Wider Giving: Women Writing after a Long Silence »

This ground-breaking collection of fiction, poetry, and autobiographical narrative premiers a dozen women writers, born between 1905 and 1932, who made their major commitment to writing after the age of 45. "A Wider Giving" reveals what is involved in starting a writing career late in life. In individual afterword to their works, the writers collected here speak with generous candor about what kept them from writing during their youth and young adulthood, and how they overcame struggling and self-doubt to find audiences.

Publishers Weekly

This is an anthology of stories and poems by 12 women who began writing in mid-life or later, subsequent to child-raising, divorcing or leaving other careers. Included are three promising pieces of fiction: ``Eligible Impulses'44,'' a poignant excerpt from a coming-of-age novel by Francine Julian Clark; ``The Hunting Season,'' a tightly wrought tale by Adele Bowers about human cruelty; and ``What Can You Do About Love?,'' a conversation about romance by Naomi Feigelson Chase. Zeidenstein's goalto feature the work of older womenis noble, but as this collection shows, noble ventures can be problematic. Admitting her aversion to dark humor, the editor has opted for unified vision over variety. The book's voice, while wise, is often sedate to the point of boredom. The autobiographies of these writers are usually more interesting than their formal efforts, but they are long-winded, especially on the subject of writing. (March)