There's a Bed in the Piano: The Inside Story of the American Home by Kaye, Myrna - 1998

Boston, New York London Toronto: Bulfinch Press Book - Little, Brown. Fine in Fine dust jacket 1998. First Edition. Hardcover. Marfree, acidfree glossy color F/Fine 1stEd gift qual; not marked-in, clearance or discard. Usually mails within 12 hours. ; 10.3 x 8.3 x 1.0 inches; 260 pages; From Publishers Weekly Kaye, who wrote Fake, Fraud, or Genuine: Identifying Authentic Antique Furniture, wants us to "read" the cultural and social significance of tables, chairs, porches, windows and home layouts. The detailed historical perspective she provides here allows readers to do just that. Early New England antiques are Kaye's strong suit, but her fascination with that period and place might occasionally exceed that of a general-interest reader who comes to the book for a broader perspective. In addition, the superior tone with which she corrects other people's perceived misconceptions (annoyingly termed "fawbits" here, for fictional accounts without basis in truth) quickly becomes tiresome. Kaye's brightest moments are when she uses her historical knowledge to shine light on the present. After tracing the history of the American kitchen, Kaye's riff on the modern gadget that dispenses boiling water at your kitchen sink gleams like a gem. But she places higher value (and writes many more words) on historical goose chases, such as an overwrought attempt to prove the American porch came from Africa with the slaves. This might well be true, but Kaye's unwieldy prose makes the theory sound convoluted. In sections where she has less to prove, her voice is much more appealing. Copyright 1998 Cahners. A fun way of learning American social history, Jan 9, 1999 Reviewer: A reader#If you're interested in antiques, American furniture, or architecture, I'm sure this book is full of indispensable information. I'm not interested in any of them, and I loved the book. #It's just plain fun! It reads like a collection of short stories. You can't wait to see what happens next in the evolution of the chest of drawers or the porch -- because you don't learn only about the chest or the porch, but about the people who designed and used them. And you learn answers to all those questions you've always wondered about and never known whom to ask. #The pictures not only make it a great gift and perfect coffee table book, but tell you what something looks like exactly when you're trying to imagine it. .