Elizabeth Arden

School Library Journal

Gr 9-12-- An interesting, readable biography of a determined woman, this book will appeal to teenagers involved in women's studies, business, or fashion. Shuker's style is casual, with some dialogue and considerable fictionalizing of feelings and emotions (consistent with the manner of Lewis and Woodworth's adult biography). She does an excellent job of relating Arden's life to the world around her, and smoothly integrates information on historical and cultural events, high society, daily life, and notable personalities into the text. On the negative side, Shuker repeatedly uses terms such as emollient , Francophile , and haute couture without definition. A description of how the Arden company operated is missing (and missed), and there is a dearth of personal photographs (most relate to the beauty business in general). Finally, after her solid start , Shuker falters, covering the last 19 years of Arden's life (1947-66) in just eight paragraphs. Nothing else on this fascinating woman is available for teens; adults may find the book intriguing as well. --Ann W. Moore, formerly at Lane Road Library, Columbus, OH