Lady from Savannah: The Life of Juliette Low

by Gladys Denny Shultz, Daisy Gordon Lawrence

Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. is proud to reissue Lady from Savannah in response to widespread demands for a biography of our Founder, Juliette Gordon Low. In truth, however, this is much more than the story of one woman and the organization she started. It is first of all a chronicle of two great American families - the Kinzies who were founders of Chicago and the Gordons whose name is magic to this day in Savannah, Georgia - that in 1860 produced the gallant, willful, exasperating, generous, and wholly lovable Juliette (known as Daisy) Gordon. The narrative of Daisy's marriage to Willy Low also offers insider's view of Edwardian high society in England. The Girl Scouts are most particularly proud that this woman from a background of wealth and privilege was able to envision a youth movement "for the girls of all America," which serves a membership of ever-increasing diversity as the diversity of our country grows.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Biography Memoir

383 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1988

Reviews

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a really difficult time reading this book, but I gave it three stars because the story of Daisy Low's life is so fascinating.

This was written by her niece, Daisy Gordon Lawrence, who knew her and had access to her personal journals and letters. She starts the story with Daisy's grandmother, then her parents, and then her entire life. She often includes excruciating detail such as a list of everyone who attended a party or the specifics of a gown worn by a friend of Daisy's. I couldn't always read it in order. I skipped ahead to the parts that were of most interest to me, but I eventually read it all because Daisy is very much a product of her family history. Daisy wasn't even born until page 67 and the part I was most interested in, the founding of the Girl Scouts of America, didn't occur until page 305.

Juliette Gordon Low was a complex person and one that I have always admired a great deal. I now have a better understanding of why she is so worthy of admiration.

At the beginning of chapter one, her brother Arthur is quoted with a summation of his sister Daisy, and it was my favorite part of the book:

"It is difficult to describe her with any accuracy because she was so many-sided and unexpected and incalculable. There was nothing conventional or tepid or neutral about her. She had an eager desire to realize life to its utmost, and she would try anything, particularly if she had never attempted it before. What she enjoyed, she enjoyed to her very finger tips; and the reason she was so eagerly sought after lay in the fact that she was not only very entertaining and amusing when she desired to be, but she was frequently killingly funny when she had no intention of being funny at all."

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a dense but thorough account of Juliette Gordon Low's life and that of her family and close friends. It did not give as much detail about the early days of the Girl Scouts and how the movement ha continued to grow since her death as I would have liked. I am giving this book 2 stars not for the content but the way in which the book was written, which makes it difficult to read and be engaged with throughout. For such an interesting woman, this book should have been a much more fun read.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady From Savannah read almost like 2 different books. The first half reads as one of those sweeping sagas of families through the generations, from the founding of American down through the middle of the 19th century. Indeed, it isn't until about 70 pages in that Juliette "Daisy" Gordon even really puts in an appearance in the story of her own life. The second half reads more like the biography one would expect. I'm not 100% convinced that as much backstory as is provided is really necessary for painting a detailed picture of Juliette Low, but that aside, I rather enjoyed the stories of how her mother's family founded Chicago all but single-handidly. As for the Girl Scouts, don't look for a lot of detailed history of the organization here. There is quite a bit of information regarding the activities surrounding the organization's founding, but that all happens within the last 100 pages of this almost 400 page book.

The story was often slow, and while the writing and analysis is often clearly a product of its time (the late 1950s) this was still an interesting story about a rather eccentric woman, about whom I admittedly knew nothing prior to reading this book (shameful for a former Brownie and Girl Scout!). I did enjoy learning about Juliette Low's life and her family, and found her truly tireless devotion to the Girl Scouts very inspiring.

[Patty Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of the United States.

[caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written by Juliette Low's niece and it certainly reads like it was written by a family member, not a historian or author.

While it was interesting to read about the connections Juliette had throughout her life (and it did, in some ways, help to paint a more detailed picture of her) I'm just not convinced that we needed to hear about every person she ever spoke to. This feels like a genealogy book. So many people were mentioned without any context, so when names reappeared later in the book it was very difficult to keep track of who was who.

