Bookish Thursday - The Writing on the Wall by Marilyn Howard

Yep, it's Thursday and time for another book review. And this one is a fun one for me. But first the business.

I am doing this review through WOW-Women on Writing. So check out their review (and more listed at the bottom of this post).

But first, a glimpse into The Writing on the Wall.

Book Summary

An astounding true story of a young woman driven by her desire to escape chauvinism blazes a whirlwind path full of mystical encounters and unexpected adventures. From love to lawsuits, her business and personal life intertwine, bringing her to untold heights. Uncanny predictions at a chance encounter with a Fulbright Scholar from India follow her throughout life, as if written on the wall and fated to happen.

Chauvinism from her youth make her determined to explore opportunities. She breaks through a glass ceiling of seventy men, enjoys traveling for a year, and returns to found an innovative startup in New York City. Whether skiing the powdery snow in Aspen, or waking up on a beach in Mexico to men with machine guns, each adventure brings challenges and insights to add to an ever-broadening awareness. A lucky break merges with swirling thoughts to ignite a new business. Running a successful startup attracts ADWEEK Magazine of New York. She places first on their list of "The Dynamic Dozen." It should have been smooth sailing, but sharks were circling. A court battle followed.

Entertaining and inspirational stories are told from pivotal times in history. Readers gain skills about life and business. The narrative will make you laugh at humanity, provoke anger at infuriating situations and leave you inspired to reach goals. Stimulating questions are raised, which will generate a deeper introspection.

Publisher: Hammond Publishing (August 2019)

ISBN-10: 1733319638

ISBN-13: 978-1733319638

ASIN: B07WXTKQ1H

Print Length: 293 pages

Purchase a copy of The Writing on the Wall on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author

Marilyn Howard broke through the glass ceiling at Grey Advertising of New York to become their first female art director while in her early twenties. In 1970, she founded an innovative startup. Creative Freelancers Inc. became the first agency to connect businesses with freelance artists and writers, and operated for over 25 years in the center of Manhattan. ADWEEK Magazine of New York featured her in “The Dynamic Dozen,” those women under forty they identified as most likely to succeed. In 1997, her company became the first agency on the Internet. The author holds a B.F.A. from Syracuse University.

Visit her online at:

Her website: http://www.thewritewall.com/

Her Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marilyn-Howard/author/B07XFPWDK2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063965286663

And now for the fun part - my opinion!

Much of this book is a walk down memory lane. In fact, I had to laugh at myself because this is now 'history' not current events. Even though, sadly, it is still relevant in today's world. 

Howard is a tad older than myself, more of my mother's generation. However, much of what she went through during her life in the 1960's and forward, I have seen and experienced myself. She too tried to find balance in the culture of 'doing and having it all', 'dressing for success' and overcoming being a woman in a white man's world. 

Overcoming the 'no woman has ever been...' and the double standard of 'being a mother' versus 'being a father', Howard weaves a very readable narrative of her life. It brought up all the times I had to train some man to do the very job he was to do, but I couldn't apply for. Or the years of coming into work early and leaving on time, only to be told I needed to stay late - for appearances sake - which meant standing around with my hands in my pockets discussing the latest sports event or golf game with the 'guys'. 

It also reminded me of the college class I took with my daughter on movies. The instructor is my age (late 40's at the time) and the class was watching a movie from the 70's, I believe. Other students, my daughter's age, were laughing, thinking scenes in the movie were there for 'laughs'. They had a hard time believing 'no, that's really how it was'. Plus, they were laughing at the clothes which are now back in fashion!

Anyway, this is a book I would definitely recommend to readers of all ages. If you are an older reader, you would identify with a lot of things in the book. If you are a younger reader - yep, this is what we went through. And we survived and flourished and so can you - and you can help make it better for the next generation. 

But don't just take my word for it, check out these other reviews and guest posts.