moment when Jean decided to write these memoirs to accompany her already extraordinary embroidery. I wonder how many other people in the past could have regaled us with similarly rich, varied and insightful stories, but never managed to acquire the confidence and self belief this lady has fought for and won. She so deserved to find the fulfilment and happiness in her later years that she did find, not least because she has the capacity to recognise it!
Above all, that embroidery, accomplished in such a relatively short time, and designed with such consummate economy and vision, is the real star of the show.
A last word however must be saved for the superb quality of the book's production by its publisher, which makes it a delight to hold and read and proves beyond all doubt that nothing can ever replace the pleasure of holding a `real' book in one's hands, and turning real pages with keen anticipation.
Pure nostalgia. March 10, 2010
B. Walker
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I loved this book, it took me right back to my own childhood in the Black Country. Jean's description of Christmas and all the preparations leading up to it filled me with the longing to be a child again, I recognised it all from the rag rug to the decorations.
A beautifully written book and an equally beautiful tapestry, thank you Jean.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 6
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