The author has a very strange way of skipping around the timeline, which is not something I enjoy in a biography. For example, we go through a few chapters in World War I, then go back in time to talk about the death of Juliette's mother. It's then that we discovered that her mother was dead for all of World War I. There were many moments like that - a strange choice in my opinion.

While a lot of this book had too much detail, I felt like we were somehow also missing key details. The sections where Juliette actually started the Girl Scouts was lacking - we never get to see in depth what her motivations were. I felt that way about much of the sections pertaining to the Civil War; we never got to see Juliette's thoughts on the matter (or her family's, really), despite clearly being on the side of the Confederacy per her father.

All in all I would not recommend this book. I think there are likely better biographies out there.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the life of Juliette Gordon Low. She was a dynamite character and I can only hope to be half as fun, gracious, and spunky as she was. I will say this book was fairly dry at the beginning. I think that is because I was expecting only the biography of Daisy, and only a little bit of the history of her family. Instead this book gives a detailed account of Daisy's great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother's lives. Which makes it really special in a way, but very long if you aren't expecting that.

The authors left out a lot of social-political movements that happened during the life of JGL, which was extremely disappointing. For instance, JGL was a young girl during the Civil War and the authors spent all their time discussing how Daisy's father was a commanding officer in the confederate army, and mentioned how deeply JGL identified as a confederate because she was at such an impressionable age. But, it would have been great to know how the Gordon family benefited from slavery, more on their why to fight for it, and more about how the war and reconstruction afterwards affected their lives. Also, there is no reference to women's suffrage. Daisy lived in both England and the US from the late 1890s or so until she died in 1927. There is no way in hell a woman like Juliette Gordon Low didn't have an opinion on a woman's right to vote, if not participate in some sort of campaign during either the English or American movement.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

While visiting Savannah I had the opportunity to visit the Gordon House. I was amazed at what a remarkable woman Juliette Low was and had the desire to learn more about her life. This book was the conduit to that. Very informative and interesting as well as being a book that was easy read and understand. This is a complete rendition of her trials, tribulations, successes and failures. It paints a complete picture of her life. An outstanding book.

[MsChris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a girl scout most of my life and I wanted to love this book but I just couldn't. The first half of the book is family history, much of which is not actually needed. I enjoyed the last half and actually reading about Juliette Gordon Low. She was an amazing woman that would should all aspire to be more like.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it well enough and enjoyed what it offered. I honestly didn't care about her whole family line, and their background. Juliette's real biography doesn't present itself until later in the book. I wanted more of her story with founding Girl Scouts. Other than that Juliette Gordon Low "Daisy" was a fascinating woman.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traces the genealogy of Juliette Gordon Low's family from the frontier days of America through her childhood, young life, marriage, and founding of the Girl Scouts. This book contains lots of historical facts garnered from historical letters and journals.

[Aaron Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended

The classic biography of Juliette. Long and detailed— and I suspect a tad whitewashed, as one would expect from its Southern sensibilities and time period. I enjoyed it and learned many entertaining Juliette stories!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

[Dhalia Bumbaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very informative and provided a lot of historical context about not only the Girl Scouts of America but US and English history. Great read but definitely dense.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating history - of the Civil War era, Savannah, & the founder of The Girl Scouts of the United States - Juliette Gordon Low.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained a lot of interesting history. While I admired the relentless spirit of Juliette Low and her mother and grandmother before her, I don't imagine that we would have been personal friends had we lived at the same time. She could certainly get a job done, even one I would have thought impossible! But I detest the times she forced somebody into doing things they didn't want to do, even ignoring their refusals.

What I especially loved about Juliette Low "Daisy" was her writings to her family. (There were some that I'm kicking myself for not having taken down in notes!)

