Rating: 
Summary: Memoir without revenge? Is it possible?
Review: As a Sausalito native who just missed the 60's, I was eager to read Fraser's take on this little coastal tourist town full of folks a little too offbeat to stay put in nearby San Francisco. From the first page, I was stuck. Fraser's powers of pacing, description, and presence make the vignettes of 30-plus years fly on by. She seems appropriately confident in her ability to craft narrative-based scenarios that deliver years of significance. The best part? No vindictiveness. No self-righteousness. No exhausting self-analysis. Fraser hands us the gift of her paragraphs: forward-moving, heartfelt, and the product of a powerful wordsmith. I am already waiting for her next title.
Rating: 
Summary: Son of "Fear of Flying", and "Liars Club".
Review: Erica Jong, Dani Shapiro, Mary Karr, Elizabeth Wurtzel. I love them all. They kept me involved in their stories, and I am grateful for the pleasure of reading them in my bedroom, because believe me, there is no way I could lure these very intelligent, beautiful ladies in real life, into my bedroom. And they are not ashamed to say they are beautiful and intelligent. Just as Marlon Brando/Tennesse Williams says to Blanche, in "Streetcar" (paraphrase), "I never met a dame yet, who didn't know if she was goodlookin', or not". They know they are so why play games? The only one of this group who really irks me, is Dani Shapiro, who in "Slow Motion", complains of this terrible man who takes her to Paris and almost at gunpoint forces her to stay in the most luxurious hotel, and eat in four star restaurants! What a sadist he was! Also good coke was in on the deal. But how could she be happy? HE LIED TO HER ABOUT HIS WIFE AND CHILD! Oy vey. I should only know such suffering. Another thing about memoirs such as "The Territory of Men" is the almost total recall of incidents that happened maybe five, ten, or twenty years ago, like, "I remember in 1969, he had that red shirt on, and was drinking coffee from the yellow mug, when he turned to page 12 of the Feb. 6 issue of Life magazine", etc. Do you remember anything that happened at lunch last Tuesday dear reader? Okay,now that I got my clever little shtick out, I would like to say Joelle Fraser writes beautifully, particularly about Hawaii, where she grew up, the child of a hippy flower child mom, and a hard drinking would be writer dad. Folks, I don't know if you feel old but the Children of the hippies are writting books and that means I am definitely phasing out on Planet Earth. Right on Joelle! Enjoy every minute of this, because the critics are sharpening their pencils for anyone who has the temerity to write a successful book. If you want to have some fun Joelle, read the reviews for Norman Mailer's, and James Jones' SECOND books, after "The Naked and the Dead", and "From Here to Eternity". Bloodshed, pure bloodshed.
Rating:
Summary: Joelle Fraser's memoir gritty and triumphant
Review: For any of us who experienced coming of age in the '60's and '70's, Joelle's Fraser's Territory of Men is likely to trigger the kind of nostalgic jolt usually reserved for reunion concerts and rediscovering love letters from an old flame. If you want to read something bland and factual, go to the dictionary. But for the unflinching revelation of even part of our own lives, not just the author's, read Fraser's book. Fraser's vignettes are NOT the self-absorbed rantings of a life unfulfilled, for this writer satisfies: she fleshes out the characters, colors the scenery, and energizes the moment...I swear I could hear the Mamas & the Papas singing California Dreamin'. I could see the trusting little blonde girl being lowered to her Aunt Kathy's Sausalito houseboat in a basket, feeling hopeful and loved.
Ultimately, this is a book about a life well-lived and the capacity of the human spirit for forgiveness (I won't tell you how or I'll spoil the final chapters).
If you are brave enough to take a look at your own experience of growing up as viewed through the eyes of a gifted writer, you must read Territory of Men.
Rating:
Summary: I look for a gem
Review: I read alot of these kind of books, trying to find
out what it is that makes relationships tick, that little gem of advice. Bruce Springsteen said in an interview that "we're pretty much moulded by the time we're about eight, and spend the rest of our life trying to figure it out." After reading the book, I learned more what drives people into relationships that don't make sense. This book answers alot of questions for me.
Rating:
Summary: The Territory of Men - Great writing. Great story.
