Customer Reviews

The Private World of Tasha Tudor

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After having read and enjoyed Tasha's cook book, the book about her art, and several of her storybooks, I was greatly intrigued by this eccentric and unique woman and I wanted to learn more about her. So I took The Private World of Tasha Tudor from the library. I'm so glad I did; it is a lovely book, filled with inspiration for bravely living the type of life one wants to.

Tasha did many things others would consider odd--she wore dresses from the 1830s, walked about barefoot, created elaborate doll houses, wove her own cloth, and lit her house with candles, just to name a few. I myself love old-fashioned living, so I liked reading about these things for their own sake--but on top of that, I found it truly inspiring that Tasha did virtually anything she wanted to bravely, without a bit of concern for what others would think of her. She only cared about enjoying life to the fullest. I hope that when I am an old woman, I will have developed a similar attitude!

The photographs of Tasha, and her beautiful home and gardens, are charming. I loved looking through this book. Because it does not contain a text in the traditional sense, but only quotes by Tasha with the pictures, it does not require much time to read through and would therefore make a perfect coffee table book. It would also make a very nice gift for a woman who is interested in pioneer times and old fashioned living.

I have to return my copy to the library, but I would love to own this book some day. In the meantime, I am copying down a few of the quotes I find the most inspiring.

The Private World of Tasha Tudor
By Tasha Tudor and Richard Brown
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN 978 -0 -316 -11292-5

The late Tasha Tudor, was a writer and illustrator of children's books. Her farm in southern Vermont is a physical manifestation of all that was dear to her.This book explores her home, gardens, hobbies, writings and illustrations; all of which reflect the romantic nature of this multifaceted individual.

Of interest to this reviewer are the gardens that she created. Inspired by romantic English gardens, Ms Tudor has given them a decidedly American flavor. She maintained the flower selection and color palette but discarded the formality. Hers are casual perennial gardens; meandering over her property and tamed only by surrounding meadows. These are not flower compositions to be viewed from an ideal perspective. Instead, they are gardens that surround and surprise as we wander about. Her property is filled with flowers to be enjoyed up close.

And yet, when each flower bed is viewed from a distance, we notice, in the background, a building, a stone wall or a tree that anchors the garden to its surroundings. What appears to be a spontaneous growth of flowers is, in fact, a well planned composition. This method is well known to students of British gardens. The English pay a great deal of attention to the landscape architecture of their properties. Gardens that seem to appear out of no where are, indeed, meticulously planned installations. Nothing is left to chance.

Ms. Tudor's gardens are enhanced by the breathtaking images of Richard Brown, a renowned nature photographer. If this book were a theatrical production, Mr. Brown would merit a standing ovation.

Absolutely loved this book! Just picked it up from the library today on a whim and couldn't put it down. Talk about a match made in heaven (Tasha and Richard). Tasha must have sensed Richard would do her justice, and he most certainly did. Even though this is a libary loan, I am buying this book for my own personal collection. Tasha's philosophy on life and her love for family, theater, crafts, animals, flowers and art was most infectious. I love how she is honest with herself and alludes to creating a paradise on earth, but also acknowledges that she is human and has made mistakes in life, which keeps it all very real. Use your good china, wear your antique clothing, collect vintage seeds and transport/replant your favorite fruit trees if you so desire. Progress with the new, but remember to go back and learn from the oldest, simplest ways of living, as it can afford many unforeseen treasures. Truly admired Tasha's pure connection with animals to the point where she even took in an infant snake and nursed it until it was too big to keep in the house any longer. Wow! Buy your flower bulbs in multitudes and plant them in clumps. See the beauties in the branches of the trees (clip some and take them indoors to enjoy). Smell the flowers. Buy a dog or several. Buy some birds (or 40). Create your own menagerie. Cook with a talking parrot on your shoulder. It's the little things, folks. Have you ever seen a moon-lit rainbow? I haven't, but will be on the look-out. =)I wanna stick my nose in dove feathers and plant flower bulbs at random -- in large clumps -- wherever I please. I wanna get a dog and feed it homemade soup instead of that trash in those metal cans. Tasha claims that lots of garlic in her soups keeps the dogs flea-free. Never too old to learn. I honestly agree with nearly everything Tasha touched on. Step outside of the box. Live life a little. Get back to basics. Note your likes and dislikes. Learn a new craft. Learn something new. Recite your favorite authors' works or poems. Learn to be self-sufficient. Live life to the fullest! No book has touched me like this in a long, long time. I am going to run out and get me a real nice, old bookshelf and start my own dollhouse rooms on each level. I've always wanted my own canoe, but Tasha has given me the courage to seriously look into it. Look at her skin and body.....if she can carry a canoe and buckets of fresh water on her shoulders, so can I at 35. I wanna use my best China and have a yard full of animals that know I love them and love me back. I just wanna be me and Tasha has helped me to see how important that is. Most of all, I want to pass on to my husband and kids that it is okay to be who you are, but always remain open to the simple, free joys we have been given in everyday life.

