Books by Mount Holyoke
Alumnae and Professors: E

Little Black Book of Washington, D. C.: The Essential Guide to America's Capital By Harriet Edleson '74 Peter Pauper Press. 2007. For anyone who has ever needed a well-written, informative, fun-filled and pocket-sized guidebook for Washington, D.C., this little black book is the answer. Dividing the city into zones, it gives insider tips on where to eat, what to see, how to get there, and where to sleep in the nation's capital. Foldout maps of the city and metro system are included. Harriet Edleson is a reporter in New York City and writes about health, travel and home design.

American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic By Joseph Ellis Random House. 2007. The last quarter of the eighteenth century proved a creative one in American history, and Ellis undertakes in this book to explore both the triumphs and tragedies of the time. Described as "masterly and ironic" by reviewers, the book is one of a number of books by Ellis that takes a fresh approach to America's early history. Joseph Ellis, professor of history at MHC, received a Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation.

His Excellency: George Washington By Joseph Ellis Knopf. 2004. Drawing from the newly catalogued Washington papers at the University of Virginia, Ellis paints a full portrait of George Washington's life and career - from his military years through his two terms as president. Ellis illuminates the difficulties the first executive confronted as he worked to keep the emerging country united in the face of adversarial factions. The book details Washington's private life and illustrates the ways in which it influenced his public persona. Throughout, Ellis peels back the layers of myth and uncovers for us Washington in the context of eighteenth-century America, allowing us to comprehend the magnitude of his accomplishments and the character of his spirit and mind. Joseph Ellis, professor of history, is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Founding Brothers. His portrait of Thomas Jefferson, American Sphinx, won the National Book Award.

Patriots: Brotherhood of the American Revolution By Joseph Ellis Recorded Books. 2004. Part of the Modern Scholar series, Brotherhood of the Revolution is a chronological survey of American history from 1763 to 1800, as taught by Ellis in a series of fourteen lectures. Ellis's lectures examine the key figures and themes of the War for Independence, focusing on the "brotherhood" and its core figures: Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, and Washington. Joseph Ellis, professor of history at MHC, is the author of several books on the Revolutionary War period, including 2001's Pulitzer Prize-winning Founding Brothers.

Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams By Joseph J. Ellis W. W. Norton & Company. 1993. The author concentrates on John Adams's retirement years, following the end of his presidential term in 1801. Using a partial autobiography, articles Adams wrote for the Boston Patriot, and his letters written to friends and colleagues (including Thomas Jefferson), he assesses the career and contributions of the country's most well-known shapers of national policy. Joseph Ellis is Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke.

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation By Joseph J. Ellis Knopf. 2000. Adams. Burr. Franklin. Hamilton. Jefferson. Madison. Washington. The accomplishment of this "band of brothers" boggles the mind, and it is no wonder that our founding fathers have achieved mythological proportions. Yet they were only human and their success was rooted in their often difficult and volatile collaborations, disagreements and compromises. Ellis writes, "We regard the success of the American Revolution as inevitable because we have lived so long with the consequences of its success ... But, for those involved in making that destiny happen, everything was contingent, problematic, unclear." Ellis shows how they did it by focusing on six moments that exemplify the most crucial issues facing the new nation. The character of the men who shaped our political system and ideals raises a timely question: How do leaders with different visions and values create something greater than their own ambitions? Joseph Ellis is Ford Foundation Professor of History at MHC. He won the 1997 National Book Award for American Sphinx.

The Book of Emma By Marie-Celie Agnant, translated by Zilpha Ellis '60 Insomniac Press. 2007. Emma Bratte has murdered her baby daughter and nobody knows why. Committed to a Montreal psychiatric hospital for assessment, she refuses to speak anything but her native tongue, Creole. Flore, her translator, must gain Emma's trust and help the psychiatrist determine whether she is fit to stand trial. As Emma reveals the details of her hellish childhood on a Caribbean island and her obsession with the slave trade, Flore begins to identify with her and question her own position and assumptions. Zilpha Bentley Ellis is a senior scholar at Toronto's York University, where she taught in the Faculty of Arts Department of French Studies until 2004 and also served as coordinator of the African Studies Programme.

Fingers Pointing to the Moon: Words and Images of Paradox - Common Sense - Whimsy - Transcendence By Jane English '64 Earth Heart. 1999. Through photographs, words and paintings, the author relates significant events and pathways in her life via serious and light-hearted approaches, both spiritual and down-to-earth. Photographer Jane English is also a hot-air balloon pilot and has a doctorate in subatomic physics. She illustrated the best-selling translation of Tao Te Ching (Random House, 1972 and 1997).

To Hell with Love By Sherri Erwin '90 Kensington Books. 2007. When Boston designer Kate Markham meets real-estate mogul Owen Glendower, sparks fly. Swept off her feet, Kate lets herself fall into a breathtaking sensual journey she hopes will never end, even when Owen reveals his little secret: he happens to be Hades, ruler of the underworld and the devil himself. Sherri Browning Erwin '90 lives in western Massachusetts and writes women's fiction with a paranormal twist. Her other novels include The Scoundrel’s Vow and Once Wicked.