Review: I was disappointed to have missed the book signing in Ukiah. I'd read the promotion for it in the local newspaper and felt strongly that I should be there. Being a new writer and author I felt drawn to be there. Then I forgot. [Darn]. The day after the signing I tried to buy a copy, but the book store was sold out. I was happy for the Author but perturbed at the same time. After all I am a man and I wanted my cake now. I waited a week for a copy to arrive. Intrigued, I read some parts twice. Coming of age for most of us can be horrifying, intimidating, painful and awkward, but I guess necessary. Us men are very territorial. I hadn't realized how much so until I got my first dog at age forty-three. The book title really is a perfect title. I was a teenager in the sixties and was raised by my grandmother along with what I'd learned off the streets of San Francisco and L A. This book got me to thinking about my life all those years ago. Nostalgic? Yes, but the book Joelle's written touches on so much more. An exception writer. Her story is cleverly and painfully plus honestly written. A good book for all to read and ponder. She paints many pictures of life that there is a very good chance male of female you will relate too. She gets into your mind, heart, sole and even under your skin, but in a good way. Thanks Joelle.
Rating:
Summary: Great debut!
Review: In a world where people tend to hide their history in the sixties, this author (and her mother) had the guts to come forth with a very startling, but very readable memoir. For a first book, this author creates a visual portrait of episodes in her life. In one passage, you can actually see her and her father sharing the creative experience of making leis on a Hawaiian beach. I commend Joelle for her courage and her writing style. This is a must-read for anyone who experienced, lived or "stuck their heads in the sand" during the exciting sixties.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully crafted; an excellent read
Review: Joelle Fraser does what few memoir writers do -- share her experiences without too much introspection and "telling" the reader. It is, above all, an excellent read. I found myself in the range of emotion -- laughter, tears, sorrow, anger, healing -- as I read and nodded in agreement. This book will appeal not only to the women (now in our 30s) who grew up through the 60s and early 70s, but also to their mothers and fathers, their husbands and boyfriends (after all, it's important to know what makes these women tick -- they/we're from a generation unlike any other, and shaped by such powerful forces that stereotypes do not apply).Fraser's detail of scene makes this somewhat voyeuristic book come to vivid life. She's lived in places people dream about -- Northern California, Hawaii, the mist-shrouded Oregon Coast. She's lived a life that many of us lived in various forms; it's dangerous and exciting, yet unpredictable and lacking any dependable structure. It's anything but safe. Yet she comes to a point at the end where the reader understands that she's near a kind of peace with -- of understanding -- of the forces that shaped her mother's and father's lives, and then her own. It is "coming of age" but not in a hokey or too-sentimental fashion. Many of Territory's professional reviews have dealt with the heavier topics of the book: alcoholism, abuse, a scattered and often neglectful upbringing. Those are the hard truths and provide ample opportunity for discussion (my mother also read Territory of Men and loved it, cried for the little girl Joelle was and the little girl I was, and relived her own past through it), and we had several discussions as she completed some of the essays (notably "Robin's Story"). It's a book that I wish I had a larger group to discuss with -- a book club would be the ideal setting for further exploration of this book's themes. I've recommended it to several friends, male and female, older and younger. It's a truly excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: The Territory of Men: A Memoir
Review: Joelle Fraser has written an honest, poignant account of growing up on the fringes of adult counter-culture in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Though her childhood was different than most, it was still one of exploration and education, of conquering difficulties and facing emotions. Fraser writes well, with a strong sense of people and place as she drifts from northern California to the Oregon coast to Hawaii. Her book will strike a cord in a lot of people: It's a cultural story from a child's point of view, but also spans a life from childhood to adulthood. A great read!!
Rating:
Summary: Very Enjoyable Read
Review: Joelle Fraser writes a very honest, sweet memoir that is a pleasant change from the usual brag memoir. She takes us on a journey through growing up and understanding ourselves and the ones we love. She allows us to see the painful as well as the pleasurable moments in that growth and I find this very refreshing. Also, being a lover of Hawai'i, I enjoyed the brief journey to that state as well!
Rating:
Summary: The Territory of Memoir
Review: Joelle Fraser's book neatly avoids the tendency of many contemporary memoirs to fall into tedious (or tawdry) abstracted navel-gazing. Instead, you get a real sense of engagement as the author makes a serious attempt to understand her own upbringing and its effects on her life and lifestyle. Concrete detail abounds, both in the narrative storytelling and in the exploration of Fraser's internal landscape. The subtle force of the writing will creep up on you.
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