My Little Red Book Giveaway
Last year I posted a review of My Little Red Book, and recently I was asked to offer a giveaway for this little gem of a book on my blog. "Of course!" I said, "I'd love too!" and that was that. What follows is my review which I originally posted in March of 2009- and after that and author video and the deets on entering this giveaway. You won't want to miss out on this opportunity, perfect for mother-daughter bonding!!
My Little Red Book written by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff is a conglomerate memoir of that sacred experience, which is a woman's first period. This splendid little anthology begins with the story of the editor getting her first period while on water skis in a bright yellow bathing suit, and moves from there to woman after woman, mothers and daughters, grandmas and aunts sharing their horrors, their joys and their stories of shame.
There is an account of a mother telling her daughter how amazing and symbolic this event is in their lives as African American women, she tells of how in the days of their great-grandmothers the beginning of menstruation marked a change from a girl to a woman. That day was feared as it meant that her slave value went up and therefore many times she would be sold away from her family to benefit the slave owner. I just couldn't shake that account, still can't.
Even now so many girls look upon the day of their first period with apprehension, fear, guilt, and shame however I find that this book is pioneer to change that. It is no Judy Blume and I thank God that it isn't as women are tired of learning about belted pads, which are so not happening anymore. The author wants this book to be more than just a collection of women telling their stories, but a breakthrough, a change in the way first periods (and periods in general) are perceived, and everyone's attitudes towards them.
On of my favourite stories in My Little Red Book is an essay by Gloria Steinem called "If Men Could Menstruate" (p. 114) it is over-the-top-funny and I just had to agree (not to her extreme, but still) if men did menstruate it would be a test of manhood, a time of the month filled with pride and glorification. What is wrong with us women!?! Not that periods are great, they really aren't that fun but we should see them as what they are, an amazing ability that we have to monthly remember our common bonds of womanhood, and well, that we have the god-given ability to pro-create!
I really enjoyed this book, it is a great resource to share with your daughter, I can't say that I would let her read every story (if she were my 12 year-old) as there is mature content in a couple of the stories, but it would be great to read through it together. My Little Red Book gets my full recommendation, it is spectacular in that it captures all the angles of a girl becoming a woman.
Personally though reading through this I feel slighted . No, it isn't anything wrong with the book, it is that I cannot remember really anything about my first period. I don't think it was that monumental, I wasn't apprehensive and I wasn't scared that I was dying. I don't remember it at all. I kept thinking throughout the book (and still) that there would be something to trigger my memory in one of the stories, I didn't find it. I can't even remember how old I was. I know I was around 12 or so, maybe almost 13 but that is a guess. My friends have told me of amazing dinners they go out to with their mothers, get their hair and nails done, get all fancied up and have a celebration of womanhood where they learn the importance of what is happening and how to handle it, and how to not be ashamed of who they are as women. That didn't happen for me, I bit my nails so getting them done was out, and I didn't like anyone messing with my hair or wearing fancy dresses. Oh, well!
Because the point of the book is to open women up to talk about their experiences, let's do it. If you are a women, what do you remember about this grand event which was your first period? Would you have wished your mom to make a bigger deal about it? Did she even know when you started?
To Enter the Giveaway of My Little Red Book:
1.) Comment on this post telling me your story (if you are a male, figure out something else interesting to tell me about).
2.) For an additional entry tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment (from the comment above) telling me you did.
3.) There are 10 copies of My Little Red Book available. For every 5 entrants I will add in another one of the available copies- up to 10 max.
4.) US/Canadian residents only, no PO boxes.
5.) This Giveaway is open through May 18th, I will select a winner on May 19th. Leave a contact email address, just in case you are a lucky winner!!
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Read in 2010 (so far)
May 7th, 2010 - 22:48
I was home alone with my younger sister the summer after 6th grade. I remember my mom telling us, when we started our period that we were allowed to shave our legs (finally). So I called her at work and said “well, can I shave my legs”. I was scared, embarrassed, especially when she told my grandparents, I think I must have turned beat red like a tomato. That day, I started my period and I shaved my legs
May 7th, 2010 - 22:49
I tweeted about your give away
May 8th, 2010 - 04:56
I don’t remember much about getting my first period except I do remember I was in school in 6th grade. For me the BIG deal was when I first use tampons for the first time. That was much more intense than actually getting my period. My Mom didn’t use tampons and so my best friend’s older sister bought me my first box and I put the first one in at their house. You’d think that I was having someone buy me alcohol or cigarettes!!!
May 8th, 2010 - 08:42
I already own this so don’t enter me (though if anyone internationally wants to be included I could act as a shipping angel, if you allow that) but just wanted to say that I love love love this collection. I myself did not celebrate my first period, all I can remember about it is that it happened at a swimming competition so I had to use a tampon and how horrifying it was at the time as I was so worried about swimming! This book really changed my thinking about periods in that it really is a momentous change in our lives and it should be a good thing, it shouldn’t be something to fear like I always did, or something to hate like I still do. I highly recommend this book to everyone and am so happy to see that you will be giving away so many copies!
May 8th, 2010 - 08:44
Mostly I remember being very scared and embarassed as I don’t recall my mother ever talking about it with me. There were no supplies at the house and I remember her giving me a rag to use. Ugh!
madamerkf at aol dot com
May 8th, 2010 - 09:10
It was no big deal to me when I started…but my mom cried! That was funny.
May 11th, 2010 - 16:40
I remember asking my mom if she had any idea when I might start, since I was 12 and hadn’t started yet. She said, “Well, I was 13, your grandma was 13, and your great-grandma was 13, so 13 is a pretty good guess.” Sure enough, two weeks after my 13th birthday I was using the facilities and thought, “Huh – guess I started my period.” I went and told my mom, and I can’t remember what exactly I asked her during the conversation – something about if she thought it was an exciting now-I-am-a-woman sort of moment. She just sighed and said, “Actually, it’s mostly just kind of a pain.” And she was pretty much right.
I started my period for the first time on September 1, started eighth grade on September 2, and got braces on September 3. It was a busy week.
May 11th, 2010 - 16:41
I don’t really remember starting mine at all. I think it was the summer before I entered high school and I definitely remember being the last of my friends to start but as for the circumstances, I have no recollection of that.
May 12th, 2010 - 16:35
I remember talking to my mom about it, but thinking I wouldn’t get it until I was a teen since she got hers at 16…. so imagine my surprise when one summer morning before SWIM practice, I see that I started my period- the summer before 6th grade! I didn’t go to swim practice and wore a pad and felt miserable and strange and embarassed. Then I woke up the next day, decided that it was womanhood and that was great- told my mom to let me use a tampon because I wasn’t missing swim again, and that was that!
I may not be a mom, but Id love the book for that day.. and because I teach middle school kids who live at our facility and don’t have homes, Id love to give those girls advice.
May 13th, 2010 - 10:11
Please count me in. I remember getting it for the first time in school and calling my mom to come get me. When we came home all the female neighbors were at our house to “celebrate”!