Book Review: 50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know

When I first picked up the book 50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know by Kay West, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was interested to learn a little more about etiquette, and perhaps some things I would like to teach my own daughters someday.  What I found was a nicely written book with short anecdotes, as well as do’s and dont’s for young ladies to follow. 

I wasn’t sure who exactly classified as a young lady, but it seemed like the book was written more for ages 12-16 than anything.  It also contained lots of modern advice about acting like a lady.  In this day and age, a true “lady” is hard to find, so I was glad that this book emphasized how important being one still is.  I especially liked it’s emphasis on modern social areas, such as texting or Facebook.  I guess there’s hope that manners and etiquette can still be used in our technology-saturated lives.

My only critique was that I wasn’t exactly sure how many young girls in the target age would actually read such a book.  Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think at that age I would have fully appreciated a non-fiction book with short points to it.  I might have skimmed it, but not actually read it.  It would have seemed more appropriate to write the book for mothers in order to help them know what to teach their daughters.

Overall, though, it was a good, short read, and I was pleased to find I learned a lot of new pieces of etiquette as well.  I would recommend this for mother’s or teenage girls who want to learn a little more about etiquette and manners.