Publisher's Weekly Review
Historian Cordery (Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth) celebrates the unique life of the woman who introduced the Girl Scouts in America in this robust biography. Born in Savannah, Ga., in 1860, Low was known throughout her life as "Daisy." Headstrong, with an eccentric streak-her family nicknamed her "Crazy Daisy"-she had a lifelong sense of compassion for the underdog. After an unsuccessful marriage to the wealthy but philandering Englishman William "Willy" Mackay Low, she took the brave step of divorcing him in 1905. During that time, Low's chronic ear problems also led to botched treatment that resulted in partial deafness. When unattached older women were expected to either remarry or fade away, Low remained visible in both London and Savannah society. Yearning for a purpose in life, she found one in 1911 after meeting Gen. Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the British Army hero who founded the Boy Scouts in England. Drawn to Baden-Powell's conviction that scouting should be fun, Low formed her own group of "Girl Guides"-Girl Scouts' original name-near her Scotland home, the precursor for the phenomenon she'd bring to America in 1912. With her relentless enthusiasm and dedication, she helped the fledgling organization grow from a handful of Savannah girls to more than 90,000 Girl Scouts a few years before her death in 1927. Cordery wisely fleshes out Low's nontraditional, pre-Scouting life so that the woman who emerges as the honorary troop leader of today's 2.3 million Girl Scouts is a fully realized heroine. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker, 2007, etc.) vividly evokes an era when the Girl Scouts' founder, the unconventional Juliette Gordon Low (18601927), faced an uphill battle convincing the public that girls deserved the same adventures and patriotic duties as their fellow Boy Scouts. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, camping, hiking and participating in military drills were considered the province of men alone. The head of the Boy Scouts, James West, went so far as to complain that Girl Scouts would "sissify" his organization, and he tried to block Daisy from using the word "Scout," preferring the more feminine "Guide." But Low remained undeterred by such threats, pushing ahead with her plan to create a national organization that would bring together girls of all faiths and ethnicities in fun, service-oriented activities. Despite growing up in a wealthy family in the Deep South, Daisy was no stranger to hardship, having married a cad who whisked her off to England, squandered their money and committed adultery. Sadder but wiser after his early death, and suffering from her own lifelong health problems, she strove to create a lasting monument to sisterhood that would foster independence as well as sorority. The Girl Scouts boosted their civic profile by stepping up to fulfill a bevy of tasks during World War I, from nursing to babysitting to growing vegetable gardens. By the '20s, many original critics of Girl Scouting came to advocate it as a means for transforming wayward, idle young women into strong, nurturing, productive members of society. Although Cordery's narrative occasionally bogs down in descriptions of the administrative and bureaucratic details of the organization, it nevertheless brightly illuminates the growing pains of both Daisy and her Girl Scouts. "Long Live Girl Scouts!" may be the cry on readers' lips after finishing this tribute to a spirited and inspirational American leader.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
While all Girl Scouts are taught the name of the organization's founder, Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, few people know the details of her intriguing life. Cordery (history, Monmouth Coll.; Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker) paints a vivid portrait of the woman who, despite physical challenges, romantic disappointment, and having no children of her own, founded the largest educational organization in the world for girls. Born in Savannah, Daisy Low mixed Southern belle etiquette with an interest in the arts and outdoor activities that would later inspire her vision for the Girl Scouts. The book's best chapters detail Low's involvement with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the British war hero and Boy Scouts founder who inspired her to bring a similar organization to the girls of America and also to explore how her enthusiasm and dedication helped bring girl scouting to life. VERDICT An engaging biography that describes how Daisy Low created and shaped the Girl Scouts into an organization that continues to thrive-as evidenced by the upcoming celebration of its centennial in March 2012. Recommended for readers who enjoy biography and women's history. [See Prepub Alert, 8/26/11.]-Amy Hoseth, Colorado State Univ. Libs., Fort Collins (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.