Thank you, Tasha, for allowing us to enter your oasis and thank you Richard Brown for allowing us to have a sneak peek of Tasha's "paradise on earth".

This was an early Christmas gift along with four other Tasha Tudor books and I LOVE it. Maybe because there is a bit of Tasha Tudor in me or because we live in a small cottage in the Sierras and have chickens, goats, vegetable, herb and flower gardens and love many of the same things she loves.

I like the fact that like Beatrix Potter another author I adore, she lives an authentic homestead life and loves her livestock, painting and making things with her hands. And I found some helpful tricks for catching the occasional mouse that gets in the place. And it is nice to read where someone else uses the good china daily and doesn't save it just for company. Or the joy of wearing clothes that some antique dealer would think are to valuable. And as she notes on page 112 "It satisfies me to spin and knit and weave. I love to be self sufficient, to learn how to make everything I use."

She speaks about and there are accompanying photos of the changes of seasons and the joys she encounters along the way. Her goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits and wild birds. Her cooking, spinning and how she plans for the joys in her life.

But I guess one thing I liked so much was her philosophy which she says comes in part from Henry David Thoreau and says "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." As she says "That is my credo. It is absolutely true. It is my whole life summed up."

Tasha Tudor gives me hope that it is possible to live a quiet, less stressful lifestyle.

This book is so wonderful, it surprises me there are any available. A book to be read, viewed, and re-read, it evokes feelings of joy, peace and hope for the future and will always be
in our library.

Let me begin by saying that, if I could choose a book to live in, this would definitely be the one!
Tasha Tudor is a fascinating eccentric and a brilliantly creative talent, and this volume shows her in her own environs. Richard Brown, the photographer of this and other books about Tasha Tudor, obviously fell in love with her, too- at least his camera did!!
This book lives on my coffee table and, anytime I need a quick 'vacation', I just go inside . . . . . (I wish she'd adopt me!)
A MUST BUY!

Summary: Ms. Tasha Tudor always wanted "to live on a secluded farm . . . with a garden and a menagerie of household pets and barnyard animals, and to illustrate children's books." And that's exactly what she did. This gorgeous book lovingly displays her life and her illustrations while recounting her personal philosophy of living an 1830's style life.

Review: Ms. Tudor's "greatest pleasure is clearly her garden." After seeing the spectacular images of the blooms bursting from that rocky Vermont soil, your views of what can be done with gardens will be transformed forever. For example, she has over 1000 daffodils. The book also features many lovely still lifes featuring blossoms, as well as garden-focused landscapes.

Much of her life is home-spun, literally. She spins her own cloth, and makes her own clothes from it. The clothing she wears will remind you of the costumes you have seen at Colonial Williamsburg and Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. But these are her daily garb. She has carefully dressed the rest of her life to match her preferences, as well.

Walking barefoot through her home, she enjoys her exotic birds (especially the silly sayings from her parrots) and corgis. The book also shows many fine drawings of the corgis.

Cooking is also a great joy, and she makes her own preserves. She sees the opportunity to display "artistry as a cook."

As to the 1830's, she says that "I'm drawn to the old ways, convinced that I lived before, in the 1830's." "When I die, I'm going right back to 1830." Seeing her life portrayed here, you'll swear she never left. Seeing her in her home reminds me of Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts where the Alcott family lived in the 19th century. The wardrobe there contains dresses that the Alcott daughters used in their theatrical productions that also evoke the images in this wonderful book.

Her professional interest in illustration was stimulated by seeing the drawings in The Vicar of Wakefield. Through the time this book was written, she had illustrated more than 75 children's books. You will enjoy seeing her work in this book.

After you finish looking at the delightful images here, and being warmed by the thoughtful expression of a considered life, you should think about what elements would bring perfection to your life if you crafted it as carefully as an artist does a large marble sculpture. What do you need to chip away? What do you need to refine? Where should the sculpture be displayed?

Make living a wonderful art!

she is already living the life I wish to live in the future and the book makes it sound so romantic and easy. An easy-read book with wonderful photography.

This wonderful lady is a true inspiration to all. Her artwork is charming and takes one back to a time of gentile simplicity. One can't help but walk back into another time, where there is no rush, no perfection--only puristic life as our great God intended life to be!