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The Road from Coorain
 
 
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The Road from Coorain (Paperback)

by Jill Ker Conway (Author) "THE WESTERN PLAINS of New South Wales are grasslands ..." (more)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 15.95
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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

At age 11, Conway ( Women Reformers and American Culture ) left the arduous life on her family's sheep farm in the Australian outback for school in war-time Sydney, burdened by an emotionally dependent, recently widowed mother. A lively curiosity and penetrating intellect illuminate this unusually objective account of the author's progress from a solitary childhood--the most appealing part of the narrative--to public achievement as president of Smith College and now professor at MIT. Gifted with an ability to adapt to a wide range of cultures and people and despite ingrained Australian prejudice against intellectuals, Conway devoted herself to the study of history and literature, spurred on by excellent British-style schooling. Her further adventures could easily make a rewarding second volume. Paperback rights to Vintage; QPBC alternate.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


From Library Journal

Conway spent her first 11 years in the windswept grasslands of Australia, where her father owned 30,000 acres of arid land. Though his ability to understand the land was extensive, an eight-year drought finally defeated him, and he comitted suicide. A few years later, Conway's oldest brother died in an automobile accident. The two deaths plunged her mother into depression. Out of this tale of hard work, drought, and sorrow, Conway emerges with character and personal strength. From the University of Sydney, she went on to study history at Harvard and eventually became the first woman president of Smith College. This inspiring book tells in full the details of her life and thoughts up to the time she left for America. Quality Paperback Book Club selection.
- Judith Nixon, Purdue Univ. Libs., W. Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

37 Reviews
5 star:
 (16)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:
 (5)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (7)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (37 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Mental claustrophobia of an era, April 17 2004
By Beverley Strong (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I found this to be an uncomfortable read as I can totally empathise with the author, growing up in the same era and knowing the feeling of being out of sync with the older generation. I realise that this probably happens even now but at least these days, females have grown up knowing themselves to be the equal of males and without having to apologise for sometimes being smarter.Jill was fortunate to have a very good education but was also responsible for earning Australian government scholarships which are awarded solely on the good marks earned in exams( not by good luck as one reviewer implied).Even so, she was, not so subtley reminded that a woman's primary function was as a wife and mother and as a mere adjunct to her husband and even brothers. This state of affairs probably existed in all cultures at that time, and not just i Australia, but even as I read, that old feeling of suffocation was present...the feeling that you wanted more but of what, you couldn't say and your parents certainly didn't understand either.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that will stay will me always., Jan 11 2004
By Nina M. Osier (Augusta, ME USA) - See all my reviews
"The Western plains of New South Wales are grasslands." Grasslands that with their vastness, their cycles of drought and bounty, and above all their isolation, shaped a little girl who would one day become Smith College's first woman president.

This book has been marketed as a coming of age story for girls. It's surely that, and a remarkable one. It is also (for this American reader, anyway) a fascinating look into a culture of many similarities - but with subtle, yet sometimes startling differences. Something else it ought to be is required reading for any young woman (particularly any gifted young woman!) trapped by a co-dependent relationship with her birth family. Read it, and think about what this world loses every time a woman capable of Jill Ker Conway's lifetime achievements subsumes her talents and sacrifices her dreams because the code of her childhood demands it.

A book that will stay will me always.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Love, Jimmy: A Maine Veteran's Longest Battle"

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5.0 out of 5 stars A delight to read !, Jun 23 2003
By Helen J. Hall (Reynolds Plantation, Georgia (USA)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
A beautifully written book and a delight to read.
A simple story splendidly told.
I couldn't wait to read her next book; 'True North' but was a little disappointed.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it beginning to end
I found her story interesting and well written. I was interested in the culture and geography of Australia, as well as her story of finding her way in life. Read more
Published on Jan 27 2004 by L. Montgomery

3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating at first. Pedantic in the end.
At first I could not stop reading and was highly fascinated by both the content and the way this book was written. In the end the book became a bit pedantic and longwinded.
Published on Jan 15 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating look at the childhood of an independent woman
Jill Kerr Conway went from an isolated Australian sheep farm in the bush to become the first president of Smith College. Read more
Published on Jun 13 2003 by Peggy Vincent

5.0 out of 5 stars I REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK
AND I FELT REALLY CONNECTED TO THE AUTHOR

I really can't explain my feelings in words. Look at the subject first then read on. They are all by Dr. Read more

Published on April 3 2003 by Jessica A. Bruno

3.0 out of 5 stars Read the first part; skip the ending
This book's premise had a lot of potential and the parts describing what it was like to grow up on a sheep ranch in Australia are great However, it goes downhill at the end as... Read more
Published on Jan 14 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Travel to Australia
This book was a pleasure to read. It did have a style that seemed old-fashioned, with long descriptions of places and little dialogue, but I don't think that's surprising from an... Read more
Published on Oct 21 2002

1.0 out of 5 stars The Life of a Bitter Egotist
The main problem with this book is that the author is not unique, but thinks she is. I noticed as she was griping about her school she made the same point several times. Read more
Published on Jun 1 2002 by B. Black

1.0 out of 5 stars My mother's dead so I can trash the old broad!
If the poor woman isn't dead yet, then reading this ditty of a book will surely kill her. The first part describing the outback was great. Read more
Published on Feb 20 2002 by mrhowell1

1.0 out of 5 stars My mother's dead so I can trash the old broad!
... The first part describing the outback was great. As the book progresses it gets boring. I haven't skipped through so many pages in a book since I had to read about the... Read more
Published on Feb 20 2002 by mrhowell1

3.0 out of 5 stars Part I Interesting. Part II Boring
Jill Conway's childhood in Outback Australia is interesting and unique - what other autobiography can you remember with this topic? Read more
Published on Dec 10 2001 by Gordon F. Schaye

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