Enchanted Companions: Stories of Dolls in Our Lives

by Carolyn Michael

Book Overview

Michael proves that dolls hold a power that time doesn't diminish in this captivating collection of men's and women's stories of their favorite childhood dolls. 40 photos. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0740733311
• ISBN13: 9780740733314
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Length: 159 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.8" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Warm, funny, wonderful, poignant and very surprising!

All these words describe Carolyn Michael's book Enchanted Companions. But mostly it is full of surprises. None of the stories are predicatable or the sort of stories I would imagine that people would have about dolls. Dolls touch peoples' lives in unexpected ways. My favorites stories were "George Rufus Yoder" and "Bawl Room Dance." Amazing writing and a beautifully put-together book. I want volume two if there is one!

Wonderful book

filled with heart, laughter, joy and memorable characters. Vintage black and white photos of doll owners and their "enchanted companions" enhance this delightful book. A marvelous gift.

Enchanted Companion

This book was created by Carolyn Michael, her friends, and other contacts as a part of individual and group writing practice. The author states in the introduction that she was inspired by a story written by another participant about her mother's feelings about a special doll. The story is the first story in the book, entitled "Who Would I Tell?" by Susan Berlin. This treasure holds 24 more stories, which the author has been collecting since 1993. This memoir style collection speaks with many voices, including several pieces by children. The stories are brought to life with black and white photos of the dolls that are in each story and by picures of the writers as children. My favorite story in this collection is called, "The Night My Fanny Hit the Wall" by Nina Munk, who was 15 when she wrote this story. She speaks of the touching moment when she realized that her dolls were not real. Carolyn Michael's collection allows each writer to share their own personal experience, while connecting the reader with the common experiences that many of us have shared. I would recommend this book for adults and older children who value the memories of love and friendship with their own special dolls, and for those who want to reflect on a cherished time in childhood.