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Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me: Lessons in Grace and Elegance

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Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me: Lessons in Grace and Elegance (Hardcover)

by van der Post Lucia (Author)

3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Product details

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: John Murray (1 Nov 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0719566681
ISBN-13: 978-0719566684
Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 16 x 4.6 cm

Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 114,096 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Vogue

`The fairy godmother doling out advice is the eminently stylish Lucia van der Post, who manages never to patronise her reader or -- as other guides do -- write as though she has been lobotomised . . . Her tips on simple but treacherously difficult things like how best to wear black are vital reading'

Review

‘The fairy godmother doling out advice is the eminently stylish  Lucia van der Post, who manages never to patronise her reader or – as other guides do –  write as though she has been lobotomised . . . Her tips on simple but treacherously difficult things like how best to wear black are vital reading’

(Vogue )

'With no-nonsense bravura she filters out the rubbish and highlights the ways to age glamorously, dress chicly, entertain fabulously, be a supportive and warm friend, mother and wife . . . Insightful, practical and poignant'

(Easy Living )

'Poised, elegant and idiosyncratic, Lucia is the grande dame of style . . . Good advice was never so glam'

(Eve )

'Finishing school in a book'

(Daily Mail/ Weekend )

'If the word elegance touches you in a deep, primal place, then this book will do it for you . . . this book is soaked in the essence of van der Post, heady but grounded with earthy undertones'

(Good Housekeeping )

'Much-adored journalist crafts wise words about fashion, fun and family'

(Daily Candy )

'A lot of information packed into this single volume, from how to dress for your age to the author's pick of the best cleansers and moisturizers available'

(Sainsbury's Magazine )

'Some tips are common sense while others are authoritative gems of insight. The Financial Times sage avoids being patronising, and offers an entertaining read, even if many tips are achievable only with a good wage'

(The Big Issue )

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	39% buy the item featured on this page: Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me: Lessons in Grace and Elegance 3.0 out of 5 stars (22)
	24% buy Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me: Lessons in Grace and Elegance 3.0 out of 5 stars (3) �5.98
	17% buy How to Walk in High Heels: The Girl's Guide to Everything 4.1 out of 5 stars (50) �6.72
	13% buy The Little Black Book of Style 4.5 out of 5 stars (4) �6.78

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

Average Customer Review

3.0 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Things I'm glad Lucia told me, 12 Nov 2007

By	A. C. G. Nester-Smith (London, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A lovely book, full of practical tips and advice covering issues from how to eat asparagus to how to clean cashmere. It is a world apart from the endless tomes of advice for girls currently littering the shelves. This book is a truly elegant read that marries genuine words of life wisdom with real humanity, kindness and humour. Advice is delivered in a wise and helpful way, rather than in any sense hectoring. Lessons in style and elegant living that will resonate with women of every age.

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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining guide to glamourous living, 9 Nov 2007

By	Ms. J. R. Pickering "Jo" (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I dipped into this book and found myself still reading an hour later! I loved her justifications for eating chocolate, tips on how to choose the perfect scent and ideas for finding the present for the person who has everything... Definitely recommended!

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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars How to be Lucia Van Der Post, 29 Jan 2008

By	Abbi Rouse (St Peter Port, Guernsey United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

It's not a bad book, I happily read it through in a few sittings, but my jaw did drop occasionally. Like at the section on presents that seems to start at around the �500 mark and go up to splashing half a billion on a private island for a weekend!

For a book supposedly about things one's mother should tell one, I was also suprised at the vast amount on being a grandmother, and yet the brisk line about being a mother.

And there are too many sections where "cheap treats" are listed as things the rest of us save up for. And shops listed as "budget" that I find beyond mine!

I enjoyed the prose, but I think she would have been better writing an autobiography about a rich and glamorous life the rest of us can only dream of. Instead we have a how-to book making assumptions that the rest of us only lack the glamour, not the vast riches necessary to attain it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me
I found this book old fashioned and can't see any of the tips helping girls of today.

Published 1 month ago by R Craddy

5.0 out of 5 stars purchaser review
I bought this book as a second hand product and was really quite pleased that the condition was like new and it arrived speedily. I was pleased with my purchase. Thank you.

Published 4 months ago by TDbooks

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Felt mislead by the title. I was expecting a non-fiction story with interesting fun life stories that can be related to. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Jewels Review

5.0 out of 5 stars Escapsism at it's best
I found this book to be a perfect slice of escapism - of course the majority of the female UK population can't afford the recommendations in this book but I didn't feel that was... Read more

Published 7 months ago by J. M. Morris

1.0 out of 5 stars complete snobbery
I was looking forward to reading something light hearted and entertaining but was left slightly disapointed by this book. Read more

Published 13 months ago by C. C. Stevenson

1.0 out of 5 stars One long advertisement
I agree with a previous reviewer about this being an address book of shops in London, but it is no mystery how this "book" ever got published: it was probably sponsored by the... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Spy

1.0 out of 5 stars For advice on shopping in London...
How this address book of shops in London was ever printed is a mystery. Tips like, try the High Street as well as designer stores, brighten up an old sofa with a new throw,... Read more

Published 17 months ago by MN

1.0 out of 5 stars Not what it says on the cover
From the title I would have expected to read about some valuable life lessons, or at the very least some wise words. Read more

Published 19 months ago by N. O'Sullivan

2.0 out of 5 stars Lessons in how to live if you are extremely wealthy
This book was disappointing in that instead of being lessons on grace and elegance it was more about how to spend tons of cash to appear graceful and elegant. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Caro Sheen

2.0 out of 5 stars Only if you are a middle-aged and wealthy Londoner
This book has good intentions - merely a middle aged woman wanting to share good advice and life experiences. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Mand

› See all 22 customer reviews...

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