“They can be like a sun, words. They can do for the heart what light can for a field.” —St. John of the Cross
There’s a reason women are singing the praises of Diamonds, Pearls & Stones. In our hectic, mobile society, young women can feel isolated and insecure. In this purse-sized “portable support group,” you will find sage advice from some of society’s most powerful and wise women ages 36 to 104—including celebrities such as Maya Angelou, Mother Teresa and Oprah Winfrey.
Like spending time with a cherished woman friend, this book will help you uncover your own truth and unique gifts.
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Endorsements
This little jewel of a book is a powerful tool for young adults. It’s very readable and
easy to digest, yet packed full of timeless wisdom. Jennifer and Barbara found interesting ways to explore the complexity of questions we ask ourselves. I especially like the sections where you get together with friends and discuss certain questions. In these stressful and emotional times, where meanness of spirit is so often idolized, it is vital to hear from the voices of compassion.
Amber Tamblyn
start of televisions’s Joan of Arcadia & Golden Globe nominee
What a beautiful handbook for young women passing into womanhood. My own daughter is turning 13, and I will definitely share it with her. It's a priceless gift from one generation to another.
Catherine Oxenberg
actress and mother
Diamonds, Pearls & Stones is full of absolute gems! These are words that nourish, uplift and promote self-love.
SARK
author/artist
This is a powerful book for reconnecting with the circle of women. It’s a book that reminds us of the infinite reservoir of support available to us all when we open ourselves to the wisdom of women who’ve gone before us.
—Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.
author of Inner Peace for Busy Women and A Woman’s Book of Life
I was unexpectedly struck by the power of this book. Congratulations on a really wonderful result…I hope this work truly will become well circulated…for the value it can have to women…of all ages !
Linda Elliott
former executive vice president, Visa International
[This book] is beautifully designed and definitely inspiring. Every statement is a profound glimpse into Truth. Thank you for creating such a jewel.
Deva Premal
musician
From “Accepting Yourself”
I didn’t belong as a kid, and that always bothered me. If only I’d known that one day my differentness would be an asset, then my early life would have been much easier. —Bette Midler, actress and singer
Life is not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the way it is. The way you deal with it is what makes the difference. —Virginia Satir, family therapy pioneer
From “Living in Your Body”
The body is always talking to us, if only we take the time to listen. —Louise Hay, author
Keep the media out of your world as much as possible. It tries to shape your self-identity. The advertising industry is earning millions making you think you’re not good enough, smart enough, sexy enough, small enough. Young people are their bait. You live with your youth based on false data and then spend the rest of your life trying to unhravel those beliefs. —Stacey Hurlin, artist & community leader
Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. It’s up to you to merit the face you have at fifty. —Coco Chanel, French couturier
Sex is hardly ever just about sex. —Shirley MacLaine, actress & author
From “Owning Our Emotions”
Jealousy is all the fun you think they had. —Erica Jong, writer
Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either. —Gold Meir, Israeli prime minister
From “Getting Real About Relationship”
I walked for miles at night along the beach, composing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me. —Anna Quindlen, writer
A challenge for many women around relationship is that they think, “If I don’t make this happen, it won’t happen.” This is the opposite of the truth. When a woman is in her divine nature, inwardly sensual, radiant and full of feminine intelligence, she will attract—she will never have to go out in search of a partner. —Wanda Roth, fashion & jewelry consultant
From “Making Choices”
Think wrongly, if you please, but in all cases think for yourself. —Doris Lessing, author
A mistake is simply another way of doing things. —Katherine Graham, publisher
From “Creating Your Destiny”
My idea of success is having time for deep rest, rejuvenation, and self-discovery. —Farida Sharan, author
Everything is just waiting to be made up by us! —SARK, The Bodacious Book of Succulence
From “Finding Your Tribe”
Nobody, but nobody, can make it out here alone. —Maya Angelou
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to one another. —Mother Teresa
From “Honoring Yourself”
The most important advice I can give a woman when it comes to juggling career and marriage is to put herself first. Selfish? Not at all. After all, whose life is it? —Dr. Joyce Brothers
I don’t go by the rule book—I lead from the heart, not the head. — Diana, Princess of Wales
From “Accessing Authentic Female Power”
Balance is not about juggling. Modern woman juggles her life in a frantic attempt to do and be it all. Stop! Just stop a minute. Did you walk last night under the stars? did you listen to the song of that bird? We cannot find balance when we ignore the beauty that is all around us. —Peggy Watson
Intuition: Honey, that’s when your gut get it before your head gets around to figuring it out. —Naomi Judd
©2004 Jennifer Read Hawthorne & Barbara Warren Holden. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Diamond, Pearls & Stones: Jewels of Wisdom for Young Women from Extraordinary Women of the World by Jennifer Read Hawthorne and sBarbara Warren Holden. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher: Health Communications, Inc., 3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.
Feedback from readers…
“Diamonds, Pearls & Stones is fresh and innovative in its ability to celebrate and address rites of passage and rituals for modern young women all over the world. Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Barbara Warren Holden share their gift of bridging diverse women worldwide, encouraging the female voice to soar, and compassionately inspiring women to tap into their own individual and unique essence.”
Alyssa, age 28
“This is a book I will always keep around so I can reread the wisdom within it. It gives insights from a deeper level than most people are willing to go.”
Amy, age 22
“This book gives young women an intimate portrayal of the experiences and wisdom our elders have to offer, letting us know that we are not alone in our emotional, professional and love struggles. After reading this book, I am more at peace with what it means to be a woman.”