Why didn't she marry Baden-Powell?! Here is what she wrote to her family, as he was just about to encourage her to take the torch with the Girl Scout movement:

On June seventeenth she wrote in her diary: “Again I met B.P. No doubt about his magnetism. I am not sure if he knows he can influence people, or if the charm of his presence is an unconscious one. I told him about my futile efforts to be of use, and the shame I feel when I think of how much I could do, yet how little I accomplish, and when thrown with a man who has made a success of everything, by contrast I feel that my life brings forth ‘nothing but leaves.’ A wasted life. He looked so kindly when he said, ‘There are little stars that guide us on, although we do not realize it.’”

And the part that made me laugh out loud (perhaps because I finally felt like I could relate to "Daisy"):

…(Daisy) committed one of those faux pas which she enjoyed telling on herself.
One of the speakers was Miss Anstruther Thomson, for whom Daisy had great admiration, and to Daisy’s dismay the audience was not applauding her. “I determined that I at least would show my appreciation, so, although I could not hear a word of what she was saying, I clapped and called, ‘Hear, Hear!’ every time she paused. It was only afterward that I found her speech had been all about me and must have sounded like this: ‘Mrs. Low is a very remarkable woman.’ (Hear, Hear!) from D.L.) ‘It is a marvelous piece of work to have founded the Girl Scouts of the United States,’ Loud applause from me, while the audience remained in stony silence!”

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former Girl Scout, and current Assistant Leader, I can really appreciate the work that went in to founding our beloved organization. This book not only provides a historical account of the founder of the Girl Scouts of America, but also tells us about her parents and grandparents and how they too helped in building our country.
What is also intriguing, is this was not the typical philanthropist who knows nothing about the realities of life. Her life was a series of personal struggles as a child and a woman, it was the story of a survivor, a person anyone can look up to. True she was also an eccentric, but this was overlooked by her charm and the love she had for anyone who came into her life.

When I first saw a film clip at Girl Scout camp in the mid-70's, I became enchanted by this lady. Years later, I was led to this group of young ladies once again and found out there was a book about Juliette Low. I was intrigued from beginning to end, because I could identify with her pain and personal struggles. I soon realized that my life with the Girl Scouts would probably never end, as it had been a part of my journey and had helped me overcome my own struggles as a young woman.

I would recommend this book to all Girl Scouts young and old. I do feel however that it is written more for a mature audience, over 16. Not because of graphic scenes or language, but because the writing is very sophisticated and requires an experienced reader.

[Kristen Kellick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truthfully, all I knew about Juliette Gordon Low was that she was born, was nicknamed Daisy, created the Girl Scout movement, and died. Considering I'm a lifetime member, that's shamefully little! And when I recieved this book as a gift, I was wary of Daisy being too good to be true. Never fear! Daisy - you'll never think of her as Juliette again after reading this book - was one interesting individual in a family of interesting people who lived in interesting times. Even the bio you find on the GSUSA website is skimpy in comparison, though perhaps not quite as sanitized as what little I heard as a girl. Not only will GS find this an engrossing read, but anyone with an interest in early US history. In the end, while I wanted to resist the impulse, I feel I must give Daisy 5 stars.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever been a Girl Scout you should read this book. It includes a history of the Juliette Low's father's and mother's families (back to her great grandparents) and concludes with Juliette Low's death in 1927. The book is as much about Nellie Gordon, Juliette's mother, Juliette's father, Willie Gordon, as it is about Juliette Low, but the intricate family relationships are quite important in making Juliette the person she was. The authors had access to family diaries, scrapbooks, files, and letters because Daisy Gordon Lawrence, Juliette's niece is a c0-author. Though I was a Girl Scout for many years, I did not know much about the organization's founder. She had a fascinating, interesting life. I am glad a friend recommended this book. It was a worthhile read.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy Gordon Lawrence and Gladys Denny Shultz write about our Girl Scouts of the USA founder and her ancestors in a chronicle that is a delight to read. I learned about the Kinzie and the Gordon family from their beginnings in the United States. I especially liked Nellie Kinzie's, Juliette's mother, story about living as a "Yankee in the Confederate Heartland". Overall it is an engrossing read of how Juliette Gordon Low's life was shaped and of how she started and contributed to the Girl Scout movement in the USA.

This book is not historical fiction. The wealth of first-hand information from letters, documents, and family members enabled the authors to write a vivid narrative

[SaraJean · Rating 4 out of 5]

While very interesting and informative, it is a very dated biography. The authors spend an almost too-significant portion of the book focusing on Low's family history. While this history was important to her, as a reader and Girl Scout, I needed less information on her family and more on Low herself. The authors also make assertions based on armchair psychology that they do not (and most likely cannot) support. I would recommend it for those who are interested in the life of the founder of the Girl Scouts and those who are interested in the history of the American South, but for those who are simply looking for an interesting American biography, I am sure there are better.

[Diane Funk]

Though the book was hard to get into at first, it jumped around a lot with various people and events, I found it an enjoyable book. I was a little disappointed because I thought the book would be about Juliette Low and her development of the Girl Scouts, but instead I found it was more about her family and the events that occurred around her. I did learn a lot about her family and the role they played in the early foundation of this country and the rich society life in which they were intermingled. All in all once I got into the last 100 pages I could not put the book down. I liked it despite the fact that it was not what I had expected when I picked up the book. A very good read.

[Cherryl Northcutt Valdez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been around my house, unread, for at least 15 yrs. I finally decided to read it.
The reason the book was purchased all those years ago, is because my daughter was a girl scout and I purchased it for her.
While I feel most people that read it, will do so because they were girl scouts. I feel they will be somewhat disappointed. The book goes into too much history of her parents and grandparents. In fact, I the book is more of a tribute to Juliette's parents than to the founder of Girl Scouts.
It isn't until about half way through the book that the focus of the book is Juliette. And, by the time it addresses the Girl Scouts, her story is very rushed.

[Roya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I am planning a trip to Savannah. I was a disillusioned Girl Scout (early 1970s) because our authorized activities were limited to lame arts and crafts projects, sewing, cooking, first aid, etc. (i.e., "the feminine arts"). My expectations of the life of Juliette Gordon Low were...low. I was wrong. The entire family is fascinating and anything but docile, subservient, or conformist. From that perspective, it is an interesting book. The first third is engaging and interesting, but the last two-thirds drag on and by the end, I could not wait until I was finished. It's worth reading for the historical perspective.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not an amazingly written biography, however it gives a great background on the Founder's life. Growing up I had heard many of the Daisy anecdotes but this put them in context and in some instances gave explanation for her eccentricity. As a genealogist with a love of history, I enjoyed reading about her family's experiences in the beginning of US History.

Personally, it was good to complete this book. It helped me to reaffirm my belief that Girl Scouts is about the girls and not about the office politics.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 2000 while in Savannah, Georgia. The family history and life of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts, is told in this book. Her mother's family were the founders of Chicago. Vivid stories about encounters with native american, the civil war's impact on southern families, and the yellow fever epidemic are told.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me 3 months to finish...but not because it's not good. Just because I've been busy and overwhelmed with life and not read-y. But it's a lovely story with huge family background info about the founder of the Girl Scouts. She spent all her time between Savannah and England--how could she NOT have a cool life?

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this book from childhood and will read it from time to time when I need a shot of courage. "Daisy" Low survived enduring hardships to then found the Girl Scouts of America. She is truly an icon and heroine to me.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great history of the Kinzie/Gordon/Low family. I really enjoyed learning about Daisy's parents as well as her siblings throughout her life. Many fun and funny stories about her antics, and a great inspiration to all Girl Scouts.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anecdotal stories drawn from letter, diaries, and remembrances sketch out an interesting and very dimensional lady. Juliet, Daisy, manages to overcome disappointment and tragdy through service and upbeat humor.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were giving girlscout tours at the museum. This book gave me a lot of insight into Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the girlscouts).