As a Berkeley grad I was disappointed to learn that one of my heros, John Galen Howard, who was chief campus architect in the early 20th century (and designer of the Campanile, among many other of the granite buildings), acted in such a petty way towards Miss Morgan, blocking any campus building contracts from going to her because she had the audacity to leave his office to go solo. On the other hand, Bernard Maybeck sounds as though he was as delightful as the Berkeley brown shingles he designed.

A touching aspect of the book is how it illustrates Miss Morgan's kindness to everyone she came in contact with. She designed a playhouse for the children of the man who chauferred her to and from the Hearst Castle site. When her own mother was getting old and fearful she built an exact replica in San Francisco of the bedroom her mother had lived in for many years in Oakland.


Outstanding   January 26, 1999
 24 out of 25 found this review helpful

I read this book when it first came out to review for our library collection. It has always been one of the books that has stood out in my mind as an unforgettable. It is terrific not just for the youth but also adults. It is an exemplary biography for an exemplary woman. Julia Morgan was one of our countries first women architects. It is an excellent biography for girls and the general public. An excellent comprehensive read of one of our countries finest architects. I highly recommend it for someone looking for an oustanding, informative, inspiring fun read for our youth.