Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 920.009296073
EAN num: 9780062514868
ISBN number: 0062514865
Label: HarperOne
Manufacturer: HarperOne
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 176
Printing Date: February 11, 1998
Publishing house: HarperOne
Release Date: January 20, 1998
Sale Popularity Level: 535637
Studio: HarperOne
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On My Own at 107ÿ is Sarah 'Sadie' Delaney's tribute to Bessie, her beloved younger sister and century-long companion, who died on September 25, 1995, at age 104.Just four years earlier, Bessie and Sadie, along with former New York Timesÿ reporter Amy Hill Hearth, co-wrote the bestselling Having Our Say,ÿ which told the story of the sisters' remarkable lives as witnesses to a century. Here, Sadie reflects on the very first year following Bessie's death. Kirkus Reviewsÿ called the book 'a bracing reminder that life, a rare gift, must be savored in the living.'
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Rated by buyers -
I knew of the Delany sisters from a 60 minutes segment after the very first book. In 1998, while starting through the divorce process that seemed so daunting after a quarter century of marriage, I found Sadie's book. I read and reread this book and was always helped with the grief and feelings of being overwhelmed by having to create a life on my own. I figured if Sadie could do it at 107, I could do it at 50. The thought of her having to learn to fix her own hair by herself at that age was such a specific challenge that helped me put my own challenges in perspective. As I read her progress through the grieving process, I made my own progress as well. As I look back on those times 10 yrs. later, I can see this book was one of the most valuable tools I used to not only survive, but to thrive and grow in so many ways.On My Own at 107: Reflections on Life Without Bessie
Rated by buyers -
Sadie and Bessie Delany lived together for over 100 years before Bessie died at the age of 104 in the home that the two sisters shared. They were well-educated African-American women in an era when few blacks or women attended college. Sadie was a teacher and Bessie worked as a dentist. The sisters were devoted to each other and Bessie's death was a severe blow to her older sister.
The original story about the sisters is told in "Having Our Say". This book by Sadie chronicles her experiences in learning to live without her sister in the difficult very first year after Bessie's death. Sadie's faith, common sense, love, and wisdom come shining through in this little book.
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Grief is pictured beautifully here as "Sadie" describes her very first year after the death of her beloved sister with reference to the beautiful flowers Bessie always raised. The fall and winter of dormancy and renewal in her grief gradually gives way to the vibrancy of spring blooms and summer sun.
When Sadie sees the very first spring flowers peeking through the snow, she realizes for the very first time that she will grow through her grief. This is a stirring portryal of the experience we all face.
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I read the very first two books about these two remarkable sisters ("Having Our Say," and "The Delaney Sisters' Book of Everyday Wisdom") and they also deserve five stars each, absolutely. In fact, the best book, in terms of literary merit, is the very first one, and I loved looking at the photos in the book of the whole family, going back a few generations.
But this book here really helped me in the very first year of my husband's death. I read it at least once a week, usually more. I found strength in the fact that if Sadie could make it on her own after being practically attached at the hip for over 100 years to Bessie, and loving each other so much and so well, then I would somehow find the strength to go on too.
Sometimes I was so cried out, but I was still so sad and wanted to cry more, but the tears wouldn't come. The way the "as-told-to" author Hearth expressed Sadie's feelings always helped bring back those cathartic tears.
I read many books of comfort for the grieving widow, but for some reason, this little book near saved my life.
Rated by buyers -
"On My Own at 107: Reflections on Life without Bessie" is by Sarah L. Delany with Amy Hill Hearth. Their text is accompanied by illustrations by Brian M. Kotzky. This book contains the reflections of 107-year old Sarah "Sadie" Delany after the death of her sister and lifetime companion Bessie at the age of 104.
A foreword by coauthor Hearth discusses the lives of these two extraordinary African-American women and the sucess of their book "Having Our Say," published in 1993 and adapted as a Broadway play. Bessie was a pioneering dentist, and Sadie a teacher; remaining unmarried, the two enjoyed a lifetime partnership that lasted over a century.
The main body of the text is divided into four parts, each with an introductory section by a 3rd person narrator. But the bulk of the text consists of Sadie's first-person reflections. Interspersed throughout the text are Kotzky's beautiful full colour illustrations of the many flowers that longtime gardener Bessie loved: crocuses, tulips, rhododendrons, coral bells, etc.
This is a wonderful book about family, faith, growing old with grace, and surviving the death of one's life partner. Sadie's voice is wonderfully moving and sometimes funny. Ultimately the book celebrates the cycles of life.
This book is a touching tribute to Bessie Delany and a celebration of the enduring partnership she shared with her sister. Early in the book Sadie declares, "Why, I have been so blessed in my life!" Likewise are we readers blessed with this beautiful book. Recommended especially for those with an interest in women's studies, African-American studies, flower gardening, and issues related to the elderly.
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