LAST OF THE NICE GIRLS: How a Nice girl from the British Empire Ends Up a Witch in the New Mexico Desert is the life work of a remarkable woman dedicated to the quality of her journey, a posthumous memoir spanning 1933 to 2004. From Hong Kong to Scotland to New Mexico and all points between, Elizabeth McBride lived an international life as a writer, adventurer, political activist and spiritual seeker. Much more than a travelogue or memoir, this is the story of a "bridge woman" — one who lived on the cusp of a time when women began to see themselves as having more options, and were yet still caught in the more traditional expectations.

She has important things to say to other women about living their lives as free women with choices. Click here for advance Early Bird ordering!

—Michelle Miller Allen, Editor

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A Room of Her Own . . .
"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write."
—Virginia Woolf

It was Elizabeth's concern, especially in the last few years of her life, that she do something to help other women to courageously pursue their writing vocations. To honor her desire, The Elizabeth McBride Trust is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of LAST OF THE NICE GIRLS to the "A Room of Her Own Foundation" (AROHO).

"A Room of her Own Foundation is truly honored to receive proceeds from the sale of this book. We hope that all creative women who read this book will be inspired to find the Elizabeth McBride inside of themselves, ready to write their own stories." —AROHO

AROHO is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the vision of writer Virginia Woolf by bridging the often fatal gap between a woman's economic reality and her artistic creation. The foundation was formed in 2000 to provide innovative and practical arts patronage to women, namely the Gift of Freedom Award of up to $50,000 given to a woman writer. It is the largest grant of its kind in the United States.

We encourage you to visit AROHO's website to find out about their awards and retreat opportunities. You may also contact them directly to make your own personal tax-deductible donation in the name of Elizabeth McBride or to the Gift of Freedom Award:


A Room of Her Own Foundation
P.O. Box 778
Placitas, New Mexico 87043
Email: Info@ARoomOfHerOwnFoundation.org
Web: www.aroomofherownfoundation.org

A Tremendous Force of Courage and Spirit . . .
Coming from my background with a stay-at-home mom and younger sisters who are career women rather than homemakers, I felt that I bridged a change in our culture and dealt with opportunities, problems and circumstances of both of these worlds. However, nothing I ever dreamed of doing was comparable with Elizabeth's experiences. She took the opportunities that life presented and did it all or most of it anyway. Her travel around the world and her telling of the story (stories) is marvelous. Her boundless energy and penchant for new places, cultures and friends is something most women only dream about. She had a depth of character and personality and viewed the world with great aplomb — from her earliest travels to her relocation to New Mexico. What a tremendous force of courage and spirit. And what an impact her story will have on others. Her memoir is a tribute to what women can and should be, and where they can go. It is a salute to Elizabeth, who handled her fears and trepidation with fortitude and determination. The book is a delight and will be a source of inspiration for readers.

—M.T. Hyatt
—Managing Editor, New Mexico Woman, December 2006

Insight into the Heart of Every Woman . . .
LAST OF THE NICE GIRLS is the story of Scottish writer Elizabeth McBride, who lived passionately as a woman, an international traveler and political activist, and kept the most exquisitely detailed diaries of her life experiences. This wonderful book is the result, and soon after I began to read the first page, I honestly couldn’t put it down.

Her biggest obstacle became getting in touch with her own essence, and being true to herself and her feelings. "Somewhere along the way, I had lost myself. Silenced, the confident inner voice should have proclaimed: I am who I am. I know what I want. I will honor my true feelings, trust my heart’s love, stand firmly in my center, develop my talents. I will NOT give myself away."

This memoir will give you great insight into the heart of one woman who is every woman. It’s a story you won’t ever forget because even if the details don’t match up, you’ll still be thinking, I can so relate.

—Linda Vozar Sweet
—Writer & Artist, Jemez Springs, NM

A Fully Lived Life . . .
To read Elizabeth McBride's memoir is to make a new friend. The author treats her reader like a trusted confidant, and so each of us is taken personally into her life. We marvel at the exotic milieus of her youth, ride the wild surf of her young womanhood, and forebear with her through demands of family and vicissitudes of fate. The result is that we alternately want to shake Elizabeth by the shoulders and throw our arms around her.

LAST OF THE NICE GIRLS is a carefully constructed telling of a fully lived life — the culmination of which was this very project and the fulfillment of Elizabeth's lifelong desire to be a writer. Credit goes to Michelle Miller Allen for adding some outside perspective to the story with her own and others' reminiscences of Elizabeth, and a section of photographs which documents Elizabeth's much vaunted beauty, so we needn't think her simply vain. The narrative itself has been edited by Miller Allen mainly for length and organization, and otherwise gives voice to the author so vividly that we come to genuinely care for her. And we feel that she cares for us too — enough to have spent her final years preparing this message: Stop being so darn nice and start fulfilling your dreams.

—Zelda Gatuskin, Managing Editor, Amador Publishers, LLC

BY SUMMER 2007 BOOKS WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AT AMAZON.COM.

10% of all orders will be donated by us to A Room of Her Own Foundation.

[Contact us for information on quantity or wholesaler discounts.]

If you would like to read an excerpt from LAST OF THE NICE GIRLS, click on the links below.

Excerpt from Michelle Miller Allen's Introduction . . .

Excerpt from PART I — 1933-1956 . . .

Excerpt from PART II — 1956-1958 . . .

Excerpt from PART III — 1958-2003 